In the ever-evolving luxury playbook, brands are betting big on sports to drive relevance and reach. In the last year, they have been flooding the zone — sponsoring sporting events, tapping athletes as brand ambassadors, campaign stars and design collaborators, immersing in leagues by designing uniforms, merch and trophy cases, and even investing in teams themselves.
The athletes brands are engaging with are younger than ever, no longer just the reigning icons but now even stars on college teams or those entering professional sports like at draft events. And surging fan bases for soccer, F1 racing and women’s sports are creating new opportunities to engage.
The connection between luxury and sports follows the slow burn of fitness and wellness as major lifestyle trends that have spawned luxe workout wear (the Hermès Yoga collection), exercise equipment (the Dior collaboration with Technogym), and healthy food (Hailey Bieber’s $20 Erewhon smoothie). But it’s also the culmination of an economic force — the democratization of luxury — making both aspirational and high net-worth customers key to billions of dollars of profits. Sports can reach both groups, offering wide exposure on TV and social media, while allowing brands to tailor exclusive experiences to top clients.
Luxury automotive, watch and fashion brands have long supported elite-level tennis, equestrian, golf and boating events. Chanel got in the game this year by sponsoring the Oxford-Cambridge boat race, but now they are also engaging in mass sports, including football, basketball, baseball, and particularly soccer, a sport with popularity reaching more than half the globe.
Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy has been a major corporate player. Following a starring role in the 2024 Olympics that had Louis Vuitton trunks appearing during the Opening Ceremony, LVMH upped its commitment to sports this year by signing a 10-year sponsorship deal with Formula 1 and taking a majority stake in French soccer club Paris FC, creating ample opportunities for the group’s 75 brands.
The luxury/sports love affair also follows a generational shift forcing heritage businesses built of another century to appeal to a more diverse and younger population, as well as to more women, to ensure their survival.
Taking advantage of the increasing popularity of women’s sports, Coach became the official luxury handbag sponsor of the WNBA and WNBA Draft orange carpet this year, while Prada (which dressed Caitlin Clark for the 2024 WNBA Draft) partnered with China’s Women’s National Football Team.
New brands are also rising in the luxury/ sports space, including Franco and Giacomo Loro Piana’s SEASE sportswear, drawing on their family’s legacy with stealth wealth brand Loro Piana; FIFA 1904 launched this year with the Lanvin Group; and the Richemont-owned Gen Z golf brand G/Fore.
The world of the athlete has expanded beyond sports into fashion and pop culture. Shows and movies such as “Ted Lasso,” “Running Point,” “Stick,” “Drive to Survive,” “Challengers” and the blockbuster “F1,” starring Brad Pitt with cameos of Lewis Hamilton and other racing greats, have made sports part of the daily conversation, appealing to luxury brands seeking cultural relevance and an emotional connection with consumers, both crucial to maintaining and gaining market share in today’s downturn.
However, athletes are an alternative to the overexposure of Hollywood celebrities, representing long-lasting qualities of perseverance, resilience and hard work, rather than fleeting good looks and glamour. They make headlines and wield influence as power couples (Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, Hailee Steinfeld and Josh Allen, and Aisha and Steph Curry) when they dress for tunnel walks and the Met Gala.
Brands are using their popularity to amplify key moments. When Dior released the first photos of its hotly anticipated debut men’s collection by Jonathan Anderson in June, it wasn’t on a fashion model, it was on French footballer Kylian Mbappé who has 126 million followers on Instagram.
Beyond the pros, college sports branding has evolved since the implementation of name, image and likeness (NIL) rules that allow student-athletes to profit from endorsements. A 2024 campaign with Armani Beauty featured more than 250 college athletes, highlighting social media content promoting the Acqua Di Gio and Stronger With You Intensely fragrances, and leveraging their Gen Z appeal and followers.
In an increasingly fractured world saturated with misleading content, consumers are craving authenticity, transparency and community. Sports deliver that, helping brands create a sense of belonging and connection that transcends borders, generations and differences. The humanity and ritual of sports open new avenues for storytelling that align with luxury’s timeless value proposition, and can continue from one season to the next. Because selling heritage is a marathon, not a sprint.
Nina Kaminer is the founder and president of Nike Communications, a full-service communications firm specializing in the marketing of luxury brands. Under her direction, the agency has led brand transformation for best-in-class brands including Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons, Montblanc, Leica, Baccarat, Frette, Grey Goose, Bombay Sapphire, Maserati and Wheels Up. She is a member of the USC Center for PR board of advisers.
Nike Communications is completely unaffiliated with Nike Inc.