Under Armour, Dick's Sporting Goods enter youth sports partnership with Unrivaled Sports
A leading apparel and footwear brand and a leading sporting goods retailer bolstering their support for youth sports.
Under Armour and Dick’s Sporting Goods have partnered with Unrivaled Sports, a youth sports experiences operator, to support activations across the Unrivaled’s properties, events and programming. The three will collaborate on a series of "integrated, experiential" activations designed to bring the partnerships to life for participants and fans with a broader roadmap of initiatives to follow throughout the year and beyond.
Initial tentpole efforts are tied to Ripken Nationals, a premier 12U baseball national championship tournament in its inaugural year, where athletes will see big league experiences like never before. These include Under Armour sponsoring a content series celebrating the MVPs of Ripken Nationals and highlighting incredible plays each day of the Ripken Nationals Championship, and Dick’s Sporting Goods Post-Game Press Conference social content series spotlighting youth athletes and coaches as they share live reactions to the tournament's most pivotal moments.
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"These strategic partnerships and sponsorship models are incredibly meaningful as we strive to change the world of youth sports — by creating inspiring, inclusive, and memory-making experiences for young athletes everywhere, for boys and girls, across multiple sports, and across the country," said Andy Campion CEO and chairman of Unrivaled Sports.
Additionally, Under Armour is now the exclusive performance apparel partner of Ripken Nationals and the Ripken Nationals Championship. Under Armour is also the official performance apparel partner for Unrivaled Flag events, including the Youth Flag Football World Championships and the High School Girls National Flag Football Competition, which features five-on-five and seven-on-seven tournaments, round robin games, playoffs and championships.
"Under Armour is proud to partner with Unrivaled Sports," said Craig Cummings, Under Armour VP, team division. "Unrivaled showcases a level of excellence in youth sport and Under Armour's committed to helping drive innovation and performance by delivering the best product and experiences for young athletes at Unrivaled tournaments and events."
Dick’s will serve as the Presenting-Level Sponsor of Ripken Nationals and the Ripken Nationals Championship, and deliver a premium brand presence throughout the tournament. GameChanger, the youth sports mobile platform operated and operated by the retailer, will also provide livestream coverage tied to marquee moments, including Ripken Nationals qualifiers and the Ripken Nationals Championship at Cooperstown All Star Village.
"Supporting youth sports is central to who we are at Dick’s," said Mark Rooks, VP of creative, sponsorship & entertainment at Dick’s. "This partnership with Unrivaled Sports allows us to show up for young athletes in new ways by elevating their tournament experience, celebrating their achievements and creating moments that mirror the biggest stages in sport. By investing in these moments, we're helping empower the next generation of athletes and reinforcing our commitment to the future of the game.”