Licensed Sports Merchandise Market Size, Share, Growth, And Industry Analysis, By Type (Apparel, Footwear, Toys & Accessories, and Licensed Sports Merchandise), By Application (Department Stores, Specialty Stores, E-commerce, and Others), Regional Forecast From 2025 To 2034

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LICENSED SPORTS MERCHANDISE MARKET OVERVIEW

The global Licensed Sports Merchandise Market size stood at USD 35.99 billion in 2025, growing further to USD 71.49 billion by 2034 at an estimated CAGR of 7.92% from 2025 to 2034.

The United States Licensed Sports Merchandise Market size is projected at USD 11.06669 billion in 2025, the Europe Licensed Sports Merchandise Market size is projected at USD 9.90423 billion in 2025, and the China Licensed Sports Merchandise Market size is projected at USD 9.82506 billion in 2025.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and staggering, with the licensed sports merchandise market experiencing higher-than-anticipated demand across all regions compared to pre-pandemic levels.  The sudden spike in CAGR is attributable to the market's growth and demand returning to pre-pandemic levels once the pandemic is over. 

In sports merchandise, licensed sportspeople or clubs endorse a variety of products. It offers a range of products for men, women, and children, including sports gear, games, apparel, footwear, and accessories. A certain royalty is paid by licensing organizations to sports entities when merchandise is sold with these logos, designs, and brandings. In addition to reducing the risk of trademark infringement, it facilitates the prevention of counterfeit products made by brands related to sports.

KEY FINDINGS

COVID-19 IMPACT

Pandemic Hamper the Demand & Supply Chain of Nonessential Goods Market

Sports merchandise comes in inessential products that have witnessed a hard time during the COVID-19 pandemic. Apparel merchandising is the highest segment in demand by consumers. However, this segment has been impacted negatively as only essential goods were permitted to sell, and manufactured during the lockdown restrictions. Thus, the demand & supply were halted by the coronavirus outbreak globally. Though, it is predicted that the industry will recover soon over the forecast period as the market restrictions have been removed internationally.  

LATEST TRENDS

Commercialization of Sports Events to Boost Market Growth

The growing participation of individuals in sports has led to an increase in the purchase of licensed sports merchandise. Apart from this, growing health awareness has led to increased physical activity, along with a demand for more entertainment, resulting in a rise in participation in sports in the last decade. Growing media coverage of different sports and the expansion of different sports to various regions have also contributed to the growth of this market. A number of leagues have been established and fans have taken part in the majority, making the sports sector a driving force of intact opportunities. A significant share of the working class is more likely to participate in sports and fitness as a recreational activity, which is also related to changing lifestyle patterns.

Moreover, people indulged in different endurance sports. According to Sport England, millions of people participated in track and field athletics in England in 2020. Through this, avid sports fans have gained access to a wide variety of sporting goods, accelerating the market's growth.

In August 2021, Authentic Brands Group Inc. has acquired Adidas AG's underperforming Reebok business for up to 2.1 billion euros ($2.5 billion), extending the buyer's line-up of well-known consumer brands. In December 2020, A licensed sports merchandise company called WinCraft had been acquired by Fanatics. In addition to apparel, WinCraft now offers sports-themed clocks and banners, giving fans a more significant presence beyond apparel.

• 45.0% of licensed merchandise in 2025 was expected to be sports apparel.

• 60.0% share from offline channels in 2025, underscoring continued importance of brick‑and‑mortar and stadium retail outlets.

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LICENSED SPORTS MERCHANDISE MARKET SEGMENTATION

By Type Analysis

According to type, the market can be segmented into Apparel, Footwear, Toys & Accessories, and Licensed Sports Merchandise.

By Application Analysis

Based on application, the market can be divided into Department Stores, Specialty Stores, and E-commerce

DRIVING FACTORS

New Product Launches to Attract Consumers’ Interest to Augment Market Growth

The latest trend of commercializing sports events and tournaments is going on globally. Which stimulates the sports merchandise market. The printed products with the logos of major sports teams such as jerseys, socks, tracksuits, t-shirts, lowers and activewear, have gained immense traction among consumers who prefer fashionable casual and gym wear. Other driving factors, for instance, growing expenditure & dispensable income of the consumers, with rising investments in sports licensing, are anticipated to drive the market growth.

Highest Lucrative Part of the Sports Industry to Inflate Market Growth

One of the other main driving factors is, as licensed sports merchandise is the most lucrative segment of the sports industry because it provides revenue streams to multiple stakeholders, including athletes, team owners, and sponsors. Therefore, the licensed sports merchandise market is a growing industry that has been accelerating the growth of various sports associations.

• In 2020, licensed merchandise revenue returned to pre‑pandemic levels as sports events resumed, confirming strong consumer resilience.

• Sports tourism and government‑backed events have been directly linked to upticks in licensed merchandise purchases in host countries.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

High Price of Gaining Merchandising License to Restrict Market Expansion

Acquiring a license for sports merchandising is high in price which is not affordable for a majority of the manufacturers, only big brands can avail of this licensing service. Along with this, the lack of knowledge about the procedure of licensing sports merchandising is another restraining factor that can confine the market growth.

• Counterfeit jerseys and fan gear continue to undercut licensed sales by diluting consumer trust in authenticity.

• High licensing fees and limited affordability restrict purchases in developing markets where disposable income is lower.

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LICENSED SPORTS MERCHANDISE MARKET REGIONAL INSIGHTS

Major Sports Leagues in the North America Fuel Market Expansion

In terms of regional insights, North America leads the licensed sports merchandise market. As per the previous year’s record, around, one-third of the market share is held by the North American region. The U.S. alone dominates the regional market growth. As the United States has the world’s top major professional sports leagues such as the NFL (National Football League), NBA (National Basketball Association), and MLB (Major League Baseball) which is anticipated the growth of the market. In addition, the popularity of sports, and government funding for sports encourage market opportunities. Therefore, it is projected that the licensed sports merchandise market will keep witnessing exponential growth in the region over the forecast period.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Marketing Strategies & Distribution Channels of Key Players Spur Market Growth

Over the last few years, the key players in the market have been improving their strategies and embracing new marketing tactics to attract their customers. Also, using advanced technologies, increasing capital investment in research and development, high quality of the product, product manufacturing, collaboration, mergers, acquisition, online marketing so on. In addition, rapid globalization is helping brands to expand their business, outlets, and product launches worldwide. The key companies are including G-Iii Apparel Group, Fanatics Inc, Adidas Ag, Nike Inc, Under Armour, Puma Se, Columbia Sportswear, Everlast Worldwide, Inc, Hanesbrands Inc, and others. The licensed sports merchandise market share is primarily held by these companies in terms of revenue. Thus, the key players influence the licensed sports merchandise market growth during the forecast period.

• G‑III Apparel Group: ranks among top global licensees, partnered with major leagues including NFL and MLB.

• Newell Brands Inc.: holds licensing for several fan collectibles and memorabilia tied to leading sports franchises.

List of Top Licensed Sports Merchandise Companies

• G-lii Apparel Group
• Newell Brands Inc
• Fanatics Inc
• Nike Inc
• Under Armour
• Puma Se
• Everlast Worldwide, Inc
• Ralph Lauren
• Adidas Ag
• Columbia Sportswear
• VF Corporation
• Anta Sports Products Limited
• Hanesbrands Inc

REPORT COVERAGE

The report emphasizes understanding the licensed sports merchandise market’s size, share, growth rate, segmentation by type, application, key players, and previous and current market scenarios. The report also collects the market’s precise data and forecasts by market experts. Along with this, it explains the study of this industry’s financial performance, investments, growth, innovation marks, and new product launches by the top companies and offers deep insights into the current market structure, competitive analysis based on key players, key growth factors, and restraints that affect the demand for growth, opportunities, and risks.

Besides, the post-COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on international market limitations and a profound understanding of how the industry will recover, and strategies are also stated in the report. The competitive landscape has also been described rigorously to provide clarification of the market competition.

This report also reveals the research based on methodologies that define price trend analysis of target companies, collection of data, statistics, target competitors, import-export, information, and previous years’ records on the basis of market sales. Furthermore, all the significant factors which influence the market such as small or medium business industry, macro-economic indicators, value chain analysis, and demand-side dynamics, with all the major business players have been explained in detail. This analysis is subject to modification if the key players and feasible analysis of market dynamics change.