The uniforms will feature imagery, colors and emblems associated with Avengers charactersMARVEL
Marvel has partnered with custom uniform manufacturer OT Sports to produce a series of Avengers- and Spider-Man-branded youth soccer jerseys. The uniform designs will be compatible with team and sponsor logos, and the jerseys will be distributed to teams and leagues throughout North America by Admiral Sports. The uniforms will feature imagery, colors and emblems associated with Spider-Man and Avengers characters including Captain America, Iron Man, Captain Marvel and Black Widow. “One of our key goals just in general for Marvel is what we call engagement beyond the screen,” said Marvel Senior VP/Licensing Paul Gitter. “We try to figure out, is our brand applicable and relevant in these different areas of somebody’s day?” Gitter said the aspirational nature of youth sports makes it a perfect fit for Marvel’s characters.
CONTINUING A TREND: This is not Marvel’s first foray into sports licensing. The company has previously partnered with Adidas on shoes and apparel, Spyder on ski race suits and Hayabusa on boxing gloves and equipment. “We generate a substantial amount of licensing fees via these arrangements,” said Gitter. “And they lead to other doors being opened.” Gitter says the youth soccer deal will initially be limited to North America, but once there is a “proof of concept,” the goal is take the strategy global. Marvel is also eyeing potential opportunities in the NFL and MLB.
