Sporting Goods Stocks Are Stumbling. The World’s Biggest Sports Events Might Be Their Comeback Moment.
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After a bruising two years marked by falling discretionary spending, bloated inventories, and rising costs, the global sporting-goods sector is searching for its next turnaround story. Investors may not need to look far: the world’s largest sporting events are lining up like a perfectly staged relay.
Between the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2026 Winter Olympics, and the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games, the industry faces a rare, multi-year wave of visibility, product launches and fan engagement. If sporting-goods stocks have a catalyst, this may be it.
A Sector Waiting on a Second Wind
For companies from Nike to specialty ski-equipment makers, recent quarters have been challenging. Inflation and tariffs have squeezed the consumer, while brands wrestled with supply-chain wobbling and cautious retailers. Yet the structural backdrop remains firm: multiple studies forecast steady mid-single-digit growth for the global sportswear and equipment market through the decade.
Executives across the industry say the problem isn’t the long term — it’s momentum. And major sports events are, historically, one of the most reliable momentum machines the consumer sector has.
Why Events Matter More Than Ever
Mega-events don’t just bring medals and television rights. They catalyze what marketers call the participation effect: millions watch, many are inspired, and a meaningful share translate that excitement into purchases — new running shoes, winter jackets, soccer gear, athleisure collections.
They’re also catalysts for marketing cycles. Big brands time limited-edition apparel releases, refreshed athlete endorsements, and expanded e-commerce pushes around global tournaments. The Olympics, in particular, offer what one industry strategist calls “the Super Bowl, but across 40 sports and three weeks.”
A recent analysis of past Olympic cycles shows a consistent rise in brand visibility and online traffic for official partners — Nike’s website engagement saw one of its largest traffic surges during the Paris 2024 Games, according to people familiar with the matter.
For sporting-goods firms, whose valuations often hinge on the pace of product cycles and brand heat, this matters.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup: A North American Tailwind
The biggest near-term catalyst arrives in 2026: the FIFA World Cup, to be hosted jointly by the U.S., Canada and Mexico.
Why does that matter? Because it brings the world’s most watched sporting event to the world’s largest consumer market.
Analysts expect U.S. sports retailers to see elevated shop visitors and apparel sales in the run-up to the tournament. The U.S. sporting-goods market alone is projected to grow from $35.5 billion in 2024 to over $60 billion by 2032[1], according to P&S Market Research — and major events tend to accelerate these trends.
Football (soccer) remains under-penetrated in terms of consumer spend compared with basketball or running in the U.S., which means incremental growth rather than cannibalisation. European brands with strong football roots — and American giants with well-funded marketing budgets — may find receptive consumers.
On a global scale one can not underestimate the immense popularty of football in Asia and Africa. Huge markets with growing middle classes.
The World Cup is also the closest major catalyst on the calendar. Short-cycle investors often begin positioning 12–18 months ahead.
Winter Olympics 2026: A Lift for a Niche, But Profitable Segment
The 2026 Winter Games in Milan–Cortina won’t rival the World Cup for global engagement, but for winter-sports brands — from ski gear manufacturers to performance outerwear labels — the event remains the most potent commercial driver in their cycle.
The winter-sports equipment market, from skis to performance goggles, is projected to grow nearly 6% annually through 2028, according to Grand View Research. That growth is concentrated in Europe and North America — precisely the markets most exposed to Olympic buzz.
While winter sports remain niche relative to omnipresent athleisure, they carry high margins, strong brand loyalty, and premium pricing — traits investors love during recovery phases.
LA 2028: The Crown Jewel of the Cycle
The most powerful economic catalyst lies furthest out: the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
It is, simply, the highest-visibility consumer event on the planet — and being hosted in the United States supercharges its commercial implications. Brands with strong U.S. presence, distribution and athlete sponsorships stand to benefit.
The addition of new sports — including cricket, squash and flag football (as a demonstration sport)— broadens the commercial canvas. More sports mean more gear, more apparel, more digital engagement, and broader consumer reach.
LA28 also offers the longest runway: brands will begin marketing campaigns, athlete signings, and product design cycles as early as 2025. For investors, that means a multi-year thematic window rather than a single-season trade.
Why a Rebound Looks Plausible
The case for sporting-goods stocks isn’t simply about event-driven marketing hype. It rests on three deeper dynamics:
- Consumer engagement is cyclical — and events reset the cycle.
Consumers may delay buying gym shoes during inflationary periods, but event cycles reliably reignite interest.
- Brands use events to justify margin-friendly launches.
Limited editions, athlete collaborations, and special-event apparel have historically carried higher price points and tighter markdown control.
- Sporting-goods stocks tend to be early-cycle winners.
When consumer sentiment improves, discretionary categories — especially lifestyle and sportswear — are among the first to rebound.
- The world’s strongest economy is the stage for the two most important sporting events in the upcomming 3 years.
America did not invent sports, but the strong link between marketing and sports did see his birth in America. Coca Cola was one of the very first commercial brands using sports as a marketing vehicle during the 1928 Amsterdam Olympic Games. But it wasn’t until the games of Los Angeles 1984, afterwards labelled as the Coca Cola games because of the strong brand presence, that the strong interconnection between marketing and sports got forged. Business savy Americans saw the potential of sports as a marketing vehicle and layed the foundation of the Olympics commercial model.
What Investors Should Watch
For investors building exposure into this multi-event cycle, several markers matter:
- Brand positioning
Companies with strong athlete sponsorships or official partnerships, Nike being a prominent LA2028 partner, have a measurable advantage. Wheras Adidas pays his image as number one footbal brand towards FIFA 26. Challenging the beplagued behemoth Nike on its home turf.
- Inventory discipline
A key lesson from 2023–24 is that elevated inventories can blunt any demand uptick. Brands with cleaner stock levels will capture more upside.
- Geographic exposure
Because two of the three major events are North American, brands with strong U.S. distribution and marketing firepower may outperform.
- Execution of event-linked launches
The Olympics aren’t just about slapping a logo on a shoe; they’re about innovation cycles. Firms with compelling product storytelling often win the cycle.
A Real Opportunity
Sporting-goods companies have been spitted out since the Corona hype, resulting in decimated stock prices. The companies aren’t out of the woods, and risks remain: a sluggish consumer, heightened competition, and macro uncertainties could weaken the rebound. However, the roadmap with the important events in America outlined above and lots of bad news already priced in in the stock prices could lead to the long anticipated rebound.
[1] https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/us-athletic-sporting-goods-market