Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturers
Industry Profile Report
Dive Deep into the industry with a 25+ page industry report (pdf format) including the following chapters
Industry Overview Current Conditions, Industry Structure, How Firms Operate, Industry Trends, Credit Underwriting & Risks, and Industry Forecast.
Call Preparation Call Prep Questions, Industry Terms, and Weblinks.
Financial Insights Working Capital, Capital Financing, Business Valuation, and Financial Benchmarks.
Industry Profile Excerpts
Industry Overview
The 1,600 sporting and athletic goods manufacturers in the US design, engineer, and manufacture a wide range of sporting, athletic and fitness related goods and equipment. Products include sports equipment (excluding sports apparel and footwear) used to play team sports, like baseball, basketball, football, and hockey; individual sports, including golf, tennis, bowling, and swimming; fitness equipment; and products used in outdoor recreational activities, such as fishing, camping, hiking and rock climbing.
International Sourcing And Sales Risks
An increasing percentage of finished sporting and athletic goods and raw materials are being sourced from foreign countries, particularly China and other developing countries in Asia.
Protecting Brands And Distribution Rights
The marketing success of many sports and athletic goods manufacturers often depends on maintaining strong brand names, trademarks, and proprietary technologies or product designs.
Industry size & Structure
The average sporting goods manufacturer employs 24 workers and generates $7-8 million in annual revenue.
- The US sporting and athletic goods manufacturing industry consists of about 1,600 companies that employ 38,700 workers and generate $12.4 billion in annual revenue.
- The industry is dominated by a small number of large manufacturers having several different products and brands, but is also characterized by a large number of very small manufacturers who market specialized products in niche markets.
- The 50 largest manufacturers generate 70% of the industry's revenue, yet 51% of manufacturers have less than 5 employees.
- In 2022, participation rates were 67% of the population for fitness sports, followed by 55% for outdoor sports, 41% for individual sports, 23% for team sports, 16% for racquet sports, 14% for water sports, and 8% for winter sports, according to the Physical Activity Council.
- Millions of Americans participate in team and individual sports including basketball (27.1 million), baseball (15.5 million), soccer (12.6 million), football (7 million), court volleyball (6.3 million), ice hockey (2.3 million), softball (2.3 million), lacrosse (1.8 million), and rugby (1.2 million).
Industry Forecast
Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturers Industry Growth
Recent Developments
Nov 14, 2024 - Manufacturing Activity, Employment Falls
- US manufacturing activity contracted in October 2024, marking the lowest Manufacturing PMI registered in 2024, according to the Institute for Supply Management’s Manufacturing ISM Report on Business. The Manufacturing PMI registered 46.5% in October, down 0.7 percentage points from the 47.2% recorded in September. A reading above 50% indicates manufacturing expansion. Producer prices for sporting and athletic goods manufacturers rose 1.9% in September 2024 compared to a year ago, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Employment by sporting and athletic goods manufacturers fell 4.4% in September 2024 compared to a year ago, while wages at miscellaneous durable goods manufacturers increased 5.5% during the same period.
- A new study by the National Retail Federation (NRF) of the estimated impact of president-elect Donald Trump’s tariff proposals shows the tariffs could increase costs of major consumer product categories including apparel, toys, furniture, household appliances, footwear, and travel goods. The study looked at the impact of Trump’s proposed universal 10-20% tariff on imports from all countries and an additional tax on imports from China. Per the study, consumers would pay $13.9 billion to $24 billion more for apparel and $6.4 billion to $10.7 billion more for footwear with the proposed tariffs in place. The study showed the tariffs would have a “significant and detrimental impact” on the costs of a wide range of consumer products, in particular those products supplied primarily by China. US retailers would be unable to absorb the increased costs and would need to raise prices “higher than many consumers would be willing or able to pay.” According to Jonathan Gold, NRF vice president of supply chain and customs policy, “Retailers rely heavily on imported products and manufacturing components so that they can offer their customers a variety of products at affordable prices. A tariff is a tax paid by the U.S. importer, not a foreign country or the exporter. This tax ultimately comes out of consumers’ pockets through higher prices.”
- Sports participation levels increased for 35 of the 56 sports and activities tracked in 2023 compared to the previous year in a National Sporting Goods Association report. The “2024 Sports Participation in the US” showed that pickleball participation continued its strong growth in 2023, up 54% over 2022. Team sports with the highest participation growth in 2023 were cheerleading (15%), soccer (12%), and flag football (10%). The personal contact segment, which includes boxing, wrestling, and martial arts, saw participation increases of 14% over the prior year. The wheel sports segment decreased 1.2% due to a fall in bike riding participation. According to Nick Rigitano, Director of Insights and Analysis at NSGA, “Overall it is great to see participation levels up across the majority of sports and recreational activities we track. It tells us the opportunities are there for retailers, team dealers and manufacturers in the sporting goods industry to grow their business.”
- Consumer confidence levels increased in October 2024, improving in all five components of the Consumer Confidence Index, according to The Conference Board. The index was 108.7 in October 2024 from 99.2 in September 2024. Dana Peterson, chief economist at The Conference Board, noted that confidence was the highest among those between the ages of 35 to 54 and those in the income category of over $100,000. Per Peterson, “Consumer confidence recorded the strongest monthly gain since March 2021, but still did not break free of the narrow range that has prevailed over the past two years.” Plans to purchase homes and new cars rose on a six-month average basis.
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