Under Armour, Baltimore, and Fanatics, Jacksonville, Fla., unveiled “Star Wars”-branded sportswear in the weeks ahead of the release of the franchise’s new film, “The Force Awakens,” according to Fox Business.
There has been massive public interest in the new film, with some analysts suggesting its total haul could approach $2 billion, and several companies have quickly tied in product launches with the film.
Under Armour’s “Alter Ego: The Imperial Collection” was released in November, saw immediate success and was praised by Matt Powell, vice president of NPD Group’s sports industry analysis division.
“Under Armour was very successful with their comic hero series so I would expect Star Wars to be equally successful,” Powell says. “It’s only a small part of their total business so I do not expect a major lift from Star Wars, but it has created some publicity for the company.”
Fanatics has been selling T-shirts featuring college sports logos and “Star Wars” characters, which have “seen a tremendous response from fans,” says Jack Boyle, Fanatics’ president of merchandising.
“In just a few weeks, we’ve sold through the majority of the items, with T-shirts leading the way in popularity,” Boyle says. “Sales have increased each week leading up to the movie premiere this weekend.” — J.B.