Campus Ink today announced it has become an officially licensed apparel partner of ESPN, becoming the first NIL apparel provider for the most iconic brand in sports.
The addition of ESPN to Campus Ink’s portfolio of licenses further cements Campus Ink’s NIL apparel arm - The NIL Store - as the home for collegiate and pro co-licensed NIL gear. Built around the people at the center of sports, the athletes themselves, this signals an ambitious new chapter for the NIL Store as one of the fastest-growing names in athlete-driven apparel.
For nearly half a century, ESPN has been the standard-bearer for sports coverage, building a culture of fandom unlike anything that came before it. ESPN has been there for every defining moment; every buzzer-beater, every walk-off and every storyline that turns a game into a memory. The NIL Store shares that same fervor for the moment. It just tells the story a different way: through apparel.
“ESPN created the language of modern sports fandom, and the NIL Store speaks it through what people wear,” said Steven Farag, co-founder and CEO of Campus Ink and the NIL Store. “When fans watch the biggest moments, they want to carry those memories with them forever. We take pride in meeting every one of those moments with merch worthy of them, while doing it in a way that puts athletes first. There’s no bigger stage to do that on than ESPN.”
Through the partnership, Campus Ink and the NIL Store gain access to ESPN’s wide-ranging portfolio of franchises, including SportsCenter and more. That breadth lets the NIL Store capitalize on both athlete-driven NIL moments and everyday fan apparel, supporting the full spectrum of how people show up for the sports and stars they love.
"ESPN & Campus Ink are the perfect partners to meet the moment through athletes and apparel,” said Mark Cuban, Campus Ink investor.
"Sport has long transcended the boundaries of the game and ESPN is at the forefront of telling those stories,” said Adam Cook, Campus Ink and NIL Store Vice President of Sports. “This partnership is the next big leap in allowing collegiate athletes to benefit from the cultural impact created through so many great storylines in college athletics."
All ESPN licensed apparel will be carried on merch.espn.com, the official merch store of ESPN.
For more information on licensing opportunities with ESPN, please visit https://imglicensing.com/brands/espn/
