NHL signs 16 year deal with Fanatics for replica jerseys, apparel

[sureLoss]

So replica jerseys will be made by Fanatics and won't have the Adidas logo on them. They will also use a different fabric to "fit better" and have a wider range of sizes.

Looks like Adidas won't be making any replica jerseys. If you want one to be as close as possible to what the players are wearing you will have to buy authentic.

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/1...ampion-apparel

The NHL has signed a deal with Fanatics, the nation's largest online seller of licensed sports apparel, giving the company the exclusive right to make NHL fan-replica jerseys as well as all quick-turnaround products, including official Stanley Cup-champion locker room apparel.

How much Fanatics pays the league for the deal, which was signed Wednesday and will start next season, is unknown, but sources say the contract is for 16 years.

The relationship provides a window into the future of sports retail. A fan will now order a jersey on Fanatics or one of its affiliates, including the official online store of any of the major sports leagues. That jersey will then be made and shipped by the same company. The ability to make the apparel on the spot also means that wait times on popular player jerseys, most recently Toronto Maple Leafs rookie Auston Matthews, can be shorter.

Fanatics officials say they plan to improve the appearance of jerseys. Because the jerseys looked too bulky for fans who didn't wear pads under them, the company has created a stretch fabric that fits better. The jersey is adjusted depending on size and gender. Fanatics will also add sizes -- up to 5XL for men and an extra-small option for women.

A Fanatics logo will be on the bottom of the jerseys, while the Adidas logo, which will be on NHL on-ice jerseys starting next year, will not appear on the replica jerseys. The deal allows Adidas, whose new seven-year deal starts next season, to get the branding benefits on the jersey exterior on the players but not have to worry about making jerseys for fans -- which requires a significant infrastructure investment.

[Geeoff]

I don't like that they won't have the Adidas logo. Now even the official replicas will look like cheap Chinese knockoffs. :/

[alan21]

I guess this would give people an incentive to actually buy the "authentic" jersey opposed to now where it really doesn't make a huge difference to spend twice as much on a waterproof material jersey.

[taco.vidal]

Originally Posted by Geeoff

I don't like that they won't have the Adidas logo. Now even the official replicas will look like cheap Chinese knockoffs. :/

The Chinese knockoffs may look more like the on ice jerseys than the Fanatic product.

[Tyler]

16 years seems like a risky gamble

[Ashasx]

Wait, so the jerseys I buy at stores now won't be the same as the ones the team wears on the ice?

Incoming ads.

[squiggs96]

Originally Posted by Ashasx

Wait, so the jerseys I buy at stores now won't be the same as the ones the team wears on the ice?

Incoming ads.

Most jerseys that are sold in stores (Reebok Premier) aren't worn on the ice by the players. Most people buy the Premier vs. the Authentic style, with cost being the biggest reason.

[OmegaV4]

Originally Posted by Tyler

16 years seems like a risky gamble

It seems you have forgotten the NHL loves risky gambles:

https://www.nhl.com/news/nhl-rogers-...-deal/c-693152

[corporatejay]

This is a hilariously terrible idea.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by squiggs96

Most jerseys that are sold in stores (Reebok Premier) aren't worn on the ice by the players. Most people buy the Premier vs. the Authentic style, with cost being the biggest reason.

Cost and fit. They still look identical and don't have a cheap walmart logo on them.

[Young_Guns]

Doesn't matter. Jerseys haven't been the same since Reebok bought out CCM and took over. Once they began making jerseys overseas, there became an influx of knock-offs and fakes produced in sweatshops.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by taco.vidal

The Chinese knockoffs may look more like the on ice jerseys than the Fanatic product.

All of them will probably be made in the same factory.

[lazypucker]

I buy and wear jerseys that look like the on-ice garments that players wear, not some alternate styles. I don't understand why Adidas did not get (or did not ask for) the replica (and other merchandise) part of the deal. Isn't that where the most money is going to be made (on fan merchandise, not authentic game jerseys)?

[Toonage]

Kind of funny. People hate the idea of ads on the jerseys, get upset that the Adidas logo will be missing. But I get the concern. I'd like the jersey I buy to be as close to authentic as possible but not at the price of an authentic.

[Geeoff]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Cost and fit. They still look identical and don't have a cheap walmart logo on them.

Replica Jersey is $160. Walmart Jersey is $20. Since they're both inaccurate, might as well save money.

[Kolbe31]

Too early to judge I suppose, but their choice of words doesn't inspire me too much. If they stray too far from how the jerseys look on the ice, you're going to drive people to buy knockoffs. On-ice authentics, while a great product, are really expensive and just not worth the cost to the average fan. Hopefully they give this some thought.

[tvp2003]

Presumably the authentic jerseys (worn by the players) will still be manufactured the same factory in Montreal: http://www.canadianbusiness.com/inno...ockey-jerseys/

As for the replicas, I'm guessing Fanatics paid a handsome sum to market (and manufacture?) the replica jerseys you'll see in stores. I always thought of Fanatics as just a retail website (and not a clothing manufacturer), so presumably they will use the same factories to produce jerseys as Reebok used? Not sure why Adidas couldn't have done that though -- maybe they just wanted out of that business?

As for the "plan to improve the appearance" of the jerseys, I'm hoping they don't make too radical of a change. A jersey should feel like a jersey and not just a long sleeve shirt.

[sureLoss]

The deal allows Adidas, whose new seven-year deal starts next season, to get the branding benefits on the jersey exterior on the players but not have to worry about making jerseys for fans -- which requires a significant infrastructure investment.

Doesn't sound like Adidas will be involved in making the replicas at all.

[N-E-B]

Seems dumb to me but I'll reserve judgement until I see the product.

[Igottago]

I like the idea of more form fitting sizes. But not sure about having the fanatics logo instead of Adidas. Don't know what their logo looks like though, but seems more natural to have the legit sports brand that makes the real jerseys like Rebook, Adidas, CCM.