Champion (sportswear)
Athletic apparel brand
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Champion (also stylized as Champion U.S.A.) is an American clothing brand specializing in sportswear, owned and marketed by Authentic Brands. The company was originally based in Rochester, New York, prior to its acquisition by Sara Lee in 1989.[2]
- Knickerbocker Knitting Co. (1919–1930s)
- Champion Knitting Mills Inc. (1930s–present)
- Private (1919–1989)
- Subsidiary (1989–present)
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.jpg) Champion store in Beijing, China, 2022 | |
| Formerly |
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|---|---|
Company type |
|
| Industry | |
| Founded | 1919 |
| Founder | Feinbloom Brothers |
| Fate | 1989: Acquired by Sara Lee Corp., other owners since |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | 38 stores (2021)[1] |
Area served | |
| Products | |
| Parent |
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| Website | champion.com |
Products manufactured and sold by Champion include casual wear clothing (t-shirts, hoodies, sweatpants, shorts, jackets, underwear), hosiery (leggings, socks), footwear (sandals, sneakers) and accessories (bags, hats, collectibles).
History
The company was established in 1919 by the Feinbloom Brothers as "Knickerbocker Knitting Company."[3] The company soon signed an agreement with the Michigan Wolverines to produce uniforms for their teams. In the 1930s the company was renamed "Champion Knitting Mills Inc.", producing sweatshirts and hoodies. Soon after, Champion products were adopted by the US Military Academy to be used during training exercises and physical education classes.[4]
Champion was acquired by Sara Lee Corporation in 1989.[5] Champion produced uniforms for all the NBA teams during the 1990s and some NFL teams during the 1970s to the 1990s, for both on-field and retail purposes. It has also produced sportswear for many major colleges.[6] Champion was also the uniform manufacturer of the Olympic basketball team that competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics.[4]
From 2008, Champion produced kits for Premier League side, Wigan Athletic F.C., the Welsh national men's soccer team and jerseys for the Greek national men's basketball team,[7] also Pallacanestro Cantù, in Italy.
Champion supplied the football uniforms for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. In 2001, Notre Dame signed an exclusive five-year agreement with Adidas, which ended the partnership that Champion had with the university for over fifty years.[8]
In June 2024, Hanesbrands announced plans to sell the Champion brand to Authentic Brands for $1.2 billion.[9] On October 1, it was announced that the transaction had been completed.[10] Champion's CHAMPION TEAMWEAR is now owned by Unrivaled Teamwear, which is a brand partner for the champion's team apparel similar to how Under Armour's licensed apparel is handled. The parent company of Unrivaled Teamwear is Authentic who owns Champion.[11]
Sponsorships
Basketball
Past sponsorships
In the past, Champion manufactured uniforms mostly for basketball and American football teams, most notable its long-time partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) that extended until 2004, when Reebok took over.[13] Champion also sponsored International association FIBA until 2017.[14]
Below are lists of some of them, organized by sport:
Gridiron football
.jpg)
XFL (2001)
CFL (1987–89)- Chicago Bears (1993–95)[15][16][17]
- Cincinnati Bengals (1989–96, 1998)[18]
- Buffalo Bills (1988–96)[19]
- Indianapolis Colts (1987–92)[20]
- Atlanta Falcons (1990–91)[21]
- New York Jets (1990–96)[22]
- New Orleans Saints (1990–96)[23]
Soccer
Wigan Athletic (2008–09)
Sochaux (2003–05, including the last season as main sponsor of the club)
Parma (1999–2005, including the last season as main sponsor of the club)- Cosmos (1975–76)[24]
Wales national team (2008–10)
Basketball
- NBA – all teams (1990–1997), some teams (1997–2002)[13][25]
- U.S. national team (1992–2000)
- Italy national men's team (1996–2016)
Zadar- Virtus Bologna (1999–2005)
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