NFL Athletes in Good Hands With New Nike Glove Deal

Expanded League Agreement Allows Players to Wear Nike Gloves On-Field 


BEAVERTON, Ore., Oct. 26  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Nike today announced the formation of a deeper integration with the National Football League by expanding its current footwear and promotional rights agreement with the League to include branded gloves on-field and at retail and grassroots programming. The new deal will commence in week eight of the 2007 NFL season, beginning with games on Sunday, October 28, in which athletes will be able to wear Nike gloves displaying the Swoosh logo on-field for the first time in more than six years.

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Nike currently has endorsement agreements with more than 70 percent of the active players in the NFL including All-Pros LaDainian Tomlinson, Tom Brady, Shawne Merriman, Brian Urlacher and stand-out rookie Adrian Peterson. Nike provides these players with the best-selling performance footwear and gloves in football.

The Air Zoom Assassin and Air Zoom Blade Pro D are two of players' preferred cleats, while the Magnigrip Elite Remix (best-selling glove on the market this season) and the Speedtack IV (among the Top 5 selling gloves for more than three years running) are the most popular performance gloves.

These styles are available to all performance players at Niketown and other Nike retail outlets.

As a part of the expanded agreement Nike and the NFL will work in partnership on grassroots programs that encourage physical activity among youth. Nike's "Let Me Play" program, which empowers kids through sport, will work in tandem with the NFL's "Play 60" initiative, a program designed to motivate and inspire youth to get 60 minutes of exercise a day.

Additionally, Nike will provide promotional support to the NFL Flag Football program as part of the expanded agreement.

"We value this deep integration with the National Football League on every level, from grassroots through the highest level of the game, "said John Slusher, Nike's Vice President of Global Sports Marketing.  "The retail opportunities and visibility associated with the NFL's on-field product is important, and we are equally excited to join forces in our commitment to youth activity through sport."

Per Nike policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed.

NIKE, Inc. based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned Nike subsidiaries include Cole Haan Holdings Incorporated, a leading designer and marketer of luxury shoes, handbags, accessories and coats; Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic footwear, apparel and accessories; Exeter Brands Group LLC, which designs and markets athletic footwear and apparel for the value retail channel; Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes action sports and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories and NIKE Bauer Hockey Inc., a leading designer and distributor of hockey equipment. 

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DATASOURCE: NIKE, Inc.



CONTACT:  New York Media Relations of NIKE, Inc., [phone]



Web site:  http://www.nikebiz.com/ 

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