🎉 WeArisma joins forces with NielsenIQ (NIQ) to, for the first time ever, measure the impact of Creator Marketing on sales.
Sports and Athleisure marketing is on the move. Connect with the biggest shifts shaping the creator economy to get ahead of the game in 2025 and beyond.
Published On: July 16, 2025
Creator marketing remains one of the most effective strategies for sports and athleisure brands seeking to establish trust, foster stronger consumer connections, and differentiate themselves in their field. But the game has changed.
Shifting consumer preferences are shifting perceptions on what good looks like in sports and athleisure.
Our insider industry analysis shows that influential creative voices have generated up to a collective 19-times more earned media value (EMV)* than typical brand-owned accounts. It’s clear that today’s consumers value the thoughts, opinions, and recommendations of respected creators over branded messaging alone.
This undeniable shift in perspective demands fresh ways of thinking about earned media success, particularly in the sports and athleisure space.
We’ve entered a bold new age in creator marketing – one that’s founded in building strong communities and meaningful relationships with influential voices. Now, creating connections based on shared values will drive maximum success from your creator marketing initiatives.
Keep your finger firmly on the pulse with these game-changing insights from our ‘Sports and Athleisure State of Influence 2025’ report.
Influential voices are delivering impressive creator marketing performances for some of the world’s most revered sports and athleisure brands.
Creator marketers play a crucial role in setting trends, cementing trust, and inspiring audience engagement far beyond the scope of brand-owned media channels.
Here’s an overview of the value of creator marketers in sports and athleisure based on our data:
✔️ Generated up to 19X EMV than brand owned account
✔️ Created up to 42X more content that brand’s own accounts
✔️ Reached up to 44X more consumers than owned accounts
✔️ Earned up to 321X more engagement
The most influential voices in sports and athleisure have emerged as brands in their own right, forming strong parasocial connections with their communities. These relationships result in emotionally-driven bonds that spark meaningful interactions and earn consistent promotional success.
Read: What Is The True ‘Cost of Dull?’ Essential Takeaways From Our Keynote Speech
From the ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’ and the prevalence of Pink Pilates ‘Princesscore’ to the restyling of women’s ski wear, we’re witnessing some pretty attention-grabbing trends in sports and athleisure right now.
These shifting consumer preferences are currently shaping the industry, and you can use them to your creative advantage.
It appears that comfort and sophistication aren’t mutually exclusive. Major luxury brands Dolce & Gabbana and Loewe teamed up with sportswear and athleisure companies Nike, Skims, and On to merge style with comfort.
These partnerships reflect a shifting consumer demand for versatile, functional apparel that suits active lifestyles, making luxury both wearable and accessible without compromising its signature elegance and allure.
A new wave of Gen Z women athletes is commanding attention and redefining relatability in the sporting world.
Athletic brands are leveraging their appeal to connect with audiences, as their youthful energy and approachable image create stronger connections with fans, ultimately driving deeper engagement.
The fusion of fashion and sports has evolved beyond mere endorsements into deep collaborations, becoming a powerful cultural force.
Athleisure’s rise, amplified by the Olympics, has driven mass engagement. Disruptors like Hoka, which has experienced a 65% YoY EMV growth, are challenging industry leaders like Nike, propelled by eco-conscious consumers looking for the key combination of innovation and accountability.
The rise of feminine fitness is reshaping activewear, driven by Pilates’ growing popularity. Ballet-inspired styles – soft pink sets, slouchy socks, and bows – are trending, even inspiring a Spotify Wrapped category for fans of artists like Sabrina Carpenter and Chappell Roan.
Once a tool for improving a ballerina’s performance, pilates now embodies grace on a universal level, pushing brands like Lululemon and Alo Yoga ahead of the competition.
Brands are redefining women’s ski wear to combine style and performance with sleek, tailored designs that move beyond bulky, outdated fits.
Brands like Perfect Moment, Fusalp, and Moncler are crafting pieces that shine on the slopes and après-ski alike. Influential voices like Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber are further elevating the trend, sporting vibrant, form-fitting suits layered for a seamless transition from mountain to lodge.
Read: Mountain Warehouse x WeArisma: Taking Control of a Reactive Influencer Strategy
Who are the most influential and forward-thinking brands in sports and athleisure right now? These leading names are making significant ripples in the industry with influential partnerships and well-positioned influencer campaigns.
Nike is a dominant force in the activewear creator marketing space, generating £1.7B in EMV, 5.8B Impressions, and 555M Engagements from its initiatives.
Long-term partnerships with leading athletes and influential voices drive the brand’s ongoing success. These collaborations include ‘Nike x Jacquemus’ and ‘Nike x Kim Kardashian’ and are fueled by innovative product storytelling, plus community-driven campaigns.
As Nike’s biggest athletic wear competitors, Adidas is also leading the pack with equally impactful brand partnerships, including its striking Avavav x Adidas collaboration.
Like Nike, Adidas generates a significant Ripple Impact* across EMV, Impressions, and Engagements. Among its many trend-bucking initiatives, Adidas solidified its must-have status by capitalizing on the streetwear boom.
Fashion creators swapped their heels for Sambas, generating 3x the EMV Impact from influential voices and nearly tripling Impressions and Engagement Impact.
British brand Gymshark has emerged as creator marketing winner by blending comedy, immersive fitness challenges, and practical training advice.
Creators like Stan Browney exemplify this approach, making Gymshark the centerpiece of interactive content featuring extreme challenges and fitness transformations, driving the brand’s Engagement Impact by 13x.
The widespread appeal of sports presents a universe of opportunity to brands looking to build connections that extend far beyond the reach of their existing communities.
Focusing on forging consciously curated creator partnerships and measuring your impact beyond tags and brand mentions alone will give you a significant edge on the competition.
The industry is evolving, and by keeping up to date with the latest developments, you’ll future-proof your brand for this exciting new chapter in the creator economy.
Dive deeper into the latest sports and athleisure trends and insights by downloading our ‘Sports & Athleisure 2025 State of Influence Report’.
___
The total brand impact generated by influential voices compared to that generated by brand-owned accounts.
Our proprietary assessment of the potential investment required for an advertiser to generate equivalent impact. EMV is calculated based on the average rate card or market cost per performance metric of an influential source with certain levels of following, reach and engagement across platforms (much like how Media Value is calculated for print advertising).
EMV is dynamically adjusted based on industry averages and weighted dependent on factors such as platform, types of engagement, industry, seasonality etc.
Access timely cultural trends, strategic creator guidance, and industry best practices.
Discover the most groundbreaking entertainment marketing insights from our eye-opening panel discussion at ‘The State of Influence 2025 and future-proof your brand for tomorrow’s creator economy.
Fashion and Sport Brands Global Analysis.
Wimbledon’s evolution into a cultural engine allows brands to move beyond visibility, fostering deeper resonance through tradition, lifestyle, and aspirational storytelling.
In an experience-driven economy, where influence is shaped by shared moments and storytelling, Wimbledon provides a rare opportunity to reach global audiences in a context that extends well beyond sport.
Join our community and get cultural insights, creator strategy guides, and real-world best practices.
