BLEACHER REPORT’s Joseph Zucker noted Sparks G Kelsey Plum and Under Armour are “ending their sponsorship deal.” Plum, who first signed with UA in 2022, is the “second notable name to move on” from the company within the past year following Warriors G Stephen Curry’s exit in November. Plum was “wearing Adidas shoes while competing in Unrivaled” this winter. At the time, a UA spokesperson said that Plum “was still with the brand.” However, that is “clearly no longer the case” (BLEACHER REPORT, 4/21).
PLANTING A FLAG: The FINANCIAL TIMES’ Thomas Hale reports Reebok “plans to open hundreds of new stores in mainland China,” re-establishing the brand in the country as its owners “seek to tap into a fitness and activewear boom.” The company “plans to launch a new store in Shanghai this autumn and add as many as 200 outlets by the end of 2029.” Reebok is “targeting annual sales” of $1B in mainland China by 2036, up from less than $100M now -- “all of which is online” (FINANCIAL TIMES, 4/22).
