Nike Partners with USA Gymnastics to Expand Sport for the Next Generation

For the first time ever, Nike will serve as the Official Apparel and Footwear Partner of USA Gymnastics and the USA Gymnastics National Team, supporting athletes on their journeys to Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028 in addition to all the young athletes they inspire along the way.

Click here to read the story at usagym.org.

Discussion Questions:

1. What is sponsorship?
2. Why do businesses and brands invest in the sponsorship of sports, events, and entertainment properties?
3. What do you think they consider when determining which properties to sponsor?
4. Why would Nike be interested in sponsoring USA Gymnastics?
5. What is the difference between the marketing of sports and marketing through sports?
6. Which best describes Nike’s partnership with USA Gymnastics?
7. Why might they want to announce the partnership with USA Gymnastics a full year in advance of the 2024 Olympic Games?
8. Where are the Summer Games in 2024? Where are they in 2028? How might that impact the brand’s decision to partner with USA Gymnastics?
9. What type of marketing rights might Nike have as an official sponsor of USA Gymnastics?
10. Who is Simone Biles?
11. Nike had sponsored Simone Biles from 2015 until 2021, when she left to sign an apparel partnership with Athleta. It was recently announced that Biles had returned to Nike. Why do you think both Biles and Nike agreed to partner after splitting up just two years ago?
12. Why might that relationship be important to Nike as they entered a sponsorship agreement with USA Gymnastics?