Simone Biles drops Nike, signs with Gap unit Athleta
“We are excited to welcome Simone to the Athleta family and work together to further our mission of empowering women and girls,” said Mary Beth Laughton, president and chief executive officer of Athleta. “Simone believes in championing the next generation of female athletes as much as we do, and we are confident this partnership will continue to build community with our customers and enrich our brand.”
“The opportunity to encourage young girls to reach their full potential and be a force for change is incredibly powerful,” said Biles. “I admire Athleta for their commitment to recognize and support women’s individual and collective strength and, together, I believe we can help girls to confidently and passionately take on the world in their athletic endeavors and beyond.”
Nike’s problems with female athletes
By contrast, Athleta and Gap have been building a reputation for being a supportive home for women, both athletes and executives.
Biles joins fellow Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix, a track star who became the first athlete to sign an endorsement deal with Athleta in 2019 after leaving Nike. Felix was one of several athletes drawing attention to Nike’s pregnancy policies.
Felix said she was offered 70% less by Nike after she had an emergency C-section in 2018.
“We recognize we can go even further,” it said at that time. “Moving forward, our contracts for female athletes will include written terms that reinforce our policy.”
Nike dominates endorsement game
But Nike’s money dwarfs anything that other companies offer in endorsements, giving it a stranglehold on deals with most of the world’s most popular athletes. According to a company filing, the value of all Nike’s endorsement deals came to $9.3 billion as of last year.
The terms of Biles’ deal with Athleta were not announced.
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