WWE has formed a joint venture with Authentic Brands Group, in which the companies will partner to relaunch the Tapout clothing brand that was formerly closely associated with UFC and mixed martial arts fighting.
Tapout will now be repositioned as a broader lifestyle fitness brand, with the company also set to serve as the official fitness and training partn
er of WWE.
As part of the deal, Tapout will be integrated across WWE’s various platforms, from its TV shows and pay-per-view events to series that stream on its WWE Network, as well as live events and social media.
WWE also will create new content featuring its roster of male and female wrestlers who will wear Tapout apparel outside of the ring. Additional branding will be featured at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, where all performers, trainers and staff will be outfitted in Tapout workout apparel.
Financial details are not being disclosed, but WWE will maintain a 50% stake in the joint venture, and will benefit from the growth of Tapout. WWE believes it can provide Tapout with over 1 billion impressions across its various platforms a month.
With that in mind, WWE sees Tapout as a way to grow its consumer products business, which generates around $1 billion in sales around the world. Much of that business has been dependent upon toys, videogames and apparel. But WWE sees Tapout as a new way to expand into the lifestyle fitness arena — a market that others like Under Armour have been especially successful in doing lately.
ABG, which will handle the distribution of the Tapout products, approached WWE around six months ago. WWE sparked to the idea of a joint venture, given that the company had been looking to expand into the lifestyle fitness ring with its own products. WWE previously had a deal with Under Armour.
“We love to be in business with other people that are experts where we’re not,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE’s chief revenue and marketing officer. “Fitness apparel specifically seemed like a good match for us and is a natural evolution for the WWE brand.”
WWE’s association with Tapout will be teased this week online and on the WWE Network. The timing comes as WWE will produce its annual “WrestleMania” PPV — its version of the Super Bowl — on March 29, hosted this year from San Jose’s Levi’s Stadium. This will be the company’s 31st “WrestleMania.”
Tapout will now be repositioned as a broader lifestyle fitness brand, with the company also set to serve as the official fitness and training partn
As part of the deal, Tapout will be integrated across WWE’s various platforms, from its TV shows and pay-per-view events to series that stream on its WWE Network, as well as live events and social media.
WWE also will create new content featuring its roster of male and female wrestlers who will wear Tapout apparel outside of the ring. Additional branding will be featured at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida, where all performers, trainers and staff will be outfitted in Tapout workout apparel.
Financial details are not being disclosed, but WWE will maintain a 50% stake in the joint venture, and will benefit from the growth of Tapout. WWE believes it can provide Tapout with over 1 billion impressions across its various platforms a month.
With that in mind, WWE sees Tapout as a way to grow its consumer products business, which generates around $1 billion in sales around the world. Much of that business has been dependent upon toys, videogames and apparel. But WWE sees Tapout as a new way to expand into the lifestyle fitness arena — a market that others like Under Armour have been especially successful in doing lately.
ABG, which will handle the distribution of the Tapout products, approached WWE around six months ago. WWE sparked to the idea of a joint venture, given that the company had been looking to expand into the lifestyle fitness ring with its own products. WWE previously had a deal with Under Armour.
“We love to be in business with other people that are experts where we’re not,” said Michelle Wilson, WWE’s chief revenue and marketing officer. “Fitness apparel specifically seemed like a good match for us and is a natural evolution for the WWE brand.”
WWE’s association with Tapout will be teased this week online and on the WWE Network. The timing comes as WWE will produce its annual “WrestleMania” PPV — its version of the Super Bowl — on March 29, hosted this year from San Jose’s Levi’s Stadium. This will be the company’s 31st “WrestleMania.”
