FMR LLC has seen its voting rights percentage fall below the 5 percent threshold for reporting purposes to 4.95 percent of JD voting rights. JD Sports is the parent of the JD, Hibbett, Finish Line, DTLR, and Shoe Palace retail brands in the U.S.
Category: Sports/Fitness

Accell Group Undergoes Debt Restructuring
Backed by Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co (KKR), Accell Group agreed to a restructuring that writes off 40 percent of its debt and will see its liabilities at the operating group level cut to €800 million ($881 million) from €1.4 billion, with maturities extended through to 2030.

Association of Golf Merchandisers Adds Vendor Advisory Board Member
Susan Shade is an industry veteran with over 30 years of professional management experience in apparel, golf, fitness, and e-commerce. At Tharanco Lifestyles, Shade oversees the golf division, which includes distributing the Greg Norman Collection to over 50 countries.

Malbon Golf Hires Ex-Nike Exec as CEO
Heiser worked for Nike for over 17 years before leaving the company in September 2023. As CEO of Malbon Golf, Heiser will work closely with Founders Stephen and Erica Malbon, who will continue as co-chief creative officers and board members.

Crunch Fitness Updates and Adds to Its Florida Franchisee Operation
The CR Fitness team updating two Fort Myers locations and opening an Apollo Beach gym in Florida currently operates 69 Crunch Fitness locations in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and Tennessee, with plans to open 6 more locations in 2024.

NuOrder by Lightspeed Appoints New Head of Revenue
Chris Akrimi, most recently, was the CEO of The Layer, a tech company that “transforms commerce data through AI. ” There, he focused on positioning the company at the “forefront of AI-driven product data management.”

Adidas’ UK Sales Fall 9 Percent in 2023
Companywide, Adidas’ sales in 2023 declined 5 percent to €21.4 billion in Euro terms with flat currency-neutral revenues. The discontinuation of the Yeezy business represented a drag of around €500 million on the year-over-year comparison during 2023.
Health & Fitness Association Hires Communication Coordinator
The Health & Fitness Association, formerly IHRSA, hired Kelsi Steinkamp as its communication coordinator.
Long-Time Nike Board Member Douglas Houser Passes Away
Douglas Houser, an attorney who incorporated Nike and served on the company’s Board of Directors for 50 years, passed away at the age of 89.

S&S Activewear Completes Acquisition of Alphabroder
S&S Activewear completed the purchase of Alphabroder, uniting two branded apparel distributors to support customers and suppliers across corporate and consumer markets.

On Brand to Open First Australian Store
The 390-square-meter flagship store draws inspiration from Melbourne’s “urban landscape,” is is the company’s 42nd globally.

Planet Fitness Offers Free Visits To Those Impacted by Hurricane Helene
Planet Fitness is opening its doors to anyone impacted by Hurricane Helene, allowing them to use select locations free of charge.

26North Acquires Onelife Fitness
Onelife Fitness was acquired by 26North from Delos Capital. The fitness company has locations across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern U.S.

EXEC: Vista Inks Deals to Sell Revelyst and The Kinetic Group Separately
Vista Outdoor Inc. entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Revelyst outdoor segment to funds managed by Strategic Value Partners and amended its merger agreement with Czechoslovak Group (CSG) to acquire The Kinetic Group ammunition-related segment.

Fanatics Acquires European Sports Collectibles Live Selling Platform
Fanatics, Inc. announced that it has acquired Voggt, a European live-commerce platform that sells sports collectibles and trading card games. Voggt will join Fanatics Live, launched in 2023, a Fanatics-based digital marketplace similarly focused on sports trading cards and memorabilia.