The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) is reporting in its newly released 2026 Manufacturers’ Sales by Category Report that the U.S. sporting goods industry reached a new milestone in 2025, with wholesale sales totaling $130 billion, a 3.7 percent year-over-year increase. Since 2020, wholesale sales in the category have grown by 34.7 percent.
The SFIA, in its annual report, tracks U.S. wholesale sales across sporting goods equipment, athletic footwear, sports apparel, and licensed merchandise, providing an overview of the health and trajectory of the active outdoor industry.
Among categories, pickleball remained the fastest-growing category, with wholesale sales climbing 22 percent year-over-year. At the same time, traditional team sports also saw renewed strength. Baseball/softball, one of the industry’s most established categories, grew 7.9 percent, driven by increased participation and consistent equipment sales across bats, gloves and protective gear.
Team uniform sales further reflected the resurgence in organized play, rising 5.4 percent year-over-year and 75.9 percent since 2020, with growth across every major sport.
Athletic footwear remains the largest single sales driver, totaling $24.1 billion in 2025, outpacing the broader industry’s growth rate. Sports apparel and licensed merchandise also posted gains.
The fitness category returns to this year’s SFIA report, “revealing a clear divergence within consumer exercise habits.”
Institutional fitness equipment saw broad-based growth, reflecting “continued investment in gyms, health clubs, and commercial facilities.” In contrast, portions of the consumer/home equipment segment experienced declines, “signaling a shift in where and how Americans are staying active,” the SFIA notes in the report.
“The sporting goods industry continues to demonstrate both resilience and long-term growth potential,” said Alex Kerman, senior director and head of research at SFIA. “What we are seeing is sustained, participation-driven growth, even as companies navigate a more complex economic environment shaped by trade and tariff pressures. Established categories like baseball/softball are benefiting from renewed engagement, while emerging sports like pickleball are expanding the overall market. Understanding how these trends intersect with evolving consumer behavior and broader economic pressures will be critical as the industry looks ahead — insights we will explore further in our upcoming State of the Industry Report.”
Image courtesy Dicks Sporting Goods
