SGB Update Sports & Fitness

Flexia Raises $4 Million In Funding Round

Flexia, the at-home Pilates start-up, announced a $4 million seed round led by ADvantage, an early stage VC fund investing in tech companies involved in sports, fitness, health and gaming. Other strategic investors in the round include Phoenix Capital Ventures, Techstars, and Calm Ventures.

Lululemon Makes Executive Appointments

Lululemon has hired Simon Atkins, who formerly led basketball at Adidas, as SVP of footwear and Phil Dickinson, a Nike veteran, as SVP, global creative director. Both report to Sun Choe, chief product officer.

NFHS Partners With American Youth Football

American Youth Football, Inc. (AYF), a national youth partner of the National Football League, will require all of its 50,000-plus coaches on its regional/national track to take the new, free “Football Tackling” course introduced on the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Learning Center last month.

Dunlop Golf Brands Rebrands in North America

In a global alignment strategy, the sports business for Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd. (SRI) will be affiliated under the Dunlop brand umbrella. Currently operating as Srixon/Cleveland Golf/XXIO, SRI’s North American sales company Roger Cleveland Golf Company, Inc. (RCGC), will now be doing business as Dunlop Sports Americas.

Xponential Fitness Announces Secondary Stock Offering

Xponential Fitness, Inc. announced the commencement of an underwritten public offering of 4.5 million shares of the company’s Class A common stock by certain of the c existing stockholders, affiliates of Snapdragon Capital Partners.

Former Whoop And Fitbit Executives Join CONNEQT

CardieX Limited announced the addition of Jack Seitz and Lara Rosenbaum to the executive team of CardieX’s subsidiary, CONNEQT, a new consumer health company focused on home vital signs monitors, wearables and consumer health apps.

MLB Uniforms To Add Advertising Beginning In The 2023 Season

Major League Baseball (MLB) players’ uniform sleeves will sport corporate-sponsored patches beginning next season for the first time in the game’s 146-year professional history. The league confirmed that decals on batting helmets could come as early as this postseason.

Industry Veteran Joins Putterman Athletics

Putterman Athletics announced it hired Randy Futty in the newly created position as executive vice president, business development. Futty is past chairman of the USTA National Technical Committee and has served on the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee of the American Sports Builders Association in several past years.

EMPWR Acquires Noble Foods

EMPWR Nutrition Group, the Belgium-based manufacturer of protein bars, has acquired Noble Foods, a Quebec-based nutritional bar manufacturer with two production sites in Montreal and Oregon.

Fanatics Partners With Minnesota Vikings

Fanatics announced an exclusive, ten-year omnichannel merchandise and retail partnership with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings. As a part of the deal, Fanatics assumes the operation of its e-commerce, mobile and physical retail stores.

Kohl’s Sends Letter To Shareholders Highlighting Board Leadership And Robust Process

Kohl’s Corporation on Thursday mailed a letter to shareholders detailing the steps the Board has taken to maximize shareholder value ahead of its May 11 annual meeting. The steps include a robust and intentional process to evaluate potential bids. Kohl’s said the letter also summarizes activist invesor Macellum’s “shifting narrative and short-term focus on a sale of the company at any price.”