Chicago Cubs All-Star Kris Bryant extends deal with Adidas
National League MVP and Chicago Cubs’ all-star Kris Bryant has signed an extended deal with Adidas.
Kris Bryant extends deal with Adidas / Courtesy of Adidas Baseball / Twitter
Bryant traveled to Portland to confirm the deal last week at the company’s North American headquarters. According to Adidas, Bryant will play a key role in marketing campaigns around “future baseball cleats” and accessories.
"It's a phenomenal time to be partnered with Adidas with all the energy and momentum that the brand has right now," Bryant said, in a news release. "Adidas embraced me as part of the family from the start. It's been a great collaboration and we share a vision for creating the future."
The third baseman is a two-time All-Star for the Cubs and helped the team win its first World Series this year since 1908.
"Kris Bryant is an incredible player," said Mark King, Adidas Group North America president, in a statement. "What I love about him is just how humble and appreciative he is to be playing the game of baseball. In so many ways, he's just a regular kid who loves talking about little league games and hitting home runs off his dad."
Adidas is really ramping up its brand to compete in the market. In December, only a month after Nike opened a store in lower Manhattan, Adidas opened its own 45,000-square-foot store in Midtown at 46th Street and Fifth Avenue, according to reports in Footwear News and Business Insider.
In October, Adidas reclaimed its position as the second biggest selling sports brand in the US after overtaking rival Under Armour thanks to its renewed focus on running, basketball and its ‘Originals’ line. According to Matt Powell, a sports industry analyst with research firm NPD Group, he confirmed the news in a Tweet stating that Adidas was, once again, the second-largest seller of sports footwear and apparel in America behind Nike.