Lululemon’s 53% Stock Slide Gets a Timeout Thanks to New NFL Partnership

Lululemon just traded its yoga mats for shoulder pads.

The Vancouver-based retailer announced Monday that it’s partnering with the NFL and Fanatics to release a new line of officially licensed apparel… the first in its history. The collection, launching Tuesday, covers all 32 NFL teams and brings the company’s signature items (Align leggings, Define jackets, Scuba hoodies, and Steady State joggers) into the world of professional sports.

Investors seemed to like what they saw. Shares climbed about 5% in premarket trading before easing to a 2% gain by the close… a welcome bump for a stock that’s been struggling to regain its footing after losing more than half its value this year.

The partnership reflects Lululemon’s latest push to move beyond its yoga roots and into mainstream athletic culture. After years of double-digit growth, the company has faced slowing sales, ongoing tariff pressure, and more competition… challenges that have forced management to rethink how and where the brand grows next.

“This collaboration gives fans a new way to represent their teams in a premium way,” said Celeste Burgoyne, president of Lululemon’s Americas division. “It connects our community to a wider world of sport.”

The collection (a collaboration with sports merchandise giant Fanatics) will be sold through NFL and team stores, Fanatics’ online platforms, and Lululemon’s own retail network. It marks a full-court press into the lucrative world of fan apparel, where premium options have been scarce outside of high-end sneakers and jerseys.

For Lululemon, the NFL deal could be its most significant crossover yet. The company already offers team-branded merchandise through a deal with the NHL and has built an athlete roster that includes F1 champion Lewis Hamilton, tennis star Frances Tiafoe, and NFL wide receiver DK Metcalf. Now it’s aiming to bridge the gap between athletic performance and fan passion.

It’s also a move born out of necessity. With shares down 53% this year and shoppers growing more cautious, Lululemon is in need of a new spark. CEO Calvin McDonald has spent months talking up “category innovation,” and this partnership could finally be proof that the strategy is starting to take shape.

For the NFL, the collaboration opens a new lane to reach fans who care as much about fit and fabric as team loyalty. “Licensed product is the most tangible way our fans interact with us,” said Ryan Samuelson, vice president of consumer products at the NFL. “We want to meet them wherever they are… even in yoga studios.”

If the collection takes off, it could do more than lift sales… it might help Lululemon shed its yoga-only image and cement its place as a true sportswear brand. But that hinges on one big question: will fans actually swap their oversized jerseys for $128 team-branded leggings?

It’s been a slow climb for Lululemon lately, but the NFL deal might finally give it the momentum it’s been chasing.

At the time of publishing this article, Stocks.News doesn’t hold positions in companies mentioned in the article.