NEW YORK (Oct 9, 1995 - 15:54 EDT) -- Now Nike is a member of the family, so to speak.
The athletic supply company's licensing deal with NFL properties is worth an estimated $200 million. It comes on the heels of Nike's separate deal with the Dallas Cowboys and owner Jerry Jones.
NFL spokesman Chris Widmaier confirmed the deal Monday. It will make Nike the sixth company licensed by Properties' ProLine to make uniforms for the 30 teams. It will begin its deal in 1996.
Also producing uniforms are Reebok, Starter, Russell, Champion and Wilson. Reebok, Starter and Logo Athletic also make sideline gear, a group that Nike will join.
Nike had been negotiating with NFL Properties for a license when on Labor Day Jones announced his separate deal with the company. Talks broke off and resumed after the NFL filed a $300 million suit against the Cowboys.
Widmaier said it was conceivable the Cowboys would be one of the teams to wear Nike uniforms. They currently wear no logos on either uniforms or sideline apparel.
The license is particularly valuable to Nike because Pro Line is sports' largest marketer, doing $3.15 billion in retail sales last year. The NFL gets 9 percent of wholesale from that, or about $3 million per team.
According to Widmaier, 1.5 million jerseys were sold at retail last year, up 75 percent from 1993. ProLine expects to sell about 2 million jerseys this year.