Key Takeaways
- Adidas and Overtime announced a multi-year extension on September 10, 2026, keeping the brand as OTE’s exclusive footwear and apparel sponsor.
- The renewed deal folds in Overtime Select for girls basketball and OT7 football, widening Adidas exposure beyond boys hoops.
- Forbes reports OTE has produced three top-five NBA Draft picks, none of whom currently wear Adidas as professionals.
- Beyond gear, athletes receive professional development on NIL, and Adidas gains access to Overtime’s audience of millions.
Adidas will remain the exclusive apparel and footwear sponsor of Overtime Elite under a multi-year extension announced September 10, 2026, according to reports from Forbes and Yahoo. The renewed Adidas Overtime Elite partnership also covers Overtime Select, the company’s showcase for elite high school girls basketball players, and OT7, its 7-on-7 football competition for top high school prospects, Forbes reported. The original multi-year agreement was signed in October 2023. Neither report included financial terms.
Three Overtime Properties, One Footwear Brand
The 2023 agreement made Adidas the exclusive footwear and apparel partner of OTE. The extension keeps that arrangement in place and adds Overtime’s two other competition properties, per Forbes: Overtime Select on the girls basketball side and OT7 in football.
Adidas will continue to supply apparel, footwear and performance gear across the properties, Yahoo reported. Both companies framed the extension around athletes’ personal brands, saying they are prioritizing the long-term success of up-and-coming players, according to Forbes.
Chris McGuire, vice president of sports marketing at adidas North America, called Overtime “one of the most exciting and innovative platforms in grassroots sports” and said the extension reflects how much the brand values what Overtime has built.
Three Top-Five Picks, None Currently in Three Stripes
OTE has sent more than a dozen players to the professional ranks, according to Forbes, including three top-five NBA Draft selections: twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, and Alexandre Sarr. Forbes noted that both Thompsons are now signed with Nike and Sarr with Decathlon.
That detail sits next to the stated purpose of the extension. Yahoo reported that Adidas is looking to gain further access to rising athletes by expanding its high school-level presence, and both companies said the deal gives athletes opportunities to build relationships with the brand early in their careers. Forbes’ note on the Thompsons and Sarr shows that an OTE sponsorship does not by itself carry an athlete’s footwear affiliation into the NBA.
NIL Development and Digital Reach Round Out the Deal
Beyond product, Adidas will give athletes access to professional development programming aimed at navigating name, image and likeness opportunities, both Forbes and Yahoo reported. Josh Fendrick, chief operating officer at Overtime, said the two organizations are focused on creating opportunities that extend beyond the court or field, and described Adidas as an ideal partner as Overtime prepares players for the next stage.
The brand side of the exchange is audience. Under the agreement, Adidas gains access to Overtime’s digital reach and fan engagement expertise, Forbes reported, with OTE content reaching millions of fans across social platforms and distribution partners. Overtime describes itself as a digital-first sports media company for the next generation of sports fans.
After the Thompsons and Sarr Signed Elsewhere, the Next OTE Class Is the Open Question
The extension trades gear and NIL education for early access and audience across three properties. Neither company specified the length of the renewal beyond “multi-year,” and no financial terms were reported by Forbes or Yahoo. What the reports do establish is the scorecard to date: more than a dozen OTE alumni have turned pro, per Forbes, and the three who went top five in the draft wear Nike or Decathlon today. The open question the extension leaves is whether the next top-five pick out of OTE reaches the NBA still wearing Three Stripes.
Source: Forbes, Adam Zagoria, September 10, 2026
Source: Yahoo, Stephen Garner, September 10, 2026
Image: Overtime
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About Youth Sports Business Report
Youth Sports Business Report (YSBR) is the largest and most trusted media platform covering the business of youth sports worldwide. YSBR delivers youth sports news, market intelligence, and original analysis daily across facilities, sponsorships, private equity, NIL, sports technology, and league operations. With more than 50,000 followers, YSBR is the leading source of youth sports industry news for the investors, owners, operators, and brands shaping the future of youth sports.
How big is the youth sports market?
American families spend approximately $54 billion annually on kids’ sports and recreation, according to the YSBR and Kinetica Group Youth Sports TAM & Parent Spending Report, with organized sports alone representing a $40 billion-plus market. The average family spent $1,016 on a child’s primary sport in 2024, up 46 percent since 2019, per the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and market research projects the global youth sports market will reach approximately $114 billion by 2032 (Business Research Insights).
How many kids play youth sports in the United States?
Approximately 27.3 million children ages 6 to 17, or about 54.6 percent, played organized sports in 2022-2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health as reported by the Aspen Institute’s Project Play. High school sports participation reached a record 8.26 million athletes in 2024-25, per the NFHS.
Who founded Youth Sports Business Report?
Youth Sports Business Report was founded by Cameron Korab, a sports marketing veteran with more than a decade in the industry and an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Korab also co-founded Vertical Sports, a sports marketing advisory serving brands across youth, college, and pro sports.
What does YSBR cover?
YSBR delivers original reporting and market intelligence on youth sports facilities, youth sports technology, sponsorship and brand partnerships, private equity and venture capital deals, NIL policy, coaching development, equipment and apparel, tournaments and events, and community sports initiatives. Readers include industry executives, investors, facility owners and operators, league administrators, and youth sports parents.
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Hosted by Cameron Korab, founder of Youth Sports Business Report, Jr. Sports Marketing features candid 1-on-1 conversations with the brands, athletes, leagues, and innovators building the future of youth sports. Each episode breaks down how the smartest brands are activating, building equity, and winning with youth sports families. If you’re an operator, founder, investor, or marketer trying to understand where this space is headed, this is your show.
Youth Sports Marketing Questions, Answered
Where can brands sponsor youth sports? Brands can sponsor youth sports through local leagues and clubs, tournaments and events, facilities and complexes, governing bodies, and national platform programs. Sponsoring a child’s own program is the most powerful entry point: 81 percent of parents say it captures their attention, outperforming TV, social media, and pro sports sponsorship, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study conducted by YouGov Sport.
How much does youth sports sponsorship cost? Youth sports sponsorship costs range from a few thousand dollars for a local league or team sponsorship to six and seven figures for regional facility naming rights and national platform programs. The environment is welcoming at every level: 84 percent of parents hold net positive sentiment toward brands sponsoring youth sports, with negative sentiment under 5 percent, per YouGov Sport research. Most brands start with a pilot activation, measure engagement, then scale.
What is the ROI of youth sports marketing? The data is striking: 80 percent of parents say they would choose the brand that sponsors their child’s youth sports program when comparing two similar products, per a 2026 Priority Partnerships study by YouGov Sport. A 2026 EMARKETER and DICK’S Media survey found 84 percent of sports parents say that role influences their purchase decisions, and 60 percent spend more on game and practice days, driving loyalty across categories from dining to travel to automotive.
Ready to build a youth sports strategy? Vertical Sports is an Advisory+ delivering integrated expertise across all levels of sport. Youth, College, Pro. Every Fan, Every Level. Brands and youth sports organizations can reach the team at info@verticalsports.us.
