Key Takeaways
- Frasers Group now holds 16.6 million Class A Under Armour shares, an 8.78% position disclosed in an October 1 SEC filing.
- Founder Kevin Plank retains roughly 65% of Under Armour’s total voting interest, which makes a full takeover highly unlikely, according to SGB Executive.
- Under Armour joins Puma, Burberry, ASOS and others in Frasers’ minority portfolio, while its €2 billion Hugo Boss bid remains contested.
Frasers Group, the UK parent company of Sports Direct, has acquired an 8.78% stake in Under Armour, according to a Schedule 13G filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dated October 1, 2026. The filing shows the Frasers Group Under Armour stake totals 16.6 million Class A shares. The athletic brand’s stock is trading close to its all-time low.
Frasers Group Under Armour Stake Arrives at a Low Point for the Stock
Under Armour shares closed Friday at $4.71, up 7 cents on the day, SGB Executive reported. The all-time low of $3.95 was set in November 2025. In early August, after several years of restructuring, Under Armour lowered its guidance for the fiscal year, per the report.
Frasers is led by CEO Michael Murray and majority owned by his father-in-law, Mike Ashley. According to SGB Executive, the group is known for taking meaningful stakes in sportswear and fashion brands facing near-term market pressure as speculative investments.
Puma, Burberry and a Growing List of Minority Holdings
In March, Frasers acquired a nearly 6% stake in Puma, one month after Anta Sports, China’s largest sportswear brand, agreed to buy 29% of the German company, SGB Executive reported. Frasers also holds minority stakes in Burberry, ASOS, Boohoo, Currys, Mulberry and AO World.
The report notes that Frasers has used past minority positions as leverage to push for strategic change, or to encourage companies to sell their products through its stores or adopt its services. Beyond Sports Direct, its retail portfolio includes Flannels, Harvey Nichols and Evans Cycles, and it owns brands such as Slazenger, Everlast, Lonsdale and Kangol.
Plank’s 65% Voting Control Limits Frasers’ Under Armour Leverage
Frasers has turned stakes into takeover attempts before. It raised its Hugo Boss holding to 47.89% through a voluntary €2 billion cash bid, which Hugo Boss has urged shareholders to reject, according to SGB Executive. In June, Frasers made an all-cash offer for Australian footwear retailer Accent Group after building a 22.9% stake. That offer was rejected.
Under Armour’s ownership structure makes the same path unlikely here. Plank controls approximately 65% of the company’s voting interest, per the report. That leaves an open question: will Frasers use its 16.6 million shares to press for change at Under Armour, as it has at other holdings, or simply hold the position for a recovery from $4.71?
Source: SGB Executive, October 5, 2026, https://sgbonline.com/sports-direct-parent-acquires-minority-stake-in-under-armour/
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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.
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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.
