UK sportswear brand Castore has enhanced its domestic soccer presence after agreeing to a professional team sports sub-license deal with Umbro.
The deal was struck with Umbro licensee, GL Dameck, and the sub-license will allow Castore to market the Umbro brand in the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Denmark.
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From the start of the 2024-25 season, the brand will have the exclusive right to seek to work with Umbro’s existing English Premier League team partners, including AFC Bournemouth, Brentford, Luton Town and West Ham United, as well as second-tier English Football League clubs Ipswich Town, Huddersfield Town, and Forest Green Rovers.
Castore will also supply, under the Umbro brand, to Hearts in the Scottish Premiership, where Castore is already the kit supplier to Rangers, and England Rugby men’s and women’s teams.
Following a £145 million ($184.4 million) investment round in November 2023, Castore said the agreement “signifies our first step towards a brand segmentation strategy, enabling us to take a significant position in the UK and European elite sports markets.”
The brand also announced it will seek to expand the Umbro partnership portfolio further.
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By GlobalDataAfter the recent funding round, Castore was valued at £950 million.
The Manchester-based company, which launched in 2016, is headed up by brothers Tom and Phil Beahon and previously raised £3.2 million from private investors in 2018 and £7.5 million in 2020. It is also backed by British tennis star Andy Murray.
Castore has partnerships with several teams and organizations across soccer, rugby union, motorsport, and cricket.
Earlier this month, the brand signed a new, long-term, and highly lucrative partnership extension with Formula 1 motor racing heavyweights Red Bull understood to be worth more than $200 million.
Tom and Phil Beahon said: “We are delighted to bring together Castore’s innovative digital platform, and investments in supply and distribution, with one of football’s great heritage brands in Umbro, to reach a new generation of fans.
“This deal represents the first step in the next chapter of Castore’s continued progress.”
