Adidas and Umbro Make 50% of the Kits in Brasileirão Serie A - Only One Team for Nike

Mar 19, 2023

by Dewa

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Market Dominance: Adidas and Umbro each supply kits for 5 teams, representing a combined 50% of the Brasileirão Serie A, making them the dominant kit manufacturers in the league.
Nike's Limited Presence: Despite being a major brand, Nike only sponsors one team, Corinthians, in the Brasileirão Serie A, a surprisingly low number compared to their rivals.
In-House Kits and Brand Loyalty: Four clubs have opted for in-house kit manufacturing, contributing to the limited presence of major brands such as Nike, but Adidas and Umbro's success demonstrates their ability to maintain trust and offer good deals to Brazilian teams.

Adidas and Umbro are dominating the kit manufacturers market in the 2023 Brasileirão Serie A as both companies make up 50% of teams in the league. Surprisingly, another major brand, Nike only have one team signed among the available 20 clubs.

Adidas and Umbro Make 50% of the Kits in Brasileirão Serie A

According to the data compiled by @PaladarNegroWeb and @marcadegol, Adidas and Umbro each signed with five top-flight Brazil teams. The German-based company have a partnership with Atletico Mineiro, Cruzeiro, Flamengo, Internacional, and Sao Paulo. Meanwhile, The England-based manufacturer are collaborating with Athletico Paranaense, Gremio, Cuiabá, Fluminense, and Santos.

In terms of numbers, Adidas had one more team in the Brasileirão Serie A this year following Cruzeiro’s promotion. Last season the three-stripes were represented by four clubs. Meanwhile, Umbro maintain the same amount as last season despite Avai’s relegation as they were replaced by Gremio who got promoted.

Other renowned brands such as Nike(Corinthians), New Balance(Red Bull Bratantino), Puma(Palmeiras), Kappa(Vasco da Gama), and Reebok(Botafogo) each only have one club under contract. Up-and-coming sportswear, Volt Sports also sponsored one team, América Mineiro, while the remaining clubs opt to have an in-house kit manufacturer instead.

In-house Manufacturers The Reason Why Nike and Others Don't Have More Teams in Brasileirão Serie A

The clubs that use in-house kit productions are Bahia (with Esquadrão), Coritiba (Sou 1909), Fortaleza (Leão1918), and Goias (Gr33n). The numbers are down in comparison to last year as there were seven teams that use in-house manufacturers but unfortunately, three other clubs, Juventude, Atlético Goianiense, and Ceará all went down to the second division.

The number of teams that use their own manufacturers can be considered as the reason with brands like Nike, Puma, or New Balance don’t have many deals in the league. Nevertheless, the fact that Adidas and Umbro can still dominate the market there also shows how those two are able to maintain the trust of Brazilian teams and notably offer good deals for them.

Among those brands, the lack of teams that are signing with Nike are quite a surprise considering their popularity. Although they have been losing some of their clients to other brands recently, their influence among Brasileirão Serie A teams haven’t been great in recent years. The last time they have more than one club in the league was in 2021 when Red Bull Bragantino were still under contract with Corinthians, which remain loyal.

What do you think about Adidas and Umbro's domination as kit makers in the Brasileirão Serie A? Should Nike try to sign more teams? Comment below.