Nike Logo (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Being an NFL athlete is one of the most challenging jobs in the world, and many brands that partner with the league understand that. However, recently, Nike has been making the rounds after making a somewhat controversial statement.
Nike and the NFL have been in a solid business relationship since 2012. Starting in the 2012 season, Nike has been the exclusive apparel rights holder for the NFL, and no other logos have appeared on NFL uniforms since.
Being one of the league’s top partners, one would expect the company to take great pride in the league. However, it seems like the company is doing quite the opposite with a new commercial promoting the USA Women’s Basketball Team.
Thoughts?pic.twitter.com/99XMTqL1B9
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) October 11, 2024
In the commercial, which has some NFL fans very upset with the company, a young woman travels around her school to explain a project she will be doing about a dynasty. She claims that the dynasty made Alexander the Great and some NFL teams look amateurs. As you’ve probably guessed, she’s referring to the USA Women’s Basketball Team.
Nike Commercial Claims USA Women’s Basketball Team Is Better Than Alexander The Great And Some NFL Dynasties
One NFL fan fired back at the commercial, pointing out the WNBA’s poor viewership numbers. Of course, talking about when Caitlin Clark isn’t on the court, the fan commented, “I think one Panthers game alone might get more viewership then the entire WNBA alone.”
Another NFL seemed to claim that Nike was taking shots at its business partner while referencing Clark as well. “taking shots at billion dollar sports meanwhile the WNBA only became more popular due to a specific athlete that wouldn’t get attention in an AD like this,” said the fan.
While the Nike commercial may upset some NFL fans, the league is unlikely to care as it continues to achieve massive numbers during the 2024 regular season. It doesn’t seem like this commercial will affect the league’s partnership with the brand anytime soon.
