IMG Announce College Merchandising Deal

IMG College, the global sports and media business’ collegiate licensing arm, has agreed a deal with American clothier chain Brooks Brothers to sell the official sporting merchandise of 15 different schools. Under the agreement, sporting teams from top universities such as Harvard, Princeton and Cornell will have their apparel become available on the high street for the first time.

The deal sees Brooks Brothers enter the lucrative market of college sports which is estimated to have over 172 million followers. IMG figures suggest that 20 per cent of that audience earn an annual salary of over US$100,000, and that college merchandise has generated a reported US$4.3bn in sales during the past year, providing a potentially lucrative stream of revenue for Brooks Brothers.

Karl Haller, vice president of strategy and business development for Brooks Brothers said: “The key for us is re-establishing our connection with what we call the college community — students, faculty and alumni. We have a pretty well-educated customer and there’s a built-in opportunity with alumni who are already our customer base.”

Scott Bouyack, senior vice president for brand and business development at IMG College, added: “As stewards of the college brand, we long looked at Brooks Brothers as an ideal partner in terms of a retail outlet that targets a key group of alumni and a demo that fits with the college market.”