Top 23 Best Sports Affiliate Marketing Programs in 2025

As corporate sponsorships, esports, and internet access continue to expand, the sports industry holds great potential for growth. Likewise, sports affiliate programs offer substantial prospects for promoting sports and recreational products. Let’s find out what’s best for you.

With the sports industry being so extensive, we’ve collected the top affiliate programs for different sports, such as soccer, baseball, basketball, golf, and wrestling.

Later in the article, we’ll outline best practices for brands looking to optimize their sports affiliate programs.

TL;DR 

Enjoy sports and excel at producing content in this field? Explore these top sporting goods affiliate programs and start earning extra money to support your family.

• Vatic Pro (Commission: $5-10, Cookie: 30 days)
• Under Armour (Commission: 5%, Cookie: 30 days)
• Leather Head Sports (Commission: 10%, Cookie: 60 days)
• Mountain Hardwear Sweaty Betty (Commission: 8%, Cookie: 21 days)
• DICK’S Sporting Goods (Commission: 2%, Cookie: 3 days)
• Love Fitness (Commission: 10%, Cookie: 30 days)
• Nike (Commission: 15%, Cookie: 7 days)
• Nimble Activewear (Commission: 5%, Cookie: 30 days)
• Lululemon (Commission: 5%, Cookie: 30 days)
• X3 Bar Sports (Commission: 15%, Cookie: 45 days)

With so many sports affiliate programs available, you need a solid strategy to make yours stand out. Keep reading to learn the best practices for optimizing your affiliate marketing campaign for athletic products.

• You can segment affiliates by their influence or expertise to enhance their performance and reach. Create tailored programs for different groups, such as influencers, coaches, trainers, or lifestyle KOLs.
• As customers already love your products, you can encourage them to promote your sports items via customer referral programs.
• It’s a smart idea to recognize and reward your best affiliates to motivate them to drive more sales.
• Moreover, you also can network with influencers at sports events to identify potential brand ambassadors.

Boasting over 3,000 positive Shopify reviews, UpPromote is the perfect affiliate software for any sports brand. You can set up a basic affiliate program in under 5 minutes. Moreover, our advanced features support all the best techniques mentioned above and beyond. Sign up for a free trial and experience it yourself!

23 Best Sports Affiliate Programs You Should Join In 2025

Running out of time? Here is a summary table of the best athletic affiliate programs for you to consider quickly:

1. Vatic Pro

Vatic Pro is a leading brand in developing pickleball paddles in the USA. This brand is trusted by professionals worldwide for their carbon fiber paddles.

The Vatic Pro affiliate program is powered by UpPromote with flat commission rates per item:

• $5 for Prism paddles
• $10 for non-Prism paddles

The cookie length is 30 days for affiliates to earn a commission. Vatic Pro pays their partners monthly through various methods such as cash, credit, or bank transfer.

Affiliates can receive custom unique links, discounts, and access to the newest launches from Vatic Pro as they join the program.

2. Under Armour

Under Armour is a suitable choice if you need better sports apparel with a feeling of zero gravity. This brand produces various items, such as shoes, shirts, and other gear, to boost your energy while training.

Under Armour sports affiliate program is run by Awin. The commission rate for each sale is 5%, and the cookie tracks for 30 days. Additionally, the average order value is $100, meaning affiliates can earn $5 for a successful order.

Under Armour offers their affiliates an in-app tracking for their commission and cross-device tracking as well. They also hand out banners and creative text links for promotion. Especially their discount is available for students and military-related jobs by up to 10%.

3. Leather Head Sports

Leather Head Sports is known for their world-class American-made leather sports balls. Custom-made by expert craftsmen, these balls have a modern, nostalgic look.

The Leather Head Sports affiliate program is powered by ShareASale. Affiliates can earn up to $15, as the commission rate is 10%, and the average order value is $150. The cookie duration lasts for 60 days from the customer’s first click.

Leather Head Sports offers special customized items that could help affiliates attract more customers. You can even request Leather Head Sports to design your unique banners as well.

4. Mountain Hardwear Sweaty Betty

Mountain Hardwear Sweaty Betty has built equipment for climbers and mountaineers. Their designs are comfortable, functional, and durable for mountainous activities.

Managed through CJ Affiliate, the Mountain Hardwear affiliate program offers an 8% commission rate and 21 days of cookie tracking. With an average order of $140, affiliates can earn $11 per sale.

Their affiliate program provides exclusive coupons and discounts to help affiliates reach more customers. They also give their affiliates promotion codes, gift cards, and continuously updated data feeds.

5. DICK’S Sporting Goods

DICK’s Sporting Goods is a top retailer of authentic sports apparel, footwear, and accessories from renowned sports brands. Their items are mostly from Nike, Adidas, HOKA, and so on.

When joining their affiliate program, you can earn 2% for every sale made through your affiliate link. However, you should notice the cookie duration is only 3 days for the commission to be approved.

Transaction for commission payout is every 60 days after the end of that month. Dick’s Sporting Goods gives you access to their banners and text links to promote. Moreover, you can get a weekly newsletter with special promotions to increase your total sales.

6. Love Fitness

Are you looking for the latest tropical fashion trends for women? Love Fitness is the right place for you. Their fitness items have unique designs inspired by Hawaiian style that suit every size and make customers comfortable.

They offer affiliates a 10% commission rate and a 30-day cookie duration. However, their payment is now only available through PayPal, so having a PayPal account is a must to sign up for their program.

As their affiliates, you can access exclusive new launches and unique links to promote. After every 15 successful sales, you will receive a $20 gift card. Love Fitness particularly gives its affiliates a 10% discount on every order at their store as a benefit.

7. Nike

Nike is among the top two sports brands in the world. This famous brand sponsors many superstars, big games, and sports competitions.

The Nike affiliate program allows its partners to earn a 15% commission per US product sale. The cookie lasts only 7 days, which means you have a week to earn a qualified commission.

When you are accepted to their affiliate program, you will have access to a range of creative banners. They also send newsletters about new launches and update their product feed regularly.

8. Nimble Activewear

Nimble Activewear was founded in 2014 with the goal of making the best activewear for women. Their activewear is mostly functional workout wear suitable for yoga, aerobics, and more.

Nimble Activewear offers their partners a 5% commission rate and 30 days of cookie tracking. Their average order value is $160, so affiliates can earn about $8 for every successful purchase.

Nimble Activewear will release regular campaigns, promotions, and monthly product drops for affiliates to promote their products.

9. Lululemon

Lululemon is a trustworthy provider of technically advanced activewear, loungewear, and footwear. In addition, Lululemon also creates a community for sharing sweating activities.

The Lululemon affiliate program is managed through Awin. They offer a 5% commission rate for each sale with up to $100+ average order value. The cookie duration is 30 days, which means you can earn a qualified commission within one month.

If you become their partner, you will be the first to know about new product drops and promotions. You can also join the Lululemon affiliate community through special events access.

10. X3 Bar Sports

X3 Bar Sports offers advanced scientific training and supplements to promote health. Their products enhance the power of muscle, making them more effective and quick.

This brand offers up to 15% commission for affiliates. Their cookies last 45 days, meaning affiliates can earn a commission for 1.5 months through their unique link.

X3 Bar Sports allows spamming emails until the violation is verified. Additionally, they have exclusive coupons and promotional codes to help affiliates promote more.

11. GoPro

• Commission rate: 3%
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

GoPro manufactures action cameras and editing software for recording sports. Their products are diverse, from cameras and applications to gear equipment.

12. Sports Memorabilia

• Commission rate: 8%
• Cookie duration: 7 days

Sports Memorabilia is where you can see the rarest items of sports superstars. Through their site, you can find autographs, signed balls, or exclusive items of any professional player.

13. Enigma Fishing

• Commission rate: 20%
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

Enigma Fishing makes your fishing time more fun and valuable with an advanced fishing rod. They sell a wide range of fishing gear at reasonable prices.

14. Jump Sport

• Commission rate: 4-8%
• Cookie duration: 30 days

Trampoline training is becoming a trend in the sports industry. At Jump Sport, you can buy backyard, fitness, and office products that help you practice jumping trampoline more effectively.

15. Champs Sports

• Commission rate: 2%
• Cookie duration: 3 days

Champs Sports is a part of Foot Locker, a footwear and apparel retailer with more than 2,500 stores in 26 countries. Champs Sports mainly sells sports products for kids, men, and women.

16. Gainful

• Commission rate: 10-25$
• Cookie duration: 30 days

Gainful creates personal training programs for every customer to have the most suitable plan for their health. They also sell many supplement products, including protein powder, collagen, and more.

17. BPI Sports

• Commission rate: 25%
• Cookie duration: 30 days

BPI Sports helps people achieve their fitness goals with products for workouts and weight loss. They update with many discounts, so you can buy any workout product, ketogenic or protein, in their shops at a reasonable price.

18. Play Your Court

• Commission rate: $15
• Cookie duration: Not mentioned

Play Your Court is a great tennis community for you to find partners and trainers. You can book personal lessons with professionals or find a partner to practice at Play Your Court.

19. Total Gym

• Commission rate: 3-7.5%
• Cookie duration: 45 days

You can get access to full equipment for the gym with just one machine at Total Gym. Their plans are available for ages 8 to up to 80 to help lose weight and stay in shape.

20. Elite Sports

• Commission rate: 10%
• Cookie duration: 60 days

Elite Sports supplies high-quality martial arts gear with a stylish look and affordable price. They make fight-wear products for Martial arts, including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, MMA, Boxing, and more.

21. RDX Sports

• Commission rate: 10%
• Cookie duration: 45 days

RDX Sports is a top brand in the market, with over 1,100 partner clubs and gyms worldwide. The products of this brand range from MMA, yoga, and fitness to boxing.

22. Fanatics

• Commission rate: 1-8%
• Cookie duration: 7 days

At Fanatics, every item for sports league is available with various choices. They have items from NFL, MLB, NBA, MLS, golf, and more for you to shop.

23. Online Sports

• Commission rate: 10-14%
• Cookie duration: 60 days

Online Sports is one of the oldest and largest retailers of sports items. They offer up to 100,000 products of Sports Equipment, Jerseys, Sports Jewelry, and more.

The Ultimate Guide to Building a High-Performance Affiliate Program for Sports Brands on Shopify

The global sports industry is booming, with experts predicting it will grow to over $600 billion in the next few years.

As a brand in this exciting space, you have a huge opportunity to connect with a passionate audience.

But how do you earn their trust and stand out? The answer lies in partnering with the influential voices they already follow.

This is the power of affiliate marketing. You can partner with sports lovers and content creators – the fitness influencers, specialized sports bloggers, and team coaches.

You give them a unique link to share. When someone purchases via that link, you pay your partner a commission as a thank you.

It’s a win-win: they get to monetize their passion, and you get powerful, trusted recommendations that drive real sales.

This guide will show you exactly how to build a sports affiliate program on Shopify.

Choose the Right Shopify Affiliate App for Your Sports Brand

Running an affiliate program shouldn’t be a headache. Trying to manage it manually is a recipe for mistakes and wasted time.

The right software automates the hard work so you can focus on growing your Shopify brand.

This is why choosing the right app is your most important technical decision.

Before you choose a solution, make sure any tool you consider has these essentials:

Reliable, Real-Time Tracking: To ensure you and your partners have the right sales data.

An Easy-to-Use Dashboard: Both for you to manage the program and for your affiliates to track their performance.

Automated Commission & Payouts: To make paying your partners simple and error-free.

Customization Options: To make the sign-up page and affiliate dashboard feel like a part of your brand.

UpPromote is a Shopify affiliate marketing solution that checks all the boxes. But what really sets it apart is the amazing support and flexible pricing.

If you run into any problems, the support team will always be available to answer your questions. We want to ensure your affiliate program runs smoothly and hassle-free.

UpPromote is also perfect for any budget. There’s a free plan that has everything you need to launch an affiliate program.

And if you’re curious about the paid plans, each one comes with a 14-day free trial. You can try out all the features without any risk.

Set a Competitive Commission Rate

To attract the best sports bloggers and influencers, you need to offer a competitive commission rate. 

But what does a competitive rate actually look like in the sports industry? It can be tough to figure that out on your own.

So, we did the research for you by analyzing the commission structures of over 250 sports brands on Shopify.

Let’s look at the common patterns we found to help you decide what’s right for your store.

Everyday Apparel & Gear: 5-10%

For regular sports stuff like workout clothes, shoes, and basic equipment, you should set the commission between 5% and 10%.

Why? Because they’re easy to sell. People already know what they want.

Your affiliate doesn’t need to write a long review or create a fancy video. The brand name and product quality do most of the work.

For example, Under Armour and Lululemon pay around 5% commission for their activewear.

High-Ticket & Resold Goods: 3-8%

When you’re selling pricey gym equipment or carrying other brands’ products, commissions drop to 3-8%.

But here’s the thing: the actual dollar amount can be huge. Sure, 3% sounds small. But 3% of a $1,500 home gym is $45. That’s way better than $5 from selling a shirt.

Big retailers like DICK’S Sporting Goods only pay 2% because they’re reselling other brands.

High-Margin Products & Subscriptions: 15-50%

For digital products, nutritional supplements, or subscription services, the commission rate is the highest, ranging from 15% to 50% or more.

This is because these products have either very high profit margins or high customer lifetime value.

With low manufacturing and shipping costs, you can be generous to your partners.

For example, BPI Sports can comfortably offer a 25% commission on their supplements.

For a subscription Shopify brand like Gainful, paying a $25 flat fee on a $50 first order is like paying a 50% commission.

Define the Right Cookie Duration

The cookie duration is the timeframe an affiliate gets credit for a sale after their link is clicked.

The ideal length really depends on your product and how long your customers typically take to make a purchase decision.

Here’s an easy way to look at it.

For products that people buy quickly, a short cookie window of 3 to 15 days makes sense. 

The customer’s decision-making process is very short, often just a few days. They see a product they like, and because they already trust the brand, they don’t need weeks to think it over.

That’s why Nike uses a 7-day cookie.

However, for most sports apparel and gear, a 30-day cookie is the standard.

The reason is simple: it matches how people really shop. People often need time to think before they buy, maybe waiting a week or two for payday.

A 30-day window is long enough to cover this normal shopping behavior.

Finally, for expensive items that take a lot of thought, a longer cookie of 45 to 60 days is a very smart move.

Nobody buys a $1,500 home gym on a whim.

Your customer will spend weeks reading reviews, watching YouTube videos, asking friends, and checking their budget. They might click an affiliate link today but not buy for a month.

A longer cookie gives affiliates confidence to create helpful content. They know their work won’t go to waste if the customer takes time to decide.

Total Gym uses a 45-day cookie for exactly this reason.

Identify Your Target Affiliate Profile

Before you can find the right affiliates, you need to know who you’re looking for.

First, you have the sports YouTubers. They build a dedicated following by creating trustworthy product reviews and helpful video guides.

Let’s say you sell high-performance outdoor gear, and your key product is a new waterproof running jacket.

A running YouTuber could create a video titled “The Ultimate Marathon Training Gear List,” featuring your jacket as their top recommendation.

They could even include clips of themselves running in the rain while wearing it, highlighting key features like the sealed zippers and how it keeps them dry.

To find these creators, you can search directly on YouTube for phrases like “best running gear reviews” or “marathon training tips.”

Then, look for channels that consistently produce high-quality, engaging videos.

We’ve found some YouTubers you might want to explore. Check them out to see if they align with your brand.

• Denice Andree (161K subscribers)
• Kathryn Mueller (239K subscribers)
• Amy Victoria (54.8K subscribers)

Next are the fitness influencers. These partners live on social media platforms and often share their personal fitness journey and workout routines.

For a great example, look at fitness influencer Pamela Reif’s post for her Puma collection.

She posted a great photo and an exciting caption. She pointed out a useful detail like a “hidden pocket,” and told her followers exactly where to find the “direct links” to buy.

Finally, a very different but powerful group is online coaches and trainers.

Suppose you sell specialized training equipment, like a set of high-quality resistance bands.

When an online coach onboards a new client, their digital welcome packet will often include a “Required Gear” list.

When a coach signs up a new client, they usually send a “welcome guide” with a list of gear the client will need.

The coach can add their affiliate link for your bands directly to that list. This makes it super easy for the client to buy the right equipment.

They can also add links directly to the digital workout plan. If an exercise needs your bands, the coach can link to them from the workout PDF. One click, and the client is on your product page.

Connect With Your Ideal Affiliates

Now, it’s time to bring your potential affiliates on board.

You’ll need to send personalized messages to your top picks and build a clear “front door” for potential partners to come to you. Let’s break down how to get started.

Send them a direct invitation

Once you’ve found a creator who seems like a perfect fit, the next step is to reach out directly. A personal, friendly message is far more effective than a generic one.

A short direct message (DM) on social media is a great way to start the conversation.

Hey [Affiliate’s Name]! I’m a huge fan of your content, especially your recent post about [specific topic].

I’m reaching out from [Your Brand Name]. Since your audience is really into [their niche], I think we’d be a great match for a partnership. We have a great affiliate program, and I’d love to share the details.

Let me know if you’re interested!

Alternatively, sending a direct email is a more professional approach.

It gives you the space to introduce yourself, explain in more detail why they are a good fit, and provide a direct link for them to learn more or sign up.

Create an affiliate signup page

While you’re reaching out to partners, you also need a great way for them to find you on their own.

Your affiliate sign-up page is the front door to your program. It’s the first impression people get, so it needs to look professional and inviting.

With UpPromote, you can easily add a registration page to your Shopify website.

The app offers 3 pre-designed templates to choose from: Basic, Trendy, and Comfort.

Moreover, you can customize the page with your own logo, brand colors, and product images. It helps make the page look professional and trustworthy.

For example, this is an affiliate signup page using the Trendy template.

But a great sign-up page does more than just look good – it also acts as a filter.

By adding a few key questions to your form, you can learn more about applicants and find the best partners for your brand.

For example, you can ask:

• Have you worked with other sports or fitness brands before?
• How many monthly visitors do you get on your website or social media?
• How do you plan to promote our [your product, e.g., “activewear”]?

These questions help you see who has a real, engaged audience and how they plan to represent your brand. It helps you approve the right people from the start.

Provide High-Quality Marketing Assets

Your partners are excited to promote your Shopify brand, but they can’t do a great job if they have to guess about the details.

The best way to help them succeed is to give them a library of ready-to-use marketing materials.

First, you should provide a collection of high-quality product and lifestyle photos.

This is a huge time-saver for your affiliates. It lets them skip the entire “set up and shoot” process, so they can create beautiful content in minutes, not hours.

For example, if you sell a new high-performance running jacket, don’t just give them a single photo on a white background.

You can provide your partners with clean photos that show off details, like the zippers. Also, give them action shots of someone running in the rain wearing the jacket.

Next, you should create a simple guide with key selling points. Your partners love your products, but they might not know all the small details that make them special. They probably don’t know the exact name of the waterproof fabric you use.

A short guide with these facts helps them answer questions and sound like an expert, which builds trust with their followers.

However, just creating these assets isn’t enough. You have to send them to your partners.

Using a welcome email to deliver everything at once is not a good idea.

Emails get buried, and it’s hard for your partners to find the right file later. It’s messy for everyone.

This is where UpPromote’s Media Gallery can help. You can put all these resources – both your high-quality photos and your helpful PDF guides – in one central place.

You can even create different categories to keep everything organized, like “New Arrivals” or “Summer Collection.”

Your partners then just need to find exactly what they need, download it right away, and start creating amazing content.

Motivate Your Affiliates to Boost Performance

Keeping your partners engaged and inspired is the key to boosting their performance, which directly translates into more traffic and higher sales for your store.

You can create a special bonus to boost your affiliates’ performance.

Thanks to UpPromote’s help, you can set up a one-time bonus to reward a specific achievement.

You can also create recurring bonuses that reset every month to keep your partners engaged for the long term.

Let’s say you’re launching your new “Velocity X” running shoe. You could set up a special bonus where any partner who sells 10 pairs gets an extra $100.

While a one-time bonus is great for short-term goals, a tiered commission structure is even better for long-term motivation.

It rewards your partners for their hard work and keeps them loyal to your sports Shopify brand.

You can put this entire process on autopilot with UpPromote’s Auto-tier Commission.

You set the rule to move a partner to a higher tier based on their total sales value, referral quantity, or total earned commission.

The system automatically moves your partners to a higher tier as soon as they hit the target.

For example, you could set it up so all new partners start at a 10% commission. Once they make 50 sales, they automatically get a raise to 15% commission.

You could even add a top tier, so after 150 sales, they earn a high 20% commission.

Conclusion

Building a high-performance affiliate program for your sports brand on Shopify takes careful planning. But the rewards are worth it. Success comes from combining a logical plan with a deep focus on each step.

By following this guide, you can build a powerful community of brand advocates. This community will drive revenue and help your brand grow for years to come. Now, go start building your affiliate army today.