Top 23 Best Sports Affiliate Marketing Programs in 2026

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.

Quick Comparison

Before we get into the introduction of each affiliate program, take a look at the quick comparison table I’ve compiled below:

Program Name	Commission (%) / Flat	Cookie Duration (Days)	Niche Suitable	Affiliate’s Rating*
Vatic Pro	$5–10 per paddle	30	Pickleball, sports gear	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (Strong brand, flat payout)
Under Armour	5%	30	Sports apparel, footwear	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (Top brand, low commission)
Leather Head Sports	10%	60	Premium leather sports balls	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (High AOV, long cookie)
Mountain Hardwear (Sweaty Betty)	8%	21	Climbing, mountaineering gear	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (Good brand, short cookie)
DICK’S Sporting Goods	2%	3	General sports retail	⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (Huge catalog, low rate & cookie)
Love Fitness	10%	30	Women’s activewear, Hawaiian style	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (Good benefits, PayPal only)
Nike	15%	7	Sports apparel, shoes, accessories	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (Strong brand, short cookie)
Nimble Activewear	5%	30	Women’s activewear (yoga, aerobics)	⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (High AOV, low commission)
Lululemon	5%	30	Premium activewear & loungewear	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Strong demand, stable program)
X3 Bar Sports	Up to 15%	45	Fitness, muscle training, supplements	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (High rate + long cookie)

23 Best Sports Affiliate Programs You Should Join In 2026

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.

Should You Focus on One Sport or Cover Multiple Sports?

Choosing just one sport or promoting everything is the first important decision you will make in your first year.

It defines your content schedule, your SEO growth, and eventually, your revenue stability.

Most new affiliates make the mistake of trying to be the “ESPN of betting” immediately.

They launch sections for the NFL, NBA, MLB, and Golf all at once, assuming that wider coverage equals more traffic. This is usually a fatal error.

Choosing between depth (focusing on one) and breadth (covering many) isn’t just a preference. It’s a math problem based on your current resources and Google’s “Topical Authority” algorithms.

This section breaks down the trade-offs so you can choose the path that fits your actual capacity.

The Authority Compounding Effect

If you are starting with fewer than 50 published posts or under 10,000 monthly visitors, the data is clear: you must pick one sport and dominate it.

Why? Because of how Google evaluates expertise.

Google’s algorithm doesn’t just count keywords. It looks for authority.

Think of Google like a university professor. You wouldn’t trust a professor who claims to be an expert in Biology, History, and Calculus.

You trust the one who has published 50 papers specifically on “Molecular Biology.” Google works the same way.

Here is the reality of ranking today. To rank for a competitive term like “betting strategy,” you need a certain level of “site power” (often measured as Domain Rating or DR).

✅The Specialist Advantage: A site dedicated entirely to the NFL can often rank for “NFL betting strategy” with a DR of 30–40.

✅The Generalist Tax: A multi-sport site trying to rank for that same keyword often needs a DR of 50–60.

For the specialist site, every single link and article reinforces the signal that “This site is about Football.” For the generalist, that signal is diluted across ten different topics.

If you want to ensure great performance, stay narrow for the first 6–12 months.

Ignore the “off-season” revenue dips for now. It is better to have high traffic for 6 months and zero for 6 months than to have mediocre traffic all year that never converts.

Once you hit 100+ posts and 25,000 visitors, then you have the foundation to expand into a second complementary sport.

Audience Cohesion and Conversion Rates

Beyond SEO, focusing on a single sport drastically improves your bottom line. It comes down to a simple metric: Relevance.

When you run a single-sport site, you can speak a specific language.

You aren’t just talking to “sports fans.” You are talking to “die-hard Chiefs fans” or “fantasy football managers.” This creates immediate trust that generalist sites cannot replicate.

Data from successful affiliate portfolios highlights a massive performance gap:

⚽Single-Sport Sites: Typically see betting sign-up conversion rates between 9% and 13%.

🏁Multi-Sport Sites: Often struggle to break 5% to 8% on the same offers.

The difference is most painful in email marketing. Imagine you subscribe to a “General Sports Betting” newsletter.

• On Tuesday, you get a breakdown of a Golf tournament.
• On Thursday, it’s NBA props.
• On Sunday, it’s the NFL.

If you only care about Football, you are deleting two-thirds of those emails. Eventually, you unsubscribe.

Now, let’s think of an “NFL Underdogs” newsletter. Every single email is relevant to you. Open rates stay high, and click-through rates skyrocket.

When you recommend a specific sportsbook because it has “the best NFL prop builder,” your audience listens because they know you are one of them.

Content Production Efficiency

While audience relevance is the public-facing benefit of specializing, the internal benefit is even more valuable: Speed.

When you focus on a single sport, you unlock the power of “templating.” This allows you to produce 2-3x more high-quality content than a generalist without working more hours.

Consider the workflow of an NFL specialist. You create one master structure for a “Weekly Betting Preview.”

Week 1: You write the preview.

Weeks 2–18: You simply clone the structure and update the data.

You have now created 18 pieces of content from a single creative effort.

You can do the same with position guides: once you build the framework for “How to Bet on NFL Quarterbacks,” write the “Running Backs” and “Wide Receivers” guides.

Now, let’s think of becoming a multi-sport generalist. To write an NFL article, then an NBA article, and then a Premier League article, you are constantly paying a “cognitive switching tax.”

You have to reset your brain. You have to look up different rule sets, various statistics sites, and roster news from different sources.

The Specialist: Spends 10% of their time researching rules and 90% writing.

The Generalist: Spends 50% of their time just re-orienting themselves to the sport of the day.

Expertise compounds; it doesn’t dilute. By the time the generalist is still looking up whether a “parlay” works the same in tennis as it does in football, the specialist has already published three articles.

The efficiency described above sounds perfect, but there is a catch. We need to talk about the “Feast or Famine” reality of single-sport sites.

If you choose to specialize, you must accept Revenue Concentration Risk.

For an NFL-focused affiliate, the financial year looks like a cliff.

September – February: You will likely earn 55% to 65% of your total annual revenue.

March – August: You must be mentally prepared for revenue to drop by 50% to 70%.

Many new affiliates panic during their first off-season. They see their graphs crash and assume their site is broken or penalized. It’s not; the sport just stopped being played.

Despite the fear, the high peaks of a specialist site usually outperform the flat lines of a generalist site.

What Content Converts Best for Sports Affiliate Programs?

Not all traffic is created equal. One of the hardest lessons for new affiliates to learn is that views do not equal revenue.

You can have a viral news article about a massive player trade get 50,000 views and earn $0.

You can also have a boring, detailed comparison of two goalkeeper gloves, get 500 views, and earn $500.

If you spend your time writing generic game recaps or rumor mill pieces, you are playing a volume game that you will likely lose against big publishers.

Instead, you need to focus your limited writing time on the assets that actually drive commissions.

Product Comparison Content

At the very top of the conversion food chain sits the “Head-to-Head” comparison.

While general sports news converts at a dismal 0.5% to 2%, well-structured comparison posts typically convert between 4% and 9%.

When a user searches for “DraftKings vs. FanDuel” or “Nike Pegasus vs. Adidas Ultraboost,” they are not browsing for fun.

They have their wallet in their hand. They have narrowed their choice down to two options, and they are looking for one final nudge to tell them which one to buy.

So, how can you successfully generate a sale? Don’t just write two paragraphs of fluff. To hit that 9% conversion ceiling, your comparison needs a rigid structure:

📑Create a table: Put this at the very top. Compare the 3-5 distinct features that matter most (e.g., Bonus Offer, Payout Speed, Mobile App Rating).

💬Tell a story: Avoid declaring a generic winner. Instead, be specific: “Choose DraftKings if you play high-volume daily fantasy. Choose FanDuel if you prefer a simpler sportsbook interface.”

✍️Your content type: Be decisive. Readers hate wishy-washy conclusions. Tell them exactly what you would do in their shoes.

Buying Guides

Besides comparing products, you can think of creating detailed buying guides. These are the workhorses of a profitable affiliate site.

Buying guides (e.g., “Best Basketball Shoes for Guards”) frequently see conversion rates of 5% to 11%.

However, the mistake most affiliates make is going too broad. You will never rank for “Best Running Shoes,” since big brands like Nike and Runner’s World own that keyword.

A post titled “Best Golf Club Set for Senior Beginners with Slow Swing Speeds” might only get 300 searches a month, but the people searching for it are desperate for a specific solution.

An effective buying guide doesn’t just list products; it teaches the reader how to choose.

This is how you can build a highly-generated guide:

• Start with criteria: Explain why a guard needs different shoes than a center (ankle support vs. traction).
• Categorize: Break recommendations into “Budget,” “Mid-Range,” and “Premium.”
• The “Why“: For every recommendation, include a “Reason to Buy” and a “Reason to Avoid.”

“Best Of” Listicles

While buying guides solve specific user problems (like “shoes for guards”), “Best Of” Listicles catch broader search traffic.

Think of these as the annual “State of the Union” for products. Posts like “Best Home Treadmills 2026” or “Top 10 Protein Powders” typically convert at a steady 3% to 7%.

The challenge with listicles is competition. Every affiliate writes them.

To stand out and actually convert, you must prove you aren’t just copying Amazon descriptions.

Before you list a single product, write a paragraph explaining how you selected the right product.

Did you run in the shoes for 50 miles? Did you taste-test the protein powder? However, it’s important to know how to introduce your list and make it more trustworthy.

❌Weak: “Here is a list of good watches.”

✅Strong: “We tested 15 GPS watches over 30 days, tracking accuracy against a measured track. Here are the top 5.”

To maximize that 7% conversion potential, format your list for skimmers:

• “Best For” Tags: Label each item clearly (e.g., “Best for Budget,” “Best for Battery Life”).
• Visual proof: Use original photos or video demonstrations, not just stock images.
• Sale alerts: Pricing changes daily. Use a plugin or tool that auto-updates prices so you never show a dead deal.

Seasonal and Event-Based Content

Finally, the sports content around hot events like the Super Bowl, the NFL, or the World Cup will always get the attention.

During peak event windows (Super Bowl, March Madness, Fantasy Draft Week), timely guides can see conversion rates skyrocket to 8% to 16%.

Event-based content converts efficiently because of the “Deadline Effect.”

• A user reading a shoe review might wait a month to buy.
• A user reading “March Madness Bracket Strategy” must take action before the first tip-off on Thursday.

However, the biggest mistake affiliates make is publishing too late. You must publish your “Super Bowl Betting Guide” 2–4 weeks before the event.

The reason is that Google needs time to crawl and index your page.

If you publish on the Monday before the Super Bowl, you will likely rank on Page 5 while established sites (that published in January) soak up the traffic.

You should also be aware that this content is temporary. These posts will generate 60% to 80% of their total lifetime traffic in a single 2-week window. Once the final whistle blows, the traffic (and revenue) disappears until next year.

How Do Seasonal Trends Affect Sports Affiliate Revenue?

If you are coming from an evergreen niche like “Personal Finance” or “Software Reviews,” sports affiliate marketing will be a shock to your system.

In this industry, there is no such thing as “steady month-over-month growth.” Instead, you are signing up for a life of extreme volatility.

This section breaks down the revenue fluctuations you must plan for.

It analyzes the specific impacts of the major sports calendars, so you can manage your cash flow and content production without panicking when the “off-season cliff” arrives.

NFL Dominance and Planning

The NFL is the sun that the entire US sports betting ecosystem orbits around.

For most general sports affiliates, the NFL season (September – February) generates 40% to 50% of total annual revenue.

The most common services and items include betting, fantasy sports services, and merchandise.

New affiliates often look at their November earnings and insist on the same amount out for the year. This is a dangerous mistake.

In fact, an affiliate site might earn $12,000/month comfortably from September to January.

That same site, with the exact same rankings, will often drop to $3,000–$5,000/month from June to August.

You cannot force interest when the games aren’t being played. Instead, you must maximize the harvest during the peak:

Aggressive List Building: Capture 60–70% of your annual email subscribers during Q4. Even if they don’t bet in July, you own the asset when September returns.

The August Sprint: Do not wait for Week 1. You must publish your evergreen content (“How to Bet on Football”) and team previews in August to catch the pre-season search volume.

Template Stockpiling: During the season, you won’t have time to think. Create 10–15 “Weekly Preview” templates in the summer so you can plug-and-play during the chaos of the season.

Basketball’s Extended Season

If the NFL is a sprint, the NBA is a marathon. But it has a very specific rhythm that smart affiliates exploit.

The NBA provides crucial revenue stability because its season stretches from October to June (8 months), bridging the gap when the NFL goes dark.

However, the revenue isn’t distributed evenly.

While the regular season keeps the lights on, the NBA Playoffs (April–June) drive 60% to 70% of basketball revenue, despite representing only about 3 months of the calendar.

Then, what is a smart phe smartest strategy for you? Let’s see the breakdown below:

March: Use “Bracket Tools” and downloadable guides to capture massive viral traffic.

April: Immediately pivot that college basketball audience to the NBA playoffs. The demographics overlap almost perfectly.

Summer Sports Gap and Solutions

Once the NBA Finals conclude in June, the sports affiliate world enters what is known as the “Dead Zone.”

From June through August, the “Big Three” (NFL, NBA, NCAA) are dormant.

Unless you have built a specific audience for MLB, Golf, or Tennis, you should expect your revenue to drop by 40% to 60% compared to your winter peaks.

Many affiliates burn out trying to force their football audience to bet on regular-season baseball.

It rarely works. Instead of fighting the silence, you can pivot your business model during these three months.

Shift to Equipment: Summer is peak season for “Training” content. A post about “Best Football Cleats for High Schoolers” will spike in July/August as players prepare for the fall season.

The “Build” Phase: Write your 5,000-word guides for next season. If you write them in July, they will be fully indexed and ranking by September 1st.

International Coverage: If you have the expertise, soccer can plug the revenue gap. But be warned: this requires a distinct audience segment.

Year-Round Sport Selection Strategy

We have established that the NFL provides the highest peaks and the summer brings the lowest valleys.

If you want to build a business that pays you a salary every single month, you need a “Portfolio Strategy.”

Just as an investor wouldn’t put 100% of their money into a single volatile stock, you shouldn’t rely 100% on a single sport. You need to layer Complementary Sports to ensure that as one season ends, another is hitting its peak.

Here is how successful multi-sport affiliates structure their calendar to ensure there are always active games to cover:

Even with this portfolio, you must adjust your expectations. A “balanced” year in sports affiliate marketing is not 25% revenue per quarter.

☑️Target 60–65% of your total annual revenue in Q4 and Q1 (Winter).

☑️Target 35–40% of your total annual revenue in Q2 and Q3 (Summer).

By accepting this split, you stop panicking in June. You understand that Q2 is not “failing.” It is simply playing its role as the bridge to the next Q4 gold rush.

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.