Top 23 Best Sports Affiliate Marketing Programs in 2024

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 2024

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.

Best Affiliate Marketing Practices for Your Sports Brand

Sports equipment affiliate programs can help acquire customers at a lower cost. They only need to compensate affiliates for successful referrals. So stores can better control marketing costs while still expanding their reach.

UpPromote – the most favorite Shopify affiliate software can help manage these partnerships effectively. 115+ brands have used our software to easily run programs, grow their affiliate pool, and motivate affiliates to earn more.

Create separate programs for different affiliate groups

When dividing affiliates into multiple campaigns, you’ll easily optimize each group’s reach and performance.

Treat your affiliates like employees: those with better results should receive more rewards. Sports brands might segment influencers, coaches, trainers, and lifestyle KOLs into separate programs. Each may have different commissions and bonuses.

With affiliate software like UpPromote, you can create as many programs as possible. We let you customize commission rates based on affiliates’ performance.

For example, Holbrook Pickleball uses UpPromote to handle various types of partners. Their standard program is for normal ambassadors, such as recreational players, coaches, and brand enthusiasts. Additionally, they run two separate programs for professionally sponsored athletes and YouTube influencers.

Turn customers into brand advocates

Since customers already love your brand and purchase your products, they can become valuable partners.

People often share what they feel good about. Having experienced the high quality of your sports items, they’re more likely to speak positively about your brand.

So, how can you encourage your customers to sign up?

Our affiliate system allows you to create customer referral programs with ease. That means customers can promote your products without joining the affiliate program.

Within the UpPromote dashboard, go to Outreach > Customer Referral. Then you can create incentives for customers and their friends.

You can offer your customers two types of rewards: a flat rate per order or a percentage of the sale with a preset amount. Their friends can enjoy discounts through a percentage off, a fixed amount off, or free shipping.

You can offer customers $20 to promote tennis rackets. Those who buy through their referral links will get a 10% discount. Everyone benefits – your customers, their friends, and you.

Once you’ve set incentives, let’s move on to the display options. You can showcase the offer using a widget, a separate landing page, or a post-purchase signup.

With the widget option, a floating button will appear on your website. Customers can click it to open a popup, submit their email address, and get their unique referral link.

Or, you can also present your offer on a custom landing page. You can place a signup form anywhere on your site. Then, adjust the design and content to align with your branding.

For post-purchase signup, your store needs to be using the latest Shopify checkout version. If you’re using an older version, the signup will not be available on the Thank You/Order Status page. To check your checkout version, go to Shopify Settings > Checkout and look under the Configurations section.

Here’s how a post-purchase signup appears on a thank you page.

Reward your top-performing affiliates

Your top affiliates deserve recognition. Offering rewards will make them feel valued and motivated to bring in even more sales.

UpPromote lets you easily reward your top partners with bonuses or gift packages.

To create bonuses, simply navigate to the UpPromote dashboard, then go to Motivation > Bonuses > Create new bonus.

First, set the conditions by choosing a Target Type like Number of Referrals, Total Sales, or Total Commission, and then enter the Target Amount.

Next, you need to decide on the bonus rules:

• One-time: A single reward when affiliates reach their goal.
• Periodically: Recurring rewards on a monthly, quarterly, or annual schedule.

You can also opt to send gift packages, as Holbrook Pickleball recently did. When they spot an affiliate excelling, they often send a surprise gift package using UpPromote’s gift feature.

For example, you can send a running T-shirt for those who have done well in the past 2 months.

Take part in sports events to approach potential ambassadors

Sports events help you connect with influencers who are enthusiastic about sports. These influencers could be ideal partners to help promote your brand to their broad audiences.

You can entice potential ambassadors with exclusive deals, discounts, or early access to new products or services. Take time to get to know their goals and inspirations.

Holbrook Pickleball regularly attends pickleball events nationwide. They want to meet ambassadors in person and build genuine relationships.

For those who can’t make it to events, Holbrook hosts online training webinars to engage them. These sessions share updates & best practices and let ambassadors connect more with the Holbrook team.

Final words

A sports affiliate program can be a great way to extend your brand’s reach, boost sales, and strengthen your position in the sports sector. But, it requires detailed planning, a clear commission structure, and dedicated support for your affiliates.

UpPromote provides a comprehensive solution to streamline these affiliate marketing efforts. Our intuitive interface and advanced tracking features make it easier to manage your affiliates. Check out our flexible pricing plans to get started.