LTH (+); UAA (–); Sports Ecosystem Tracker Down But Stable; NKE Online Monitor Hits Highest Level Since 2023; News and Game of the Week: The Optimal Sports Section

By David Katzman and David Schick and Jonathan Feeney and Jack Hermann Published on June 24, 2026 PDF

Sports Ecosystem spending was down but stable this week even as sub-index dynamics shifted, equity indices were mixed against a down market, and NKE’s online momentum indicators continued to trend favorably.

Summary: (1) Optimal’s Sports Ecosystem revenue tracker declined -0.8% T8W y/y vs. -1.5% T16W,with Sports Betting & Data spending re-accelerating and remaining the strongest sub-index, Sports Fandom spending improving dramatically to almost flat, and Sports Participation spending deteriorating sharply on a steep drop in transactions; (2) Sports equity indices were mixed against the broader market this week, with the Equal-Weight Ecosystem Index (-1.2% w/w) modestly outperforming the S&P 500 (-1.4% w/w) and the Cap-Weighted Ecosystem Index (-1.6% w/w) slightly underperforming; (3) LTH spending and digital traffic are both positive and inflecting positively in absolute terms, alongside modestly positive foot traffic, while UAA spending and foot traffic are both down and inflecting further negatively (though digital traffic remained positive in absolute terms); (4) NKE’s US digital traffic continued to inflect positively (+5.2% T16W) and global digital traffic continues to accelerate (+3.0% T16W), while Optimal’s Online Monitor accelerated further to its highest value since 2023 (+9.4%). Optimal’s Gen Z Attention Economy Monitor reached +14.4% in May; (5) Optimal travelled to Nike’s House of Innovation last week for our weekly “This Week In Store Pics” publication, Click Here For Report.

The Optimal Sports Ecosystem Index revenue tracker was flat at -0.8% T8W y/y vs. -1.5% T16W (vs. -0.7% T8W and -1.1% T16W last week), with the T8W – T16W spread widening. Sports Betting & Data spending re-accelerated to +7.2% T8W y/y (vs. +6.0% T16W) from +5.8% last week, remaining the strongest sub-index. Sports Fandom spending improved dramatically to -0.9% T8W y/y (vs. -13.0% T16W) on -1.6% transactions and +0.7% ticket compared to -4.9% T8W y/y last week. Sports Participation spending deteriorated sharply to -10.0% T8W y/y (vs. -7.3% last week) on a -16.3% drop in transactions, partially offset by a +7.5% ticket increase. Experiences & Entertainment spending remains sharply down y/y but continues to accelerate back upwards.
Sports equity indices were mixed against the broader market this week. The Equal-Weight Optimal Sports Ecosystem Index (-1.2% w/w) modestly outperformed the S&P 500 (-1.4% w/w), while the Cap-Weighted Optimal Sports Ecosystem Index (-1.6% w/w) slightly underperformed. Optimal’s Sports Fandom Index (+0.3% w/w) was the only positive sub-index and outperformed the broader market, with the Sports Participation Index (-0.6% w/w) also outperforming, while the Sports Betting & Data Index (-5.9% w/w) sharply underperformed.
LTH (+): Spending is up sharply (+22.1% T8W y/y) and inflecting positively (+0.2% relative to longer-term trend), with digital traffic also up strongly (+27.8% T8W y/y) and inflecting positively (+9.0% relative to longer-term trend). Foot traffic is also modestly positive (+0.7% T8W y/y, +1.9% inflection).
UAA (–): Spending is down sharply (-68.3% T8W y/y) and inflecting negatively (-11.2% relative to longer-term trend). Foot traffic is also negative (-7.8% T8W y/y) and inflecting negatively (-4.1% relative to longer-term trend). Digital traffic remains positive in absolute terms (+10.3% T8W y/y), though it is inflecting slightly negatively (-0.5% inflection).
Weekly NKE Analysis: US digital traffic continued to inflect positively (+5.2% T16W y/y in the most recent week, up from +3.2% last week and -3.7% in mid-March), and global digital traffic continues to accelerate (+3.0% T16W y/y vs. +1.7% last week). Optimal’s Online Monitor accelerated further to +9.4%, its highest value since 2023, while the In-Store Monitor remains negative at -6.7% in the most recent available reading. NKE’s Gen Z Attention Economy Monitor reached +14.4% in May (up from +0.3% in April), reflecting strong Gen Z engagement. Monthly sentiment also remained strongly positive, with Twitter sentiment up +16.5% m/m and news sentiment up +6.8% m/m.

Headlines

Headline: No. 2 overall NBA Draft pick Darryn Peterson has signed a long-term deal with Adidas to headline the brand’s next generation, ranking among the top 5 richest rookie shoe deals in NBA history; No. 8 pick Kingston Flemings also signed with Nike.
- Link: No. 2 pick Darryn Peterson signs long-term deal with Adidas to headline brand
Headline: The NHL has signed a term sheet with billionaire Dan Friedkin granting him exclusive rights to bring an expansion franchise to either Houston or Austin, with a $3.5B total investment.
- Link: NHL, Dan Friedkin exploring expansion to Houston or Austin
Headline: Nike quietly exercised its option in December to extend its UCLA apparel partnership through June 30, 2029, with UCLA set to receive $7.1M in gear and $500,000 in cash for the first option year (2027-28) and $7.25M in gear plus $500,000 in cash for the second.
- Link: Nike extends UCLA apparel deal through 2029

Game of the Week:

Norway vs. France (June 27th 2026 @ 3:00 PM EST): 2-0 France will face 2-0 Norway in a battle for the top of Group I, as superstars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland both scored braces in each of their first two games.