Overview
Sports Direct is the UK's largest sports retailer and the flagship business of Frasers Group. It sells sportswear, footwear and equipment from global brands such as Nike, adidas, Puma, Under Armour and The North Face, alongside Frasers' own brands such as Everlast, Slazenger and Karrimor, in around 700 stores and online. For a sports brand, Sports Direct is a major route to UK and European shoppers, and increasingly to markets further afield.
Who is behind Sports Direct
Sports Direct was founded by Mike Ashley, who opened his first store in the early 1980s, and grew into a chain of hundreds of stores. In 2019 the group renamed itself Frasers Group. Frasers is listed in London and is led by CEO Michael Murray. Besides Sports Direct, it owns House of Fraser, Flannels, Evans Cycles, GAME, USC and Jack Wills, and holds stakes in other retailers. Sports Direct has more than 500 stores in the UK and around 170 in the EU.
International expansion
Frasers is expanding Sports Direct internationally through partnerships:
- Australia and New Zealand: a 25-year partnership with Accent Group to open up to 100 Sports Direct stores.
- Southeast Asia and India: a partnership with MAP Active to open up to 350 stores across Indonesia, India, the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia, after Frasers sold its Malaysian business to MAP Active.
- Middle East: a partnership with GMG to launch Sports Direct in the region.
- Nordics: Sports Direct opened its first store in Helsinki in 2026.
How brands can work with Sports Direct
Sports Direct works with brands mainly as a retailer that buys products for its stores and websites. A brand approaching Sports Direct should be ready with:
- Sports, fitness or outdoor products with clear demand.
- Competitive wholesale pricing, since Sports Direct is known for value.
- Supply capacity for a large store network and online demand.
- Compliance and labelling for each market where Sports Direct sells.
Why Sports Direct matters for brands
Sports Direct reaches a very large number of sports shoppers in the UK and Europe, and its international partnerships are opening new markets.
How eBrands looks at Sports Direct
eBrands works with brands on marketplaces and retail channels across Europe and North America, and sports is one of our core categories. If you want to see how Sports Direct could fit your plans, we are happy to talk it through.
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