The staff of Fortune recently assembled its predictions for 2016. Here’s one of our forecasts.
In sports, 2015 was arguably the year of Ronda Rousey.
The until-recently undefeated UFC fighter brought new eyeballs to the sport; she starred in a number of major movies; she graced the cover of a slew of major magazines; she called out Floyd Mayweather and challenged her league’s marijuana policy.
Meanwhile, in the sports apparel world, the king was Under Armour, which made great hay out of endorsement deals with Stephen Curry (who became league MVP and led his Warriors to an NBA title) and Jordan Spieth (PGA Player of the Year).
It’s almost inevitable that these two powerhouses come together: Rousey wears Reebok in the ring, because Reebok has an exclusive deal with the UFC. Outside of competition, Rousey hasn’t inked a long-term, lucrative personal apparel sponsorship. Look for Under Armour to offer her one in order to continue its endorsement hot-streak.
This article is part of the 2016 Fortune Crystal Ball, a package of predictions about business, politics and the economy by the writers and editors of Fortune. To see the entire package, click here.
