Sports

Sports
Thousands of Nike staff told to hit the road
Nike has told staff it plans to reduce its workforce by less than 1% as part of plans to turn around the global sportswear brand. Employees were told of the layoffs in an internal memorandum signed by CEO Elliott Hill and other senior leaders on Thursday (Friday AEST), according to media reports. “Some of us will take on a new position or level, report to a new manager or join a new team,” according to the memo quoted in a Reuters story. “A small number … will depart, and we’ll honor the contributions they’ve made here.” Staff will learn if they are affected by 8 September, with most new roles taking effect on 21 September. Nike had about 77,800 employees around the world on 31 May, including retail and part-time employees, indicating the job losses will be less than 7,780. The layoffs will not affect Nike's EMEA and Converse businesses, and it is unclear exactly how many jobs will be impacted, according to a CNBC report. Hill is implementing a “sport offense” strategy aimed at refocusing the company on product innovation and marketing around sports like running, unravelling changes made by former CEO John Donahoe. In June, Hill said the company planned to "realign" into cross-functional teams organised by
Sports
Nike sales continue to slump amid turnaround efforts
Nike has reported an extended sales slump in its Q4 results. Fourth quarter revenues for the sneaker and sportswear giant were down 12% on a reported basis to US$11.1 billion, with sales for the 2025 fiscal year falling 10% to $46.3 billion. The company’s reported net income also fell from $1.5 billion, or 99 cents per share in Q4 2024 to $211 million, or 14 cents per share in the fourth quarter of 2025. Nike President and CEO Elliot Hill said while these results are in line with the company’s expectations, they weren’t ideal. “Moving forward, we expect our business to improve as a result of the progress we're making through our Win Now actions," Hill said. "As we enter a new fiscal year, we are turning the page and the next step is aligning our teams to lead with sport through what we are calling the sport offence. This will accelerate our Win Now actions to reposition our business for future growth." While the majority of Nike’s numbers have fallen, Nike stores proved to be a bright spot with a 2% increase in sales. The company took its biggest financial hit from its turnaround plan in its fiscal fourth quarter, and while the worst may be behind the company, new challenges like tariffs could prove difficult.
Sports
SMARTECH supports the 2025 Super Rugby revolution
Super Rugby is undergoing a revolution. Under new Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh, matches are faster-paced and higher-scoring, with Australian teams at their most competitive in years. Now, Super Rugby and Super Rugby Women’s have secured a naming rights partner in print and mailing solutions company SMARTECH Business Systems, beginning with the 2025 season. Crowds have responded positively to the sport’s changes, with attendance and viewership surging this year. Average match attendance across the first five rounds of Super Rugby grew by 34% year-over-year in 2025, while viewership has increased by double digit percentages in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji. As the sport is revitalised, SMARTECH CEO Vincent Nair says there is a crucial opportunity to renew rugby’s place in corporate culture. This can help forge authentic relationships between clients and companies, he says. Azzet spoke with Nair about these naming rights partnerships and rugby’s ability to build bridges in the corporate world. How did SMARTECH's naming rights partnerships with Super Rugby and Super Rugby Women's come about? We felt that it was the perfect time to align our values and ethos. Rugby Australia was going through a leadership change and
Sports
UFC partners with Meta to raise fan engagement
Mixed martial arts league UFC has partnered with Meta to increase its fan engagement, as the companies continue to deepen their ties. Meta platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads will include original UFC content under the multi-year deal, as well as contributing to UFC fan experiences. Other Meta services, like its augmented reality glasses and artificial intelligence technology, will be used at UFC events. “Meta has the greatest minds in tech and they are going to take fan engagement to the next level,” said UFC CEO Dana White. “We’ve already started to work on some innovations with Meta around a new fighter rankings system that I’ll be sharing soon. The next few years will be an absolute game changer for fans of this sport.” Meta’s branding will be added to UFC’s Octagon ring for its pay-per-view and Fight Night events. The partnership will also integrate Meta into UFC’s broadcast features and in-person events for fans. The social media company has also been named as UFC’s official artificial intelligence glasses partner. The companies will integrate Meta’s AI augmented reality glasses, produced in collaboration with Ray-Ban, into UFC’s events. Threads, Meta’s text-based social media app, will become U
Sports
What happens in Vegas: NRL opener... but at what price?
This weekend, arguably Australia's and the Asia-Pacific's No.1 sporting code, the National Rugby League (NRL), kicks off its 2025 season in Las Vegas. Following the success of the 2024 opener, this year’s games mark the NRL’s second of five contracted Vegas season starters. Together, eight teams from the NRL and the British Super League, along with the international women’s Test match, will showcase rugby league to a global market. The venture is said to stimulate the Vegas local economy, generate appeal for fans at home, and create a unique experience for American sports fans. However, it has been divisive among fans of the code and critics who believe it is not worth the “huge logistical exercise” it takes to get teams there. “I think whether you agree with it or not, it certainly creates a lot of interest and buzz around the NRL. Last year there was a lot of excitement and external buzz about the game, so it really launched the season well,” recently retired Melbourne Storm player and ex-captain Christian Welch tells Azzet. Welch has a keen interest in the business side of the sport. During his time as a player, he earned himself a degree in commerce and a Master's of Business Administration (MBA). “Spor

Sports
Anglo-Australian sports, shoe alliance - retailers lace up
British sports retailer Sports Direct is expected to open in Australia through a long term strategic agreement with Australian shoe retailer Accent Group. Accent said in an ASX announcement that it hoped to complete negotiations with Sports Direct’s parent company Frasers Group in the second half of the 2025 financial year (FY25). “We continue to expect that at some stage in FY25 (Accent) will announce the rollout of the Sports Direct banner in Australia, both through a physical store network and online website,” E&P Associate analyst Kade Madigan said in a research note. Accent also said it expected earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) in the first half (H1) of FY25 to be about $80 million, compared with of $72.4 million in the previous corresponding period (pcp) and consensus estimates of $78m for H1 FY25. The company said the half year forecast included a net positive impact of $3.3 million related to non-recurring items. Accent, whose brands include Athlete's Foot, Skechers, Vans, Dr. Martens and Platypus, said group “owned” sales, including wholesale sales, increased 4.6% in H1 FY25, and like-for-like sales rose 2.9%, including a 1.8% increase in weeks 21-26. It blamed the “ongoing promotional trading env

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Sports

Thousands of Nike staff told to hit the road

Nike sales continue to slump amid turnaround efforts

SMARTECH supports the 2025 Super Rugby revolution

UFC partners with Meta to raise fan engagement

What happens in Vegas: NRL opener... but at what price?

Anglo-Australian sports, shoe alliance - retailers lace up

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