Under Armour vs Nike: David vs Goliath in Sportswear
The battle between the Baltimore upstart and the Beaverton behemoth. Nike, founded in 1964, is the global athletic footwear and apparel leader with $46.3 billion in annual revenue, a $78B brand value, and endorsers like LeBron and Mbappé. Under Armour, founded in 1996 by Kevin Plank, has carved a niche in performance apparel with $5.2B in revenue, the Curry Brand, and NFL partnerships — but remains dwarfed by Nike's 9x revenue and 20x market share.
Brand Comparison
| Category | Under Armour | Nike ⭐ |
|---|---|---|
| 🏆 Company Overview | ||
| Founded | 1996 | 1964 (older) ⭐ |
| Founder | Kevin Plank | Bill Bowerman & Phil Knight |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, MD | Beaverton, OR |
| CEO | Kevin Plank | Elliott Hill |
| Employees | ~14,400 | ~77,800 ⭐ |
| 💰 Financials (FY2025) | ||
| Annual Revenue | $5.2B | $46.3B ⭐ |
| Market Cap | ~$3.1B | ~$66B ⭐ |
| Net Income | -$201M (loss) | $3.2B ⭐ |
| Total Assets | $4.3B | $36.6B ⭐ |
| 👟 Product & Brand | ||
| Slogan | "I Will" | "Just Do It" ⭐ |
| Key Product Lines | UA HOVR, HeatGear, ColdGear, Curry Brand, Project Rock | Air Jordan, Air Max, Dri-FIT, Pegasus, Vaporfly, Dunk, Air Force 1 ⭐ |
| Top Endorsers | Stephen Curry, Dwayne Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Bryce Harper | LeBron James, Cristiano Ronaldo, Mbappé, Serena, Michael Jordan ⭐ |
| Global Brand Value | ~$4B | ~$78B ⭐ |
| 📊 Market Presence | ||
| Countries Served | ~75 | 190+ ⭐ |
| Retail Stores | ~400 | ~1,000+ ⭐ |
| Footwear Market Share | ~2% | ~40% ⭐ |
| Apparel Market Share | ~3% | ~15% ⭐ |
| 🏅 Sports Sponsorships | ||
| NBA Partnership | Individual players only (Curry, Embiid) | Official Apparel Partner (extended to 2037) ⭐ |
| NFL | Official footwear & glove partner (2025) | Official uniform provider (all 32 teams) ⭐ |
| Soccer (Football) | Limited presence | Barcelona, PSG, Liverpool, Chelsea, Brazil, England ⭐ |
| College Sports | Notre Dame, Maryland, Wisconsin, Utah | Oregon, Ohio State, Texas, Alabama, Michigan (hundreds) ⭐ |
Note: The ⭐ indicates the leader per category. Nike dominates in nearly every metric — 9x revenue, 20x market cap, 3x brand value, and the most valuable endorsement roster in sports. Under Armour holds its own in performance apparel and training gear, with Curry Brand as its signature franchise, but operates in a completely different weight class.