Under Armour's North American revenue fell 9% year over year in its most recent quarter — and the brand's marketers are betting on football to reverse the slide.

The sport is returning to the center of Under Armour's US messaging after years in which it never disappeared but lacked focus. "We never got away from it," Ryan Collins, senior director of global sports marketing at Under Armour, told Marketing Brew, but "we maybe weren't as intentional all the time about speaking to football and telling that story."

The timing suits the bet. Nearly a third of Americans named football as their favorite sport this year, according to Gallup, even as that percentage has declined in recent years. The push also comes after basketball star Steph Curry parted ways with Under Armour following more than a decade as its marquee partner.

What deals anchor the football push?

Last year, Under Armour signed a long-term contract to become the NFL's official footwear and glove partner. The deal marks a return to the league after the previous contract, which began in 2006, expired following the 2020 season. The new agreement "refocused us" on football, Collins said, including through a rebuilt athlete roster.

"Over the past two years, we've started to really build out our portfolio of athletes, bring on the right athletes that match the brand," he said.

In May, Under Armour named Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson the face of its football efforts. It has since signed Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins away from Nike. The roster also includes:

• DeVonta Smith, wide receiver, Philadelphia Eagles
• Zay Flowers, wide receiver, Baltimore Ravens
• Cam Ward, quarterback, Tennessee Titans
• Rookies including Jadarian Price, running back, Seattle Seahawks

The brand also looked back this year, releasing a social video called "The Making of 'Big E'" that honors former NFL defensive end Eric Ogbogu and the iconic "Protect This House" campaign he fronted in the early 2000s, marking Under Armour's 30th anniversary. Ogbogu, who played college ball at the University of Maryland — where founder and now-CEO Kevin Plank conceived the brand — now works as a director at the company.

How does the campaign run?

The ongoing "We Are Football" campaign, launched last fall, aims to "reframe Under Armour's performance-driven DNA through a modern lens" and target the next generation of athletes, according to the brand, with creative tailored to different regions.

"What you'll start to see, and it'll evolve over time, is a campaign that is showing how…this country loves football, much like we do as Under Armour," Collins said. "We want to put a spotlight on those different parts of the country and show why [football] is unique and special to [people] in that area."

The campaign's latest iteration will play out episodically from this fall through the first quarter of 2027.

Why does flag football matter?

"We Are Football" extends to flag football, and its three-minute film ends on Diana Flores, captain and quarterback of the Mexican national flag football team, who became Under Armour's first flag football brand ambassador in 2023. The inclusion of more women fans and athletes marks a shift from the heavily male-dominated "Protect This House" era.

With flag football set to make its Olympic debut at LA28, the discipline offers Under Armour a route to new women consumers. "It's one thing being able to sell an extra pair of shoes and cleats to an existing football player," Collins said. "It's a whole other thing if you're introducing a new athlete to a sport, and we can be their first handshake in that sport."

Ahead of LA28, Collins said his team is strategizing partnerships with national governing bodies and Olympic athletes, while maintaining ties to pro leagues, college teams and high school athletes.

"What used to be a couple-months sport is now a 12-month sport," he said. "Football is now giving the brand the ability to storytell throughout the 12 months of the year."