September 2018. PSG struck a major blow and unveiled its partnership with the Jordan Brand with the standard bearer of a third jersey adorned with the famous Jumpman logo for the first time in a Champions League match against Liverpool. An unprecedented marketing operation presented with great fanfare by the President of PSG, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and the President of Jordan Brand, Larry Miller, at a time when the Capital club is in search of international fame . And this despite the presence in his squad of a still powerful Neymar and a Kylian Mbappé just crowned with a World Champion title in Russia with the Blues.
An extraordinary contract which took PSG into another marketing dimension
A win/win operation for PSG which was then associated with a strong brand known worldwide and also for Jordan which was seeking to exist in the lifestyle outside of the basketball world. Despite some reluctance and questions about the relationship between football and a brand founded by the greatest basketball player in history, the impact was immediate. Thanks to this association, which is unexpected to say the least, PSG is exploding its marketing aura throughout the world with collections that are as original as ever, ranging from jerseys to lifestyle collections and sneakers. It’s simple, we’ve literally been snapping up Jordan x PSG products for over 4 years. Paris is delighted, especially since this ultra-dominant position allows it to leapfrog FC Barcelona into the very exclusive club of the most important teams on the football planet in terms of marketing.
However, for several months the machine has stalled. The fault lies in a particular geopolitical context, the multiple poor performances of PSG in the Champions League, the recent departures of Neymar and Lionel Messi from the French capital without forgetting the significant drop in popularity in recent months of a more annoying Kylian Mbappé how endearing. This was enough to raise questions about the future of this partnership which will remain in the history of sports marketing whatever happens. Seeing sales running out of steam and not seeing how to revive the mechanism, Nike and Jordan decided to put an end to the Jordan x PSG tandem. According to our information, fans of PSG and the famous Jumpman will be able to enjoy a final collection in 2024-25 before seeing another club from the American equipment manufacturer (a club based in London is mentioned) benefit from the brand created by Michael Jordan.
Jordan and Nike will abandon PSG for an English club
Not enough to call into question the Nike deal which runs until 2032. Relations are in fact much better between the brand with the swoosh and PSG than between Nike and Barça for example where the rag is on fire. The fact remains that this will be a real blow to come for the image of the Parisian club already deprived of Neymar, Lionel Messi and undoubtedly Kylian Mbappé. Therefore, we must expect a drop, in the very medium term, in marketing revenues for PSG.
For its part, Nike continues its 180-degree turn. In disgrace with FC Barcelona, ​​with the idea of ​​downsizing with PSG, the American equipment manufacturer will refocus on its flagship clubs and nations, starting with the French team. But be careful, if the contract runs until June 2026, an offensive from a new equipment manufacturer (probably German) is to be expected. Nike knows this and is already ready. Enough to resist? Response in a few months.
