Nike Knows Scarcity Sells

Front Office Sports explores why Nike wanted A’ja Wilson’s new shoe to sell out in minutes

May 7, 2025

Why Nike Wanted A’ja Wilson’s New Shoe to Sell Out in Minutes
FOS’ Margaret Fleming writes, “The Nike A’One sold out within minutes of being released online. The pink shoe and accompanying apparel line for the Las Vegas Aces star have generated tons of hype in recent months, making it one of the most anticipated performance shoe drops in recent years. Fans posted on social media with complaints about Nike, app freezes, and bots keeping them from their A’Ones.

“It says a lot that Nike would make this shoe limited,” Mike Sykes, author of the newsletter The Kicks You Wear, tells Front Office Sports. “It shows us that Nike believes this shoe is worthy of generating hype and marketing around it.”
^{Front Office Sports}

Big Ten Cut Kevin Warren a Big Bonus—Just Not Jim Delany Big
Sportico’s Daniel Libit writes, “The Big Ten Conference awarded former commissioner Kevin Warren a $5.75 million bonus during the 2024 fiscal year, recognizing his key role in securing the league’s historic $7 billion media rights deal. But while significant, the payout pales in comparison to the $20 million retirement package received by his predecessor, Jim Delany, who signed the Big Ten’s previous media rights deal.”
^Sportico
Unrivaled Sports Gets $120M From Dick’s for Youth Buildout
Unrivaled, formed by billionaire team owners David Blitzer and Josh Harris, said in a press release Tuesday that the funds will be used for “further acquiring, building and diversifying destinations and programming that deliver unrivaled experiences to girls and boys of all ages.” The investment also will go to boosting experiences and amenities, including upgrades to fields, improving officiating, and elevating food and beverage. The investment values Unrivaled at more than $650 million, according to a source familiar with the company.
^Sportico

Caitlin Clark, Fever Nearly Match Viewership Records for LeBron James Preseason Games on ESPN
The Athletic’s Richard Deitsch writes, “The WNBA’s first nationally televised exhibition game, which featured Clark returning to Iowa as a member of the Fever against Brazil’s national team, averaged 1.3 million viewers on ESPN. Only two of ESPN’s 57 NBA preseason games since 2010 have drawn a higher audience, according to Flora Kelly, ESPN’s vice president of research. Both games featured James, including a 2017 preseason game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls (1.4 million viewers) and a 2018 preseason game between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers (2 million viewers).”
^{The Athletic}

Trump Names Andrew Giuliani Executive Director of 2026 World Cup Task Force
The Athletic’s Adam Crafton reports: “President Donald Trump has named Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, as executive director of the 2026 men’s World Cup task force. FIFA advisor and former United States Soccer Federation president Carlos Cordeiro has also been announced as a senior advisor to the task force.”
^{The Athletic}

Wild GM Guerin Aims for Kaprizov Extension and Aggressive Summer Spending With Cap Constraints Gone
The Minnesota Wild have entered a critical offseason, able to fully participate in free agency again after two years of significant salary cap constraints. Without an NHL playoff series win in the last 10 years, the urgency for the club to build a deeper roster around a promising young core is high — putting the pressure on general manager Bill Guerin this summer and into the upcoming season.
^{AP News}

MSA Approves Camden Yards Upgrades
The Maryland Stadium Authority approved plans for upgrades to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, which includes a new center field videoboard, right field wall display, upper deck and club level ribbon boards, and a unified control room. The new center field videoboard will be 2 1/2 times larger than the existing videoboard, which will make it the 12th-largest among MLB ballparks.
^{Sports Business Journal}

Looking to fill an open position with top talent in the sports media industry? Advertise in the Sport & Story Daily to reach over 25,000 senior-level executives and professionals—and connect your job opportunity with the right audience.

College Football Powers Notre Dame, Clemson Agree to 12-Year Scheduling Agreement From 2027 to 2038
Clemson and Notre Dame were already scheduled to play in 2027, 2028, 2031, 2034 and 2037. Under the revamped schedule, the Tigers will host the games during odd-numbered years during that time frame, while the Fighting Irish will host the games in even-numbered years.
^{AP News}

Place your brand in front of the Sport & Story Daily audience and connect with the most influential people in sports.

Thanks for reading!

Sport & Story Daily is the sports industry’s daily resource for business news. In addition to serving up exclusive trends, Q&As, and columns, the newsletter connects readers to top platforms and stories from across the sports landscape.

Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up here!

Feel free to read our Privacy Policy