“If you’re putting your brand at the center of culture, you have to put it at the center of sports.”
That was the message from Ashley Schapiro, VP of Marketing, Media, Performance & Engagement at American Eagle, who took the main stage at CommerceNext 2025 with a challenge: In an age of fragmented fandom and cultural overload, brands that want to lead need to do more than chase moments, they must architect them, and make them matter to new audiences.
Why Sports? Why Now?
Sports is the last true shared experience in culture. For American Eagle, a brand that has long staked its growth on being in the “center of youth culture,” moving into sports wasn’t just opportunistic, it was essential. As Schapiro pointed out, “From a nine-year-old to a 75-year-old, sports bridges generations, genders, and backgrounds in a way almost nothing else can.”
But the sports landscape of 2025 isn’t what it was a decade ago. Women’s sports have surged into the mainstream, with names like Coco Gauff and Paige Bueckers now defining what athletic stardom looks like for millions. At the same time, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are growing up with entirely new definitions of participation, where gaming and content creation matter as much as what happens on the field.
Ashley Schapiro lays out American Eagle’s sports strategy at CommerceNext 2025.
The result? Sports, now a $614 billion global industry, has become the culture. It’s where new narratives begin, where influencers are minted overnight, and where brands can’t simply buy relevance, they have to earn it, and keep earning it, in real time.
The Four Pillars: How AE Builds Relevance Through Sports
American Eagle’s approach isn’t about simply writing checks for athlete endorsements or team sponsorships. Instead, Schapiro described a four-part strategy that blends culture, product, media, and a data-driven mindset.
1. Surround the Hottest Moments
American Eagle’s marketing team obsesses over identifying where culture is about to tip, whether that’s the Super Bowl, viral halftime performances, or sudden spikes of attention on TikTok or Snapchat. “We’re not endemic to sports,” Schapiro admits, “so our challenge is to authentically show up where the action is.”
During the Super Bowl, for example, AE deployed NFL quarterback Trevor Lawrence in pre-game CTV rolls, but the biggest win came when Kendrick Lamar took the halftime stage wearing AE flares. “The internet went crazy,” Schapiro recalled, “and we saw an 85% spike in searches for that product overnight.” The AE team’s rapid response, joining the social conversation, fueling speculation, and riding the meme, drove a viral moment that wasn’t planned, but was ready to be maximized.
AE’s sports strategy begins with cultural universality—speaking to every fan, on every channel.
2. Outfit Trusted Voices
For AE, the magic isn’t just partnering with marquee names. The real impact comes from embracing athletes, influencers, and creators who genuinely reflect the diversity and ambitions of their audience. AE’s roster stretches from global names (Coco Gauff, Trevor Lawrence, Livvy Dunne) to up-and-comers like Jeremiah Smith and Dalton Knecht, whose own digital stories often mirror those of AE customers.
“What we love is when fans see themselves in the people we work with,” Schapiro said. “It’s about making participation and success feel possible for everyone.”
That’s especially resonant as the boundaries between pro sports, college NIL deals, and influencer culture continue to blur.
AE’s “athlete” partners don’t all look like the traditional image. There are gymnasts, cheerleaders, volleyball stars, each bringing a slice of authenticity that fits seamlessly with AE’s denim and lifestyle focus.
AE’s evolving athlete roster: as diverse as its audience.
3. Embrace Media Partnerships, Where Gen Z Actually Is
One of the most revealing points in Schapiro’s talk was about where sports is consumed. “It’s not just ESPN and broadcast anymore. My son gets his sports on YouTube and TikTok. The platforms are as important as the sport itself.”
AE’s breakthrough here has been partnership with Overtime, a platform built for the next generation of sports fans, 85% of its audience is under 35. Overtime produces live, behind-the-scenes content, in-game conversation, and distributes it natively across Snapchat, YouTube, and TikTok.
AE gets inside the in-game conversation with Overtime, reaching Gen Z where they spend their attention.
At this stage, the role of measurement and optimization becomes critical.
For brands like American Eagle, investing in breakthrough partnerships and content is only half the equation. The real differentiator is knowing which activations are truly building the brand and driving sales. That’s where a partner like Fospha, our sponsor, brings unique value.
Fospha’s advanced attribution and experimentation capabilities help leading marketers go beyond impressions and engagement to uncover the true impact of every creator, channel, and campaign. In a world where marketing investment has to work harder and faster than ever, Fospha enables ambitious brands to scale what’s working, drop what’s not, and win the next wave of cultural relevance.
This focus on data-powered decisions is echoed throughout AE’s org: test fast, learn fast, move fast.
4. Product: From Fandom to Participation
Sports partnerships aren’t just about “borrowed interest.” AE turns every win, every viral spike, into product demand. The brand’s work with Coco Gauff, for instance, isn’t just a campaign, but a line inspired by her post-victory speech and built to feel authentically part of her story.
These drops create real revenue, but they also deepen the relationship between fans and the brand. “It’s not just about watching or cheering anymore, it’s about participating,” Schapiro said.
“Our product needs to feel like it’s part of the game.”
Participation, Not Just Fandom
Gen Z (and now Gen Alpha) aren’t passive fans. They want to play, create, remix, and share. AE’s “athlete” influencer program has expanded to include up-and-coming college athletes, local heroes, and micro-creators who resonate with their own communities.
The NIL (name, image, likeness) revolution in college sports is an accelerant. AE was one of the first major brands to launch a sustained NIL effort, helping young athletes tell their stories and, crucially, inspiring millions of fans to imagine themselves in the same place.
AE’s culture playbook comes to life at CommerceNext, where participation matters as much as presence.
The Content Engine: Real-Time, Native, and Channel-Specific
The AE media team’s job is now “content ops”, fueling an endless appetite for stories, video, and moments that move at the speed of social. No more “one spot for ESPN and hope for the best.” Now, it’s about dozens of short, context-specific stories distributed natively, Snapchat, YouTube, Overtime, Instagram, TikTok.
This shift demands both more and better measurement. In this world, brands can’t rely on gut feel or broad awareness. They need live feedback loops and real incrementality again, where partners like Fospha provide an edge. Real-time insight lets AE’s team reinvest in what’s working (and cut what isn’t) faster than ever.
Sports, Gaming, and the Blurring of Boundaries
The future of sports marketing is as much about Fortnite and NBA 2K as it is about football and tennis. Schapiro called out the explosion in sports gaming as another way AE keeps the brand present in every facet of culture. The playbook: show up where the next generation is already playing, not just watching.
What’s Next: The Brand as Belonging
Schapiro closed with a rallying cry: “If you want to be at the center of culture, you have to move at the speed of culture.” AE’s sports strategy isn’t just about borrowing audience, it’s about offering belonging, participation, and aspiration, for every fan.
As the line between athlete, fan, and creator blurs, the real winners will be those brands willing to meet audiences on their terms, invest in measurement, and move with confidence, knowing what’s working, and why.
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