PHILADELPHIA and CHICAGO, October 15, 2019 – The National Lacrosse League (@NLL), the world’s most successful professional lacrosse league, today announced a landmark partnership with Wilson Sporting Goods (@WilsonSportingG), naming Wilson and their cutting edge EvoShield (@EvoShield) line as an official supplier of performance-driven sports protective gear. It is the first time that Wilson, long known as the standard bearer in sports like football, baseball, golf and tennis, will actively engage in the fast-growing sport of lacrosse.
“We are proud to bring a celebrated company like Wilson into the National Lacrosse League. Our goal is to work with best in class brands and bring them to the sport of lacrosse, and it is exciting to add them to our growing list of partners,” said Kevin Morgan, EVP, CRO for the NLL. “With EvoShield our elite athletes have the opportunity to use the most advanced technology in protective equipment and continue to perform at the highest levels, so the impact this can have for health and wellness is hugely important to the expansion of the game for all.”
“The NLL continues to redefine and advance the sport of lacrosse with a vision that is forward thinking, and we are pleased to be joining Nick and his team,” said Pat Ryan, Global Product Director for EvoShield. “We look forward to actively working with NLL athletes, gaining their insights and feedback on new protective ideas, and developing additional EvoShield products that keep players on the field.”
Wilson-owned EvoShield makes custom-molded protective and performance gear using a proprietary technology called Gel-To-Shell™. This technology transforms from a soft gel-like material to a hard, protective shield in minutes, creating a custom mold that mirrors the shape of the athlete’s body. The result is wrist guards, elbow guards, rib and chest protectors, among others, that offer professional grade protection without getting in the way of performance. Athletes, at every level of play, use this extremely lightweight, yet hard, protective gear across multiple sports.
Under this new partnership, EvoShield will supply NLL athletes with a variety of protective gear engineered to keep players safe while competing at elite levels. EvoShield products available to NLL athletes include wrist/slash guards, chest guards, thumb guards, toe guards, thigh guards, rib protective shirts, and more.
The NLL is North America’s largest professional lacrosse league, ranking third in average attendance for pro indoor sports, with 13 teams in key markets across North America. The NLL experienced substantial growth last season with nearly a million total ticket sales, a 28-percent increase from 2017-18, and 60 percent of ticket sales were from people who never played lacrosse. Digital viewership also rose significantly through Turner and B/R Live, showing substantial increases in total unit sales (up 151 percent from last year), average unique viewers (+27 percent) and average minute audiences (+14 percent). Sponsorship revenues are projected at a 29-percent increase from 2018 to 2019.
About the National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League (NLL) is North America’s premier professional lacrosse league. Founded in 1986, the NLL ranks third in average attendance for pro indoor sports worldwide, behind only the NHL and NBA. The League is comprised of 13 franchises across the United States and Canada: Buffalo Bandits, Calgary Roughnecks, Colorado Mammoth, Georgia Swarm, Halifax Thunderbirds, New England Black Wolves, New York Riptide, Philadelphia Wings, Rochester Knighthawks, San Diego Seals, Saskatchewan Rush, Toronto Rock, and Vancouver Warriors. For more information, visit NLL.com and find the NLL on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
About EvoShield
EvoShield is a leading sports protective brand that elite athletes look to for ultimate protection and comfort. EvoShield protects more than 150 professional and collegiate programs across baseball, softball, lacrosse, football, hockey, and other sports, and serves as the Official Protective Gear of Major League Baseball® and an official partner of the National Lacrosse League. The brand’s proprietary Gel- To-Shell™ technology has created a new standard in protective gear, making bulky and restrictive foam or plastic padding a thing of the past. EvoShield’s form-fitting, breathable shields enable free athletic movements while maintaining strong protection. EvoShield is part of the Wilson Sporting Goods family of brands. Wilson is based in Chicago, IL. For more information, please visit http://www.evoshield.com.