Contact Sports

What Contact Sports does

Contact Sports is a privately held, Ontario-based direct-to-consumer e-commerce retailer founded in 2016 that designs, produces, and sells custom sports apparel and equipment across multiple sports including rugby, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and MMA. The company operates its own online storefront at contactrugbyandsports.com and serves a horizontal mix of customer segments — semi-professional and amateur sporting clubs, schools, professional teams, and corporate enterprises — primarily in Canada with additional direct shipping to the United States, US territories, and Mexico.

Its core product offering centers on custom sublimated team wear (produced via dye-sublimation printing), stock team wear, spirit wear, and bundled kit packages (jerseys, shorts, socks, plus free custom sublimated boot bags), alongside sports equipment such as bags, caps, balls, kicking tees, flag belts, and tackle shields. Differentiation rests on short stated lead times (2 weeks for customized spirit wear, 4 weeks for sublimated apparel), a broad embellishment menu (screen printing, sublimation, heat transfer, embroidery, tackle twill, individual lettering), color swatch matching against existing uniforms, and physical sizing kits sent on request before ordering. The platform also exposes a downloadable product catalog PDF and multi-channel customer service (phone, text, email, in-person).

The business model is straightforward DTC e-commerce with a one-time-purchase revenue stream on apparel and equipment, plus a professional-services overlay for embellishment add-ons. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; kit packages are sold at discounted unit prices on a pay-as-you-go basis. No institutional funding, parent company, M&A activity, or partnerships are disclosed, and the firm operates with a headcount of approximately 11 employees out of Oakville, Ontario.

Name

Contact Sports

Legal name

Contact Sports

Website

https://contactrugbyandsports.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Contact Sports is an Ontario-based DTC e-commerce retailer, founded in 2016, that designs and sells custom sublimated team wear, spirit wear, and sports equipment across rugby, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and MMA. It serves amateur and semi-professional clubs, schools, professional teams, and corporate customers throughout Canada, the US, and Mexico.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Apparel and Equipment

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911), Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992)

SIC

Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYCRAMABAE

Team Sports Equipment & Uniforms Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Sporting Goods Generalist Retail

SECONDARYCRAAAEAE

Team Sports & On-Field Performance Apparel

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Athleisure & Performance Wear

SECONDARYCRAMACAJ

Team & School Athletic Uniforms Retail

Consumer Products & Retail/Sporting Goods & Outdoor Retail/Athletic Footwear & Sport Apparel Retail

Keywords

• Custom sports apparel
• Team uniforms
• Sublimated jerseys
• Sports equipment retail
• Spirit wear

Headquarters

HQ city

Ontario

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Sports Apparel Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of custom sublimated and stock team wear including jerseys, shorts, socks, and spirit wear for various sports including rugby, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and MMA
2. Customization Services: Embellishment services including screen printing, sublimation, heat transfer, embroidery, tackle twill, and individual lettering sold as add-on services to apparel
3. Sports Equipment Sales: Sales of sports equipment including bags, caps, balls, kicking tees, flag belts, tackle shields, and other sports products

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Contact Sports is a Canadian online retailer that designs, customizes, and sells sports apparel and equipment for multiple sports including rugby, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and MMA. The company offers custom sublimated team wear, stock team wear, spirit wear, kit packages, and a range of sports equipment, with in-house customization services including screen printing, sublimation, heat transfer, embroidery, tackle twill, and individual lettering.

Product overview

Contact Sports is a Canadian-based online sports apparel and equipment retailer offering custom and stock team wear for multiple sports including rugby, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and MMA. The company's core offerings consist of custom sublimated team wear produced via dye-sublimation printing, spirit wear for various occasions, and complete kit packages (jerseys, shorts, socks) at discounted bundle pricing. Beyond apparel, they sell sports equipment such as bags, caps, balls, kicking tees, flag belts, and tackle shields. They also provide sizing kits as an add-on service to help customers select proper fit before ordering. Customization options include screen printing, sublimation, heat transfer, embroidery, tackle twill, and individual lettering. Lead times are approximately 2 weeks for customized spirit wear and 4 weeks for customized sublimated apparel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Sublimated Team Wear Custom sublimated sports apparel produced using dye-sublimation printing technology to create full-color, detailed designs on team uniforms for sports such as rugby, hockey, basketball, volleyball, and MMA. Sold primarily to teams, schools, and sporting clubs.
• Kit Packages Comprehensive kit packages including jerseys, shorts, and socks sold at discounted bundle pricing, often bundled with free items like custom sublimated boot bags. Targeted at teams outfitting full rosters.
• Spirit Wear Customized spirit wear for team events, corporate functions, promotions, and other occasions, featuring customization options such as screen printing and embroidery.
• Stock Team Wear Pre-made, non-customized team apparel available for immediate purchase across various sports, for buyers needing ready-made uniforms without customization.
• Sports Equipment Sports equipment including bags, caps, balls, kicking tees, flag belts, and tackle shields for rugby, hockey, basketball, volleyball, MMA, and other sports.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2-week lead time for customized spirit wear and 4-week lead time for customized sublimated apparel

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SquadLocker: US-based direct-to-consumer custom team apparel and gear e-commerce platform serving schools, leagues, and amateur sports organizations. Closely comparable to Contact Sports on product offering (custom sublimated uniforms, spirit wear, equipment) and self-serve online buying motion.
• Custom Ink: Large online custom apparel retailer offering decorated team uniforms, jerseys, and spirit wear for sports, schools, and groups via a self-serve customization tool. Highly comparable business model — direct e-commerce custom decoration for team buyers.
• Boombah: Direct-to-consumer sports equipment and custom team uniform retailer with strong presence in baseball/softball and other team sports. Comparable DTC channel and custom sublimation capabilities aimed at amateur and semi-pro teams.
• Great Bay Sports: Custom team uniform and apparel manufacturer serving schools and recreational leagues across North America with sublimated and stocked options. Closely comparable mid-sized competitor focused on custom team wear.
• TC Sports: Canadian custom team sportswear and equipment supplier offering sublimated kits, apparel, and accessories for amateur clubs. Highly comparable geography and product mix to Contact Sports.

Emerging players

• Riddell: Long-standing sporting goods and team equipment brand expanding into custom-decorated apparel and team gear. Comparable as a sporting-goods-and-equipment peer overlapping in the team-sports equipment segment Contact Sports serves.

Broad incumbents

• Adidas Team Sports: Major global sportswear brand with team-customization programs for rugby, hockey, basketball, and other team sports. Comparable end customer (clubs and schools) but vastly broader product portfolio and international scale.
• Champion Team Sports: Established US athletic apparel brand with a strong team-uniform and spirit-wear offering for schools and clubs. Comparable product categories (custom-decorated apparel, team kits) but operates as a broad incumbent rather than a focused custom specialist.
• Under Armour (Team Sports): Global athletic apparel powerhouse with a dedicated team sales / custom uniform division selling branded and custom-decorated team kits across multiple sports. A much larger incumbent covering overlapping team-apparel categories.
• Nike Team Sports: Global sportswear leader offering custom team uniform programs (Nike Team) for clubs and schools across rugby, hockey, basketball, and more. Operates broadly in the same custom team-wear category as Contact Sports, but at vastly greater scale and brand reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/contact-sports

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Contact Sports