LOUISVILLE, KY (JUNE 21, 2019) – Louisville City Football Club and Dyehard Fan Supply have entered into an agreement to merchandise official athletic products beginning spring 2019.
Dyehard, a retail solutions provider specializing in events, retail, and e-commerce, will manage LouCity merchandising programs and experiences including game day, the team retail store, e-commerce and wholesale operations. When the team moves to its new Butchertown stadium in 2020, Dyehard will provide LouCity FC fans a dynamic, in-venue merchandise experience.
“We are extremely excited to partner with Dyehard Fan Supply, experts in their field,” Louisville City President Brad Estes said. “Louisville City fans have expressed their passion for all things purple and gold for years, and we have enjoyed coming up with new designs for our fans to add to their collections. Now we have a partner who not only shares our passion for great design, but also has the experience and expertise to give our fans best-in-category apparel and merchandise.”
Dyehard will be instrumental in providing the newest, on-trend merchandise collections for the Louisville City Football Club, which is a member of the USL Championship league. Dyehard’s commitment to fans will include a full line of Adidas apparel as well as other high-profile brands, an upgraded fan experience with new kiosks, a focus on customer service, and the debut of new brands, exclusive products and category enhancements each season.
“We’re incredibly honored to have been selected as the official merchandising partner for LouCity FC,” said Dyehard CEO Rex Hough. “The Dyehard Fan Supply team is particularly excited about working with LouCity as it represents our first partnership with a professional soccer team, and we look forward to rolling out the merchandising program as soon as possible. We will pay careful attention to the in-market needs and what local fans want in terms of merchandise and will offer an extensive assortment through a variety of vendors and price points, resulting in a wide selection to meet the demands of fans.”
While Dyehard’s focus will be launching the new LouCity team store in the club’s brand-new stadium in 2020, Louisville City and Dyehard still have plans for the store at Fourth Street Live!
“The town is buzzing with excitement for the new stadium and we are thrilled to soon serve the fans through the state-of-the-art Team Store that will be located right inside the main entrance,” said Hough. “We will continue to operate the Team Store located at popular tourist destination Fourth Street Live, and we feel it will be a vessel for generating even more out-of-town and local LouCity fans alike.”
Hough said Dyehard’s partnership with the Louisville City Football Club is a natural extension of the company’s roots in Kentucky, which includes providing merchandising for the Kentucky Derby and other equestrian events.
“Dyehard’s experience with the Kentucky Derby really stood out to us,” Estes said. “The quality and style of the products Dyehard can offer our fans was the real draw for our club.”
In addition to representing Louisville City, Dyehard also serves as official merchandising partner for several major collegiate programs, including the University of Arkansas, Auburn University, the University of North Carolina, Columbia University Athletics, the BIG EAST Conference, Rutgers University, the University of Pittsburgh and Michigan State.
Teall Sports & Entertainment, a private equity company based in Winston-Salem, N.C. and Atlanta, Ga. created Dyehard Fan Supply in late 2017 after acquiring several companies offering an expansive national network of best-in-class merchandise capabilities. Teall anticipates additional future investments that will contribute to the top-quality retail experience for fans and customers.
Dyehard Fan Supply has handled merchandising programs for many of America’s most notable sporting events and organizations, including Olympic Games, NBA finals, World Series, Davis Cup tennis, MLB All-Star Games, America’s Cup, the U.S. Open, the USTA Jr. Team Tennis & League National Championships, the TCS New York City Marathon, and numerous professional and college football championships and bowls. In 2017, Dyehard executed new partnership deals with the Music City Bowl in Nashville, the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, and a significant, long-term partnership with Tough Mudder, one of the fastest-growing athletic competitions in America. Dyehard has also handled merchandising for multiple Broadway shows and concerts.
“I’ve had first-hand experience working with Dyehard team, and I can assure LouCity fans that they can look forward to a best-in-class merchandising experience from a company that offers the highest standards of customer service in the industry,” said Ben C. Sutton, Jr., chairman and managing partner of Teall Sports & Entertainment and former IMG College chairman and CEO. “Since its formation in late 2017, Dyehard has written a completely new merchandising playbook for athletics programs at a growing number of major programs.”
“I have no doubt that the talented team at Dyehard will continue its fast-paced, customer-focused path to success in Louisville and at collegiate and professional programs as well as other events,” Sutton added. “I believe we will continue to see great things from Dyehard Fan Supply as it expands its footprint across America.”
About Louisville City FC
Since its launch in 2014, Louisville City FC has been committed to serving the community of Louisville and state of Kentucky as the lone professional soccer team. LouCity’s remarkable 2017 campaign included winning the USL Cup in the club’s first appearance in the final. Despite a midseason coaching change, Louisville City won its second USL Cup in 2018, becoming the first back-to-back USL Cup winner in the USL modern era. Get the latest news on Louisville City FC at LouisvilleCityFC.com and via the club’s channels on social media, including Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram.
About Teall Sports & Entertainment
Teall Sports & Entertainment is a privately-held set of investments in innovative, high-growth-potential lifestyle brands and services. Teall invests in complementary organizations that collaborate to share thought leadership and leverage individual networks to realize greater value.
Led by Founder and Chairman Ben C. Sutton, Jr., the Teall Sports & Entertainment management team includes several of the top executives that built and expanded four national market-leading businesses into a nearly billion-dollar enterprise in the college sports space: IMG College Media, IMG Seating, IMG College Licensing, and IMG Ticketing. Teall Sports & Entertainment leadership provides operating companies with access to expertise in corporate strategy, organizational management, culture and training, financial strategy, employee operations, recruiting, and legal diligence. Visit TeallCapital.com for more information.
About Dyehard Fan Supply
Dyehard Fan Supply is a turnkey sports retail solutions provider for some of America’s top sporting events, venues and brands. With a focus on your brand, Dyehard leverages best-in-class practices to deliver a superior omni-channel buying experience to your fans online, at-event, and inside your brick and mortar stores. Whether you’re a fan of college or pro sports, teams or individual events, Broadway shows or music, Dyehard Fan Supply is on the forefront of customer-focused concepts and innovative solutions designed to grow your retail business. Our retail experts are committed to the highest standards of customer service and reliability in the industry. Visit dyehardfansupply.com for more information