Adidas partners with Zound Industries for branded headphones

By

Arati Menon

Published
Feb 7, 2018

The sportswear giant has just announced a licensing agreement with music hardware company, Zound Industries, for branded audio products set to debut in 2019. Under the agreement, Zound will design, manufacture, market and sell audio products under the Adidas badge, both Sport and its lifestyle line, Originals.

 
For sneaker major Adidas, this move strengthens its foray into the lifestyle products segment, having previously developed a line of headphones with Monster.
 
In its latest deal, according to a Zound Industries press release, the portfolio will be anchored in human-centered design, with a focus on technology innovation, function and fit. Stockholm-based Zound Industries has to its credit an award-winning audio product portfolio that includes popular brands like Urbanears headphones and Marshall speakers.

The partnership, that initially extends till 2024 will kick off with two styles of headphones, including one specially designed for sports.
 
“This marks the next chapter for Zound Industries as we look to further strengthen our position as a leader within the sport and lifestyle headphone segments. The licensing agreement with Adidas enables Zound Industries to do this with one of the most iconic, reputable and well-established global brands in the world”, said Pernilla Ekman, CEO, Zound Industries.
 
According to a 2017 report by Research and Markets, the global earphones and headphones market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.31 percent during 2017-2023 and cross $20 billion in revenue by 2023. 

The sports headphone segment is the fastest-growing headphone segment. Experts suggest the segment will be increasingly driven not just be additional physical features such as firmer grip and sweat resistance, but also by enhanced application technology such as biometric tracking.