The acquisition pairs Craft Sportswear’s club distribution with Uhlsport’s federation relationships, a structural fit aimed at building a fuller team sports offering as the club market keeps consolidating.
New Wave Group AB, the Swedish sports and lifestyle group listed on Nasdaq Stockholm, has agreed to acquire 100 percent of the shares in Uhlsport GmbH, a German supplier of football and handball clothing, accessories and equipment sold under the Uhlsport and Kempa brands. The share sale is based on closing accounts dated Sept. 30, with completion subject to merger control clearance and closing expected Oct. 1.
Uhlsport, based in Balingen, Baden-Württemberg, generated revenue of approximately €67 million in 2025, alongside a minor loss. New Wave Group expects to disclose full financial details once closing accounts are audited, likely around its Q3 report on Nov. 11.
The deal fills a gap in New Wave Group’s team sports offering. Its performance brand Craft Sportswear already holds agreements with roughly 5,000 clubs across Europe but lacked hard goods such as balls, shin guards, goalkeeper gloves and handball resin, all part of Uhlsport’s range. Uhlsport, in turn, gains access to New Wave’s wider brand portfolio to expand into merchandise for the national teams and federations it already supplies.
The deal reflects continued consolidation within the European team sports supply market, where scale, distribution and product breadth have become increasingly important. Folding Uhlsport into New Wave Group’s Sports and Leisure segment adds a business that already operates subsidiaries in France, Sweden and Spain, while strengthening the group’s position with clubs, national teams and federations.
