Skateboarding's Olympics Debut: Can Its Subculture Status Appeal to Brands Beyond Streetwear?

While Vans and Supreme are the sport’s mainstays, advertisers like Procter & Gamble are betting on athletes like Mariah Duran and Nyjah Huston achieving marketing stardom

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Given this year’s enormously challenging circumstances, it’s clear that the Olympics needed an injection of excitement like the inclusion of skateboarding, not the other way around.

As one of five new sports making their first appearance at the Tokyo Games this week, the question is will skateboarding—and its potential stars—benefit from marketers’ attention?  

The skateboard market is projected to hit $2.4 billion by 2025, according to Statista, although that estimate is now considered low since the sport surged during the pandemic.

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