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| Company type | Joint-venture |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | Charles Lewis Jr. and Dan Caldwell |
| Headquarters | Grand Terrace, California, United States |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Clothing, footwear, sporting equipment accessories |
| Owner | WWE (50%) Authentic Brands Group (50%) |
| Website | tapout.com |
Tapout Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and manufactures sports clothing, casual apparel, and accessories headquartered in Grand Terrace, California. It was the largest distributor of MMA merchandise in the world by 2007, and became one of the dominant brands in activewear and fitness culture.[1]
Tapout was registered in 1997 in San Bernardino County, California, by Charles Lewis, Jr. and Dan Caldwell, with the name a reference to the gesture of tapping the floor to admit defeat to an opponent in a match. Selling the merchandise during a period where MMA solely reached a niche market, Lewis and Caldwell branded the company around the sport, distributing the merchandise in cities where the sport was prevalent. However, following the growing popularity of mixed martial arts in the United States, and its later nationwide mainstream acceptance, the company became the largest MMA-related merchandise company in the world, accruing revenues of over $22.5 million in 2007.[2]
In March 2015, the company was relaunched following its joint-ventured acquisition by pro-wrestling company WWE, and development firm Authentic Brands Group.[3] The venture saw the former MMA-related brand transformed into a more general "lifestyle fitness" one. The apparel, for men and women was released in spring of 2016. Throughout 2015, WWE marketed the brand through various products, including beverages, supplements and gyms.[4] WWE will hold a 50% stake in the brand, and so will advertise it regularly across all its platforms, hoping to give it one billion impressions a month, and attempting to rival sports-clothing giant, Under Armour. All employees and students of the WWE Performance Center will also wear the clothing.[5]
- ^ "How Tapout has become a performance brand for everyday athletes". Men's Journal. 2010-01-10. Retrieved 2020-07-16.
- ^ Nicki Jhabvala (July 30, 2008). "Q&A with 'Mask' from Tapout". Sports Illustrated. CNN. Archived from the original on May 8, 2012. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
- ^ "ABG and WWE launch TapouT joint venture". WWE. March 19, 2015. Retrieved January 14, 2022.
- ^ "WWE Relaunching Prominent MMA Brand Tapout as 'Lifestyle Fitness Brand'". Sherdog.
- ^ Marc Graser (25 March 2015). "WWE to Relaunch Tapout Clothing Brand in New Joint Venture". Variety.