Academy Sports + Outdoors Launches Retail Media Network to Boost Omnichannel Strategy — Academy Sports and Outdoors, Inc.

Event summary

Academy Sports + Outdoors launched Academy Retail Media (ARM) on July 30, 2026.
ARM leverages the company's 320 stores across 21 states and 52 million verified customers to offer brands omnichannel advertising opportunities.
The network provides closed-loop measurement of sales impact, including same-SKU performance and incremental lift.
Early adopters include leading national brands activating campaigns across awareness, consideration, and conversion stages.

The big picture

Academy's launch of ARM aligns with the broader retail media trend where brick-and-mortar chains are monetizing their first-party customer data. The move comes as Academy expands its physical footprint and e-commerce capabilities, positioning it to compete more directly with digital-native retailers in the advertising space. With 52 million verified customers, Academy has a significant audience to offer brands, potentially making ARM a valuable addition to its omnichannel strategy.

What we're watching

Adoption Pace: How quickly leading national brands will scale their ARM campaigns and whether this drives measurable revenue growth for Academy.
Measurement Impact: Whether the closed-loop measurement capabilities of ARM will differentiate it from competitors' retail media networks.
Customer Engagement: The extent to which ARM enhances product discovery and personalization for Academy's high-value customer segments, such as 'Always Game Families.'