Hello there Sea Changers. Welcome back to my series of program lists to assist those of you looking to fund your sea change with affiliate marketing. Today we will look into a popular niche with so many options to choose from with my 10 best sports affiliate programs to run with this year. Now I am thinking that I will eventually have to break this down in time due to its popularity – over 500,000 people per month search for the term “Sports” – but for now, I just wanted to give you a taste of what is out there if you are looking to start an affiliate business within this area…

I am also aware that as there is potentially so many sport related sub niches out there, that the quantity of affiliate programs to choose from may also be extensive. So how have I picked my best 10? Well… I really just wanted to give you a good cross section of what is out there so I did some searching around and checked a few out and chose them by looking at:

• What they offer
• Commission rates
• Payment terms
• Cookie duration
• Application processes
• Affiliate/Marketing materials provided

Before we start however, let’s have a look at what I mean by the term ‘sports’ and how it can be incorporated within an affiliate marketing website…

What do we mean by Sports?

When it comes to sports, we can essentially discuss or cover just about anything to do with physical games or exercise whether they be organised, social or part of a fitness regime. As I have mentioned above, this is quite a popular online market meaning that some consideration may be needed to determine whether you intend to market sports in general or if you intended to utilise a number of sub niches individually or grouped into the one business. So for this post, I have tried to cover a good cross section across some of the sub niches such as:

• Sporting gear
• Sports team items
• Memorabilia
• Specialised sporting requirements
• Live sporting events
• Fantasy sports

And of course anything else you can think of when it comes to sports and sporting gear…

What can affiliate marketers promote?

There are essentially no real barriers to what affiliate marketers can promote when it comes to this niche. There are however some things to be aware of as you run your eye over sports affiliate program possibilities that may suit your site. Some examples of these influences include :

1. Know your audience, some purchasers are looking for specifics and want the best whilst others are hoping to just get some sporting gear on a budget. Choose your affiliate sites accordingly.
2. Hard core sports nuts or collectors will not take risks if they don’t trust you or your affiliate site. Make sure the programs you choose are reputable and have good recourse options if the purchaser is not happy.
3. Those looking to for gear to use for a higher level of performance will want to know specifics so make sure all of this information can be covered adequately.

That said, stats show that people will spend money on sports and sporting gear online if it can make their lives easier so as long as you are meeting their needs and solving problems, then you are on the right track. And to give you a boost, let’s have a look at 10 programs that I have found below:

1. OnlineSports.com

Let’s start with sporting gear and OnlineSports.com. OnlineSports.com is a one-stop-shop site with a great range of sporting gear and products with so much available that I couldn’t even start to list it all here. They do however cover the following sports:

• Baseball
• Basketball
• Biking
• Billiards
• Cycling
• Football
• Gymnastics
• Hockey
• Table Tennis
• Track And Field
• Volleyball
• Golf
• Archery
• Hunting and Fishing

Look, to be honest, the list above goes no where near giving the site justice but just assume that if there is something you need to assist with playing, watching or supporting sport in any way shape or form, then this site will more than likely have what you need.

This is a great site on which to base your sporting affiliate business around with a good array of products and as well as coverage of all of the major brands, sporting teams and equipment. There is also a great range of merchandise for those in the collectors/memorabilia niche as well as stuff for the home.

Commission Rate: 10 – 14%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 60 Days

Application required?: Yes, OnlineSports.com’s affiliate program is managed by either Share-A-Sale or CJ Affiliates. You will be required to apply for an account then for the OnlineSports.com affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: banner, text, and product links

---

2. Al’s

Al’s is another large vendor of sporting gear which although appearing to be mainly aimed at the outdoors/adventure niche, actually has a massive range of gear, shoes, apparel and accessories for many other sporting type pastimes as well. Their range of equipment covers the following:

Outdoors

• Climbing
• Hunting and fishing
• Snow skiing and boarding
• Water skiing

Organised sports

• Swimming
• Baseball
• Soccer
• Basketball
• Golf
• Lacross
• Football
• Tennis
• Racquetball
• Hockey
• Volleyball
• Wrestling
• Table Tennis
• Sports Medicine
• Track & Field
• Lawn Games
• Running
• Billiard
• Boxing
• Cycling

This is another great site that could be utilised to base a generalist, professional, or specific sport niche around with access to all of the major brands and everything all in the one spot.

Commission Rate: 10%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 150 Days

Application required?: Yes, Al’s affiliate program is managed by Avantlink. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Al’s affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Text links, Banners, Affiliate only promotions

---

3. Dick’s Sporting Goods

Dick’s Sporting Goods is another extremely large sports supplies store with equipment for just about every posting pursuit that you could think of. I could not even start to list them all here so their categories include:

• Shoes
• Clothing
• Activewear
• Organised sports
• Outdoor sports
• Water sports
• Winter sports

On top of all of that (think everything you could need for the above), there is also a range of fan gear for all major U.S. Sports as well as fitness accessories, outdoor and travel accessories and electronic monitoring devices.

Again, the lists above probably don’t do this site justice and there is definitely enough on this site to build an online business around including within any sub niche listed as well. As with the others above, they also offer products from all of the major brands with options for all levels of experience and skill.

Commission Rate: Not Stated

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not Stated

Application required?: Yes, the Dick’s Sporting Goods affiliate program is managed by Impact Radius. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Dick’s Sporting Goods affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Text links and banners, Product Data Feed.

---

4. Prime Sport

Ok, let’s step away from the big sports equipment sites and into more targeted sporting areas starting with Prime Sport. Prime Sport is a sports travel company that offers tickets, hospitality and travel packages to some of the largest sporting events in the world including:

• Super Bowl
• Pro Bowl
• NFL Draft
• NCAA Final Four
• PGA events,
• College Football Bowl Games
• Tennis Majors
• Music festivals
• NASCAR and Indy Cars

This is a great high ticket option program that whilst probably not geared to support an affiliate program on its own, would certainly be a great addition to any sporting, fitness, corporate or luxury gift site that you could imagine.

Commission Rate: Not Stated

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 30 Days

Application required?: Yes, Prime Sport’s affiliate program is managed by Awin. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Prime Sport affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Ad banners, text links

---

5. Fanatics

Now we head out into the professional sports niche with Fanatics. This is fan gear site on steroids (if I am allowed to say that on a sports page) with options for every team in every major U.S professional code as well as individual and international sports. Their stock range is massive and includes:

• Jerseys
• Hats
• Shirts
• Hoodies
• Memorabilia
• Collectables
• Shoes
• Home Decor
• Women’s gear
• Toys

And so so much more. Gear can also be customised or chosen by team, player or event.

There is really a lot here and the site could be utilised to build an affiliate business around within the professional sporting or fan based niches or as a great add on or gift idea for just about any other sporting site dealing with these particular sports or events. Oh, and you can buy tickets via this site as well for cash back rewards.

Commission Rate: Up to 10%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not Stated

Application required?: Yes, the Fanatics affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Fanatics affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provided: Text links, banners, product feed.

6. Draft Kings

Let’s now head into the world of fantasy sports with Draft Kings. This is an online fantasy sports site that allows members to play daily, weekly, monthly or ongoing within the following sports (and some that aren’t really sports) including:

• Football
• American Football
• Golf
• Basketball
• Baseball
• MMA
• Hockey
• NASCAR
• College Football
• College Basketball
• League of Legends
• EuroLeague Basketball
• Tennis
• XFL
• CS:GO
• Rocket League
• Call of Duty
• Australian Football
• iRacing

There is probably not enough here to build an affiliate site around (unless you are in the gambling niche) however it could be added to any number of sporting based sites as a good cross selling opportunity.

Note: This is predominately a gambling site so jurisdictional influences/regulations should be checked out prior to addition to your site.

Commission Rate: Not Stated

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not Stated

Application required?: Yes, You will need to provide personal and website information as well as promotional plans to apply.

Marketing material provided: Text Links

---

7. Sports Plus

Sports Plus takes us into sports team/competition management with its all in one software platform that allows sporting groups, teams and individuals to manage:

• Registration
• Payment processing
• Scheduling
• Player and parent portals
• Team communications and interactions

Again, similar to above, there is not enough here to build an affiliate business based on this site alone however it would be a great addition to any junior, amateur or sports specific niche. There is also the ability within this site to build a sports team website as well.

Commission Rate: Not Stated

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: Not Stated

Application required?: Yes – You will need to enter personal and website information to apply.

Marketing material provided: Text Links, unique coupon code

---

8. PlayYourCourt

PlayYourCourt calls itself a ‘mobile tennis club’ that facilitates a number of services for those looking to learn, play and compete in tournaments. Its memberships offer a range of services for all levels with:

• Online and in-person coaching
• Individual and Group practice sessions
• Access to their Challenge league
• Gear and apparel discounts

To be honest, the list above probably doesn’t do them justice as there is a lot there to assist those with all levels of their tennis game. This is a great site for those within the tennis niche as well as a good add on to children’s, beginner or semi-professional sports options as well.

Commission Rates: $15 per membership signed

Payment Terms: Monthly.

Cookie Duration: Not Stated

Application required?: Yes, You will need to enter personal and website information to apply

Marketing material provided: Text links, banners

---

9. Sports Memorabilia

As their name suggests, Sports Memorabilia specialises in authentic memorabilia and collectables from sports worldwide including:

• NFL
• MLB
• NBA
• NHL
• NCAA
• Soccer
• Tennis
• Golf
• Boxing
• NASCAR
• UFC
• Wrestling
• Olympics
• Horse Racing
• ESports
• WNBA

All items come with certificates of authenticity with some ‘game used’ products and a great range of trading cards as well.

Unless your site is aimed solely at sport memorabilia, there is probably not enough here to base a whole affiliate business around however it would certainly be a great high ticket or gift addition to just about any of the sport related, corporate or ‘man cave‘ type sites. Keep in mind – avid collectors will spend money on these items and will do so online!

Commission Rate: up to 12%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 30 Days

Application required?: Yes – the Sports Memorabilia’s affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale and applications are by invitation only. Should you be interested in this program, contact the company directly via their contacts page.

Marketing material provided: Banners, Text Links, Product feed

---

10. Leather Head

And finally, let’s check out a cool little sporting gear site in Leather Head. Leather head specialises in hand crafted leather balls including:

• Baseballs
• Footballs
• Basketballs
• Rugby balls
• Medicine balls
• Soccer balls

All balls are made with superior leather and designed to be played with. They can also be customised as a great gift or heirloom idea as well.

As with above, this affiliate program could be aimed at any sporting (general of game specific), corporate or gift related site. There are also some added cross selling opportunities with a range of apparel and other leather based gifts (key rings, card sleeves etc.) as well.

Commission Rate: 10%

Payment Terms: Monthly

Cookie Duration: 60 Days

Application required?: Yes, Leather Head’s affiliate program is managed by Share-A-Sale. You will be required to apply for an account then for the Leather Head affiliate program. You will need to enter personal and website information as well as promotional plans and platforms to be used.

Marketing material provide Days: Banners, Text Links

---

Amazon Associates

Alternatively, should you wish to set up your site up with a range from a few different brands or companies on the same site then you can do so via Amazon. Amazon provides access to a good range of sport related products and has a fairly good affiliate program as well. So if you wish, join the Amazon Associates program, locate the best products relevant to your site within Amazon itself and you can post links on your own site as per below:

Amazon’s commission rates are not too bad and some prefer this avenue due to the sheer amount of traffic and trustworthiness that comes with a company site of this size.

How to find your own affiliate programs

As stated earlier, by outlining the sites above I have really just tried to give you a good cross section of the types of programs that are out there by listing the really good ones in each ‘category’. That does not mean that you cannot find affiliate programs that better suit what it is that you are trying to do within this space especially as I could never even begin to cover every sport related requirement or sub niche in the one post. Luckily for us, there is a simple way to find these programs online.

All you need to do is enter “affiliate: niche type” into your search engine (substituting ‘niche type‘ for whatever product it is that you are choosing to sell).

There are sport related affiliate programs for everything else that we have listed at the top of this page as well – you will just need to have a look around until you find one or two that suit your site. Once you have completed your searches, you can look through and find programs that:

• Relate to your niche/problems that you are solving.
• Have quality products – your brand can be severely damaged if you promote poor quality products.
• Have solid payment and customer service arrangement.
• Pay decent commissions.
• Have good testimonials covering commission payouts and quality of product.

In most cases, you will need to apply for the program before you are allowed to promote their products – don’t take this step lightly or you will be rejected. Affiliate programs will generally want to know:

• Your website name.
• Traffic levels.
• Why you want to join – (so I can make money by selling your soccer balls is unfortunately not generally a good enough answer).
• How you plan to promote their products.

Conclusion

So… There are 10 of the best sports affiliate programs to run with this year. I hope it has been helpful for you as you commence your own sports or sporting gear based affiliate marketing business and as usual, please do not hesitate to comment below if you have any questions, need some advice or have any experiences to share. Oh, and especially comment if you have any experience with these, or any other programs as well.

Until next time

Have fun

Paul

Note: If you make a purchase from this page, there is a very good chance that I make a commission from it – these commissions do not increase your sale price. This may include sales made via Wealthy Affiliate.

Do you want further assistance with any of the above or need help to build your own sports based website?

Are you looking for a comprehensive training platform that can give you step by step training, 24/7 support, tools to develop and host your very own website, ongoing assistance with SEO and social media and access to some of the best affiliate marketing minds on the planet, then click on the following link to read more about Wealthy Affiliate.