Academy Sports + Outdoors Launches Retail Media Network
2026-08-03 · via DailyDOOH
Academy Sports + Outdoors has launched Academy Retail Media (ARM), a retail media network built around its stores, e-commerce site and customer data. The company says it will let brand partners reach verified shoppers across onsite, in-app and offsite channels, then measure whether that media exposure turned into actual sales.
For anyone running screens or planning retail media programs, this is another example of a specialty retailer following the Walmart Connect and Kroger Precision Marketing playbook: pair a loyalty database with owned media inventory and sell advertisers on closed-loop measurement rather than impressions alone.
Academy operates more than 320 stores across 21 states, according to the announcement, and says it has a base of 52 million verified customers. The company frames its core audience as "Always Game Families," households with kids in sports that Academy says buy across eight or more categories and spend roughly twice as much annually as the average sporting goods and outdoor shopper. Academy also points to broader segments of sporting families and outdoor enthusiasts as part of the addressable audience.
The release describes ARM's measurement capability as tracking same-SKU sales, brand halo and incremental lift, which advertisers can use to judge return on ad spend, customer acquisition, new product launch performance, reactivation campaigns and overall sales growth. Academy says several national brands are already running campaigns on the network across the awareness, consideration and conversion funnel.
What the announcement does not say
The release does not specify what in-store media is actually part of ARM's inventory. There is no mention of digital signage, digital menu boards, endcap displays or any specific screen hardware inside Academy stores. It is not clear whether ARM today is primarily an onsite/offsite digital advertising and data product, similar to a retail media network built on e-commerce and app inventory, with physical store media added later, or whether in-store screens are already live. The announcement also does not name a technology or media partner running the network, nor does it give pricing, launch date beyond the general announcement, or details on how measurement is verified.
For digital signage vendors and CMS providers watching the retail media space, that gap matters. Retail media networks are increasingly seen as a route to monetizing in-store screens, but this launch reads more as a data-and-advertising platform announcement than a hardware or in-store signage rollout. Whether Academy's physical stores become a meaningful screen network within ARM, and who supplies that infrastructure if so, is not addressed here.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from DailyDOOH for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
Academy Sports + Outdoors (Nasdaq: ASO), a leading full-line sporting goods and outdoor recreation retailer, has launched Academy Retail Media (ARM) as the next evolution of its omnichannel growth and customer strategy.
ARM brings together Academy’s expanding physical and digital reach, differentiated customer relationships, and longstanding brand partnerships to create more relevant customer experiences and measurable growth opportunities for advertisers.
The launch comes as Academy continues to expand its store footprint, boost e-commerce, and enhance customer personalization capabilities. With more than 320 stores across 21 states and a growing base of 52 million verified customers, ARM gives brand partners a new way to translate Academy’s customer relationships and geographic reach into purchase-based audience intelligence, omnichannel activation and closed-loop measurement.
“ARM is a natural extension of how Academy is growing our business and deepening relationships with customers and brand partners,” said Chad Fox , Executive Vice President and Chief Customer Officer. “Our stores, digital platforms, and customer insights give us a distinct view of how active families and sports and outdoor enthusiasts shop. By bringing those strengths together, we can help brands engage customers more meaningfully, demonstrate the business impact of their investment, and create a better, more personalized Academy experience.”
ARM enables brands to reach verified Academy customers across onsite, in-app, and offsite channels and connect media exposure to online and in-store sales. Advertisers receive transparent, closed-loop measurement of same-SKU sales, broader brand halo and incremental lift, helping them optimize campaigns against outcomes such as return on advertising spend, customer acquisition, new product launches, reactivation and sales growth. For Academy customers, ARM will support more relevant product discovery, brand experiences, and offers throughout the shopping journey.
Academy’s audiences include Always Game Families – active households with children in sports that purchase across eight or more categories and spend approximately twice as much annually as the average sporting goods and outdoor consumer – along with sporting families and outdoor enthusiasts. Several leading national brands are already activating ARM campaigns across awareness, consideration, and conversion, demonstrating early momentum as the network launches.
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