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Jason Franklin has spent the last 20 years proving that sports merchandise can be as thoughtfully designed as anything on a boutique rack. As co‑founder of Sportiqe, the premium lifestyle brand that lives where sports, music, and culture collide, he has helped build a “cultural commerce” platform embedded inside venues from MLB and NBA stadiums to music festivals and ski resorts. Sportiqe’s latest move puts it at the heart of New York City: a Billy Joel collaboration called NEW YORK STATE OF MIND, launched as a shop‑in‑shop at the NBA Store in Manhattan just as the Knicks made their first NBA Finals appearance since 1999.
“When we built that shop-in-shop two years ago inside the NBA Store, I was joking with the store manager and said, ‘Whenever we build these, something good happens,’” Franklin told Entrepreneur. “And sure enough, here we go!” Franklin laughs that he “can’t take all the credit” for the Knicks’ run, but says, “I’m really excited to see it — a whole generation of fans has been waiting for this.”
As the Knicks and Spurs continue their battle for the 2026 NBA crown, Franklin explained how he and his co-founders found a winning playbook for their business.
Dan Bova: How do you prepare your business for unpredictable moments like a Finals run?
Jason Franklin: I think it goes back to the original story of Sportiqe. We wanted to be embedded in culture, not chasing it. A lot of brands chase culture, and we set out to already be there when these moments happen. In the beginning, we asked, “Where are the fans going?” Sure, we wanted to sell more product, but the real question was, where does that fan actually live and gather?
Our first big opportunities were with the NBA. We started selling elevated lifestyle apparel with a better fit, better fabric, better feel—something I felt the consumer desperately needed. Then we expanded: WNBA, ski resorts, Nintendo, breweries, distilleries, music festivals. And we built a 30,000‑square‑foot production facility in 2019. We take an inventory position on our core styles and colors, so when moments happen, we’re already in stock and ready to go.
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When you founded the company, what gap in the market did you see?
The fan experience as a whole. The merch was an afterthought. The mindset was, “We just need something to sell. They’ll buy whatever.” It didn’t fit right, it didn’t feel right, the graphics were terrible. Meanwhile, fans were spending all this money on flights, hotels, tickets. They’re there for a few hours, but they want something they can wear for a lifetime.
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