Mielle, the Black-founded and woman-led haircare brand, just announced a first-of-its-kind partnership with the National Football League. The groundbreaking deal makes Mielle the NFL’s first official textured-hair care partner.
According to a news release, women now make up half of the NFL fanbase. This demographic shift has forged a “culture-driving force” between both the league and women.
The historic partnership represents a significant milestone for Black-owned businesses in professional sports sponsorship. It also acknowledges the growing importance of textured hair care in athletic performance. The collaboration brings together two powerful forces: America’s most popular sports league and a rapidly growing beauty brand. Together, they’re creating new possibilities for representation and access in sports and beauty industries.
NFL Welcomes Brand Committed to Performance and Community
Tracie Rodburg, SVP Global Partnerships for the NFL, welcomed the collaboration in a statement. She said the NFL was excited to have Mielle, describing it as a brand committed to performance, community, and empowerment. She noted the brand was leaning into the NFL partnership meaningfully. Rodburg explained the partnership aligned with the league’s mission to build lasting connections within communities nationwide.
She added that the collaboration would celebrate the self-expression of both players and fans. This emphasis on self-expression acknowledges that hair represents identity and culture for many people. The NFL’s recognition of textured hair care signals growing awareness of diversity within its fanbase. Professional athletes with textured hair have long needed products that work with their specific needs.
CEO Monique Rodriguez Built Fastest-Growing Black Beauty Brand
Founded in 2014 by CEO Monique Rodriguez, Mielle is the fastest-growing Black-founded and women-led global beauty brand. Rodriguez built the company from her kitchen into a multi-million-dollar enterprise. The brand emphasizes incorporating healthier ingredients and a “root to results” approach to haircare. This philosophy focuses on nourishing hair from the scalp to the ends.
Procter & Gamble acquired Mielle in January 2023 in a strategic move. The brand now operates as an independent subsidiary of P&G Beauty. This arrangement allows Mielle to maintain its distinctive identity while accessing P&G’s resources. The acquisition provided capital for expansion while preserving the brand’s founding values and mission.
Products Designed for All Hair Types Across Ethnic Backgrounds
People from all diverse ethnic backgrounds can use Mielle’s beauty product collection effectively. The designers created products for all hair types, not just textured hair exclusively. This inclusive approach expands the brand’s market reach while maintaining expertise in textured hair. The formulations address specific needs while remaining accessible to various consumers.
Consumers can find Mielle in more than 100,000 stores nationwide currently. Distribution includes major retailers like CVS, Sally Beauty, Ulta Beauty, Walgreens, and Walmart. This widespread availability makes professional-quality textured hair care accessible beyond specialty stores. The extensive distribution network demonstrates the brand’s successful growth and market penetration.
Partnership Addresses Athletes’ Specific Textured Hair Challenges
Mielle’s team said the partnership would give the brand a powerful platform. They explained they could prove that their “high-performing ingredients” and products protect curls and coils. This is especially significant for athletes with textured hair who face unique challenges. Many experience sweat and friction under their helmets during games and practices.
These conditions ultimately lead to dryness, breakage, and frizz for athletes with textured hair. Traditional hair care products often fail to address these sport-specific challenges adequately. Mielle’s formulations are designed to withstand athletic demands while maintaining hair health. The partnership brings professional-grade textured hair care into the athletic performance conversation.
President Omar Goff Says Textured Hair Is Central to Culture
Omar Goff, President of Mielle, emphasized the cultural significance of the partnership. He said the collaboration reinforced that textured hair wasn’t a niche market. He stated it was central to the culture, the preparation, and the game-day experience. This framing challenges beauty industry assumptions that treated textured hair as marginal or specialized.
Goff explained they were creating possibilities and expanding access with textured hair fans worldwide. He noted they were working through one of the most powerful ecosystems in sports and media. The NFL’s platform provides unprecedented visibility for textured hair care conversations. This exposure normalizes textured hair in mainstream sports culture and commercial spaces.
Women Now Represent Half of NFL’s Growing Fanbase
The announcement noted that women now make up half of the NFL fanbase. This demographic shift represents significant change in professional football’s audience composition. Women’s engagement with football has grown substantially over the past decade. The league has increasingly recognized and marketed to this essential audience segment.
This 50% representation creates a “culture-driving force” between the league and female fans. Women bring different perspectives, preferences, and purchasing power to NFL fandom. Mielle’s partnership directly addresses this influential demographic with relevant products. The collaboration acknowledges that women fans care about both football and their hair care needs.
Social-First Campaign Features Viral Passing the Phone Video
The announcement of the partnership is now supported by a social-first campaign strategy. The campaign includes the viral “Passing the Phone” video moment that gained widespread attention. The video features talents across the league from multiple roles and positions. Players, executives, agents, players’ families, and on-air talent all participate.
The video celebrates how men and women show up on and off the field. This inclusive approach showcases the NFL community’s diversity beyond just the athletes. The “Passing the Phone” format creates engaging, shareable content for social media platforms. The viral nature of the campaign extends the partnership’s reach beyond traditional advertising.
Partnership Reinforces Legitimacy of Textured Hair Market
Goff’s statement that textured hair “isn’t a niche” challenges long-standing beauty industry assumptions. For decades, mainstream beauty brands treated textured hair as a small, specialized market. This partnership with the NFL legitimizes textured hair care as mainstream and central. It demonstrates that serving this audience has business value and cultural importance.
The collaboration positions textured hair care within athletic performance rather than just cosmetics. Athletes need products that work with their hair during intense physical activity. Mielle’s partnership shows that textured hair care is performance technology, not just beauty. This reframing elevates the conversation beyond aesthetics to functionality and athletic excellence.
Representation Matters in Sports Marketing and Partnerships
The partnership creates visibility for Black-owned businesses in professional sports sponsorship. Historically, major sports leagues have partnered primarily with large, established corporations. Black-founded brands have faced barriers to accessing these high-profile partnership opportunities. Mielle’s NFL deal breaks through these barriers and sets new precedents.
The collaboration demonstrates that Black-owned brands can compete for and secure major league partnerships. Rodriguez’s success from kitchen startup to NFL partner inspires other Black entrepreneurs. Young Black girls can see themselves as future business owners and sports partners. Representation in sports marketing matters beyond just advertising—it shapes aspirations and possibilities.
Root to Results Philosophy Guides Product Development
Mielle’s “root to results” approach emphasizes comprehensive hair health from scalp to ends. This philosophy differs from products that only address surface appearance temporarily. The brand focuses on nourishing ingredients that improve hair health over time. Long-term hair health requires addressing the scalp where hair growth begins.
This approach resonates with consumers seeking sustainable beauty solutions rather than quick fixes. Athletes particularly benefit from products that maintain hair health despite physical stress. The “root to results” methodology aligns with athletic training philosophies emphasizing fundamentals. Both require consistent care and attention to foundational elements for optimal results.
Independent Subsidiary Status Preserves Brand Identity
Operating as an independent subsidiary of P&G Beauty provides Mielle with unique advantages. The brand maintains its distinctive identity and mission while accessing corporate resources. This arrangement allows Rodriguez to continue leading the company she built. The independence preserves Mielle’s authentic voice and connection with its core audience.
P&G’s backing provides capital for expansion, research and development, and distribution growth. Large corporations offer supply chain expertise and retail relationships that benefit smaller brands. However, many acquisitions result in original founders departing and brands losing distinctiveness. Mielle’s independent subsidiary structure attempts to balance growth with authenticity and cultural relevance.
