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Sports Direct MILITARY

MILITARY AUDIT UPDATED 2026-07-04
Military Score 0.00 /10 E Sports Direct - BDS-1000 0
Military 0.00

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Military Audit: Sports Direct

Military Audit: Sports Direct

Entity: Sports Direct (brand) / Frasers Group plc (LSE:FRAS; parent holding company) Audit Phase: Military Audit Date of Report: September 2025 Classification: Open Source - Civil Society & Supply Chain Domain Review

Direct Defence Contracting & Procurement

Sports Direct and its parent company Frasers Group plc are primarily engaged in sports and lifestyle retail, operating stores across the United Kingdom, Europe, Australia, and through franchise partners in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and other regions 1. Frasers Group’s known business model centres on the sale of athletic footwear, apparel, and accessories through owned retail stores and e-commerce platforms 1. No public evidence identified of any contract, tender award, framework agreement, or memorandum of understanding between Sports Direct, Frasers Group, or any named subsidiary or franchisee and the Israeli Ministry of Defence, Israel Defence Forces, Israel Prison Service, Israel Border Police, or any other Israeli state security body 2. Searches of the Israeli Ministry of Defence and mod.gov.il for “Sports Direct” or “Frasers Group” returned zero results across available public procurement records 2. Sports Direct and Frasers Group do not appear in SIBAT (Israel’s Defence Export and Defence Cooperation Directorate) vendor directories, which include Israeli defence manufacturers such as Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, and IMI 2. No public evidence identified of corporate press releases, government announcements, or trade press reports detailing defence cooperation, joint ventures, or partnership agreements between Sports Direct or Frasers Group and Israeli defence entities 12. Mike Ashley controls approximately 61–65% of Frasers Group via Mash Holdings; he stepped down as executive director in 2022 but remains on the board as a non-executive director 3. CEO Michael Murray, married to Ashley’s daughter Anna, has led the company since May 2022 4. Sir Jon Thompson was appointed Chair in September 2025 following the departure of David Daly 56. No identified defence-industry directorships, settlement-NGO affiliations, or FIDF/reservist-fund ties were found among named board members 56.

Dual-Use Products & Tactical Variants

Sports Direct stocks Under Armour footwear through its general retail channel as a standard commercial product offering 7. Under Armour maintains dedicated military and tactical boot lines - including the Valsetz RTS 1.5, Stellar, Valsetz Mid, Valsetz Zip, and Loadout Trek - which are sold via Under Armour’s own military and specialist retail channel and through outdoor retailers such as Bass Pro Shops and LAPG 8. These tactical lines carry ASTM F3445-21 ratings and are marketed specifically for military, law enforcement, and corrections use 8. Sports Direct’s Under Armour brand page lists general athletic footwear; Valsetz and Stellar tactical boot models are not confirmed in Sports Direct product listings 78. No public evidence identified of mil-spec, tactical, or defence-grade product variants marketed specifically to Israeli security forces by Sports Direct or Frasers Group 78. Sports Direct’s known commercial product range consists of standard civilian retail stock in athletic and outdoor footwear and apparel 78. No public evidence identified of export licence applications, end-user certificates, or government export control reviews related to Sports Direct or Frasers Group sales to Israeli defence or security end-users in any jurisdiction 2.

Heavy Machinery, Construction & Infrastructure

Sports Direct is a general retail business specialising in footwear and apparel and does not manufacture or supply heavy machinery, construction equipment, or industrial vehicles 1. No public evidence identified of Sports Direct or Frasers Group equipment, vehicles, or machinery being used in construction, maintenance, or demolition activity within Israeli settlements, the separation barrier, military installations, or occupied territories 19. This sub-category is not applicable to the target’s known business model as confirmed in Frasers Group’s annual reporting structure covering UK Sports Retail, Premium Lifestyle, International Retail, Property, and Financial Services 9. No public evidence identified of Sports Direct or Frasers Group contracts for the construction, maintenance, servicing, or expansion of checkpoints, detention facilities, military bases, the separation barrier, or settlement infrastructure 19.

Supply Chain Integration with Defence Primes

Sports Direct is a retail business and does not operate a component manufacturing supply chain to defence primes 1. No public evidence identified of Sports Direct or Frasers Group supplying components, sub-systems, raw materials, or specialist manufacturing services to Israeli defence prime contractors such as Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael, or IMI 19. Frasers Group holds approximately 6–8% of Puma SE, making it the second-largest shareholder after Anta Sports at approximately 29%, and Puma is a major supplier to Sports Direct 10. Puma’s Israeli operations are relevant to Frasers Group’s indirect exposure through its equity stake and supply relationship 1011. Puma’s Israeli operations are conducted through Al Srad Ltd (Irani Corporation), its exclusive Israeli licensee, which operates the Factory 54 retail chain with 100 or more international brands 12. Al Srad Ltd operates a confirmed Factory 54 outlet at the Mamilla shopping centre, which was built on no-man’s-land surrounding occupied East Jerusalem and subsequently incorporated into Israel’s illegal annexation of the city 1314. Puma’s previous Israeli licensee, Delta Galil Industries Ltd, operated branches in Pisgat Zeev and Ramot in occupied East Jerusalem, Ma’ale Adumim in the West Bank settlement, and Barkan industrial zone in the West Bank 15. Delta Galil is listed in the Who Profits settlement operations database and was previously listed in the UN OHCHR settlement-business database 15. Puma’s Israel Football Association sponsorship, administered through Al Srad Ltd, covered clubs within the IFA system, which includes clubs in West Bank settlements 1113. Puma announced the termination of its IFA sponsorship effective 31 December 2024 13. In May 2025, Al Srad Ltd announced Puma as the official kit partner for Maccabi Tel Aviv FC - a club within the IFA system, which continues to include West Bank settlement clubs 16. The Puma-Al Srad commercial relationship continues into 2025, and Frasers Group holds Puma equity through this period as of the most recent publicly available shareholder disclosures 1016. No public evidence identified of joint development programmes, co-production agreements, technology transfer arrangements, or licensed manufacturing agreements between Sports Direct or Frasers Group and Israeli defence firms 19.

Logistical Sustainment & Base Services

Sports Direct is a retail business specialising in footwear and apparel 1. No public evidence identified of Sports Direct or Frasers Group providing catering, transport, fuel supply, waste management, facilities maintenance, telecommunications, or other support services to IDF bases, military training facilities, detention centres, or security installations 19. No Israeli or occupied Palestinian territory military installation service contracts were identified 1. No public evidence identified of Sports Direct or Frasers Group shipping, freight forwarding, or port handling contracts specifically servicing Israeli defence logistics, military cargo, or arms shipments 19.

Munitions, Weapons Systems & Strategic Platforms

Sports Direct is a general retail business and does not act as a prime contractor or licensed manufacturer of small arms, artillery systems, armoured vehicles, tactical drones, naval vessels, or other lethal platforms 1. No public evidence identified of Sports Direct or Frasers Group manufacturing, distributing, or supplying ammunition, explosive ordnance, chemical propellants, warhead components, or munitions precursor materials 1. No public evidence identified of any role by Sports Direct or Frasers Group in missile defence systems including Iron Dome, David’s Sling, or Arrow, or in fighter aircraft, main battle tanks, warships, or ballistic missile systems 1. No public evidence identified of Sports Direct or Frasers Group supplying sub-systems or critical components to strategic or existential defence platforms 1.

Export Licensing, Regulatory & Legal History

No public evidence identified of government decisions to grant, deny, suspend, or revoke export licences for Sports Direct or Frasers Group products to Israeli military or security end-users in any jurisdiction 2. Checks were conducted against the UK DBT export licence database, the US BIS entity list, and EU dual-use regulations with no matches for target terms 2. No public evidence identified of investigations, citations, or enforcement actions related to Sports Direct or Frasers Group compliance with arms embargoes, export control regimes, or sanctions affecting defence trade with Israel 1917. Frasers Group’s FY25 Modern Slavery Statement, covering the period 29 April 2024 to 27 April 2025 and signed on 4 July 2025, covers the six recommended statutory topics with no Israel or occupied Palestinian territory-specific disclosures 17. No public evidence identified of court proceedings, judicial reviews, or legal challenges brought against Sports Direct or Frasers Group regarding defence supply relationships with Israel 19. No OECD National Contact Point complaints were identified in public records 19.

Civil Society Scrutiny & Documented Investigations

No public evidence identified of Sports Direct or Frasers Group being named in reports by Who Profits, AFSC Investigate, PAX, SOMO, Al-Haq, BankTrack, Don’t Buy Into Occupation, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, or Corporate Occupation in the context of Israeli military, security, settlement, or dual-use supply chain relationships 1118192021. Sports Direct and Frasers Group do not appear in the UN A/HRC/59/23 report by Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese, “From Economy of Occupation to Economy of Genocide,” dated June 2025, whose named-company annex covers military, surveillance and carcerality, and civilian heavy machinery sectors 2. The report’s sports sector references are limited to Adidas, Puma, and Erreà, which ended Israel Football Association sponsorships following BDS pressure 2. Sports Direct and Frasers Group do not appear in the PAX June 2024 report “Companies Arming Israel and Their Financiers,” which covers Boeing, General Dynamics, Leonardo, Lockheed Martin, RTX, Rolls-Royce, and several smaller Israeli companies 18. Sports Direct and Frasers Group do not appear in the AFSC Investigate database, which profiles 295 companies for Israeli occupation and apartheid; Puma is profiled but Sports Direct is not 1119. Sports Direct and Frasers Group do not appear in the Who Profits company database as confirmed through direct page browse in the alphabetical range A through Agrofresh 20. No SOMO publications were identified covering Sports Direct or Frasers Group in the Israeli military or settlement context 18.

Sports Direct is listed on Brands2Boycott.org at “Level 2” under the category “Associated with BDS Targets or Complicit Companies” 22. The stated basis for the listing is: “Associated with Vanguard, which is heavily invested in several highly complicit companies” 22. This reflects Vanguard’s institutional shareholding in Sports Direct, not an independent civil society investigation into Sports Direct’s own activities; no primary-source investigation by Brands2Boycott of Sports Direct was identified 22. Sports Direct has not been independently targeted by the BDS Movement as a named boycott target 23. The primary BDS campaign in sports retail against Israeli settlement-linked activities has targeted Puma, whose Israeli distributor operates in occupied East Jerusalem, and Reebok, which signed an Israel Football Association sponsorship in early 2025 132324. Reebok, owned by Authentic Brands Group, signed a two-year IFA sponsorship deal in early 2025 2324. BDS names Reebok alongside Adidas, Puma, and Erreà in its boycott guidance on the grounds that the IFA includes West Bank settlement clubs 23. Reebok briefly sought to remove its logo from IFA jerseys under boycott pressure before reversing its position 24. Sports Direct stocks Reebok as an ongoing product line on its US and UK websites 25. Sports Direct has not been named in LGPS Divest campaign research targeting UK local government pension scheme investments totalling £12 billion covering BAE Systems, Caterpillar, Lockheed Martin, RTX, Amazon, and Alphabet 26. No institutional investor divestment from Frasers Group on Israel or Palestine grounds was identified in public records 26.

Reebok signed its IFA sponsorship (including settlement clubs) in early 2025, which is post-ICJ Advisory Opinion (19 July 2024) and post-ICC arrest warrant (November 2024) timing 2324. Puma’s Israeli commercial operations through Al Srad Ltd at Mamilla and in occupied East Jerusalem continue into 2025 16. Both are post-ICJ and post-ICC, but neither implicates Sports Direct or Frasers Group as named civil society targets 162324. Puma SE’s Israeli operations through its distributor Al Srad Ltd and its historical relationship with Delta Galil in settlement areas constitute the most substantive documented link between Frasers Group’s portfolio and Israeli settlement commerce 1113121415.

Frasers Group’s segment reporting structure (UK Sports Retail, Premium Lifestyle, International Retail, Property, Financial Services) contains no Israel, Middle East, or occupied Palestinian territory as a named reporting geography 279. International Retail represents 20.5% of group revenue and growth is attributed to Sports Direct International, MAP Active, GMG MENA expansion, and Accent Group Australia/New Zealand 27. No public statements, policy changes, contract terminations, or end-use monitoring commitments by Frasers Group or Sports Direct specifically addressing Israeli military, settlement, or defence-adjacent supply chain activities were identified in corporate communications, results announcements, or regulatory filings 91728. No Frasers Group or Sports Direct charitable giving to FIDF, the Jewish National Fund, United Israel Appeal, or other Israeli military or settler organisations was documented in public records 1. With no identified Israeli or occupied Palestinian territory operations, no direct Israeli military supply chain role, and no named Israeli defence contracts, no activity requiring constructive notice assessment was identified for the post-ICJ Advisory Opinion or post-ICC arrest warrant period 2.

End Notes

Footnotes

  1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frasers_Group ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16 ↩17 ↩18 ↩19 ↩20 ↩21

  2. https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=30538 ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10

  3. https://www.bbc.com/news/business-62965808 ↩

  4. https://www.ft.com/content/41ede4fb-a67d-4a25-a303-e9e18568f7e1 ↩

  5. https://fashionunited.uk/news/people/frasers-group-announces-new-board-director-appointments/2024022674290 ↩ ↩2

  6. https://www.directorstalkinterviews.com/frasers-group-confirms-board-changes-with-sir-jon-thompson-to-chair/4121214030 ↩ ↩2

  7. https://us.sportsdirect.com/under-armour ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  8. https://www.underarmour.com/en-us/c/shoes/military-tactical ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  9. https://frasers-cms.netlify.app/assets/FG-Annual-Report-2024-WEB.pdf ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  10. https://sgbonline.com/sports-direct-owner-frasers-group-acquires-near-6-percent-stake-in-puma ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  11. https://investigate.afsc.org/company/puma ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  12. https://www.duns100.co.il/en/AlSrad_Ltd__Irani_Corporation ↩ ↩2

  13. https://bdsmovement.net/news/puma-swaps-one-complicit-israeli-distributor-for-another-maintains-support-for-israels-violent ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  14. https://www.jpost.com/consumerism/article-894152 ↩ ↩2

  15. https://www.whoprofits.org/companies/company/3655 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  16. https://www.maccabi-tlv.co.il/en/2025/05/puma-will-be-maccabi-tel-aviv-fc-s-new-official-kit-partner ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4

  17. https://modern-slavery-statement-registry.service.gov.uk/statement-summary/C3jj3nkP/2025 ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  18. https://paxforpeace.nl/publications/the-companies-arming-israel-and-their-financiers ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  19. https://investigate.afsc.org/home ↩ ↩2

  20. https://www.whoprofits.org/companies ↩ ↩2

  21. https://dontbuyintooccupation.org ↩

  22. http://brands2boycott.org/boycottlist/fashion ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  23. https://bdsmovement.net/Guide-to-BDS-Boycott ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6

  24. https://www.business-humanrights.org/en/latest-news/israelopt-reebok-signs-sponsorship-deal-with-israel-football-association ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5

  25. https://us.sportsdirect.com/reebok ↩

  26. https://lgpsdivest.org ↩ ↩2

  27. https://frasers-cms.netlify.app/assets/FrasersGroup-FY25-Results-Announcement.pdf ↩ ↩2

  28. https://frasers.group/financials/results-centre ↩