Focus Cover: Sportsheets cannot be tied down!

(Note: This story appears in the June 2023 issue of SE Magazine) 

As it says goodbye to a few key initiators and welcomes new experts, the 30-year BDSM veterans are pushing to supply the limitless imagination of the modern fetish market.

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n consideration of BDSM-heavy adult toy vendors for this StorErotica Special Focus, a name that came up often in our questionnaires for retailers across the country was the well-established Sportsheets. After 30 years in business, Sportsheets has instituted itself as a company customers can count on to challenge the status quo with every collection. The family-owned business has three decades under its collective belt, yet remains forward-thinking and carries confidently the trust it has built by emphasizing quality in everything they do, from individual interactions with buyers and consumers to the creation or re-invention of each individual product.

Sportsheets grows yet again

Growth in the business has necessitated a larger team to bolster. Julie Stewart, Sportsheets’ owner and CEO, shares that while team members like Julia Harney, B2B Sales Manager, Sylvia Lopez, Senior Sales Representative and Emily Silva, Product Line Specialist, have supported Sportsheets for almost three decades combined, the still-evolving brand has been fortunate to welcome a few new and well-informed faces with eyes for the future.

“Our newest hire, Nathan Hammerle, Marketing Coordinator, came to us with a specialized degree in Sexual Wellness Education and is already sharing with us his unique insight into embracing the wellness side of intimacy,” enthuses Stewart. “And Pettus and Joseph Munoz are two new additions to our sales team who have been immensely helpful in expanding our reach.”

Sportsheets aims to build a balanced and diverse team so that the growth as a company is not only limited to sales figures but extends into its products, relationships, company culture and mindsets, as well, according to Stewart. The company proudly consists of multiple female-identifying leaders who offer a wide range of experience in and outside of the industry, challenging the BDSM brand to develop thoughtfully and creatively.

“With nearly half of the staff having ten to twenty years of experience at Sportsheets, it still feels very much like a family business,” she continues. “But throughout every new launch, our team, both new and old, has kept the same energy and enthusiasm since the beginning. We are extremely fortunate to have such an adaptive group willing to tackle the industry’s constant challenges head-on and look to future growth both personally and professionally.”

Sportsheets, the name

As Stewart explains, Sportsheets was the first adult company to develop a dedicated and discreet restraint system with the Under the Bed Restraint System, which has since become its most successful product within the name brand. Numerous brand lines have since come in to fill various niches in the market, such as the Sex in the Shower, Manbound, Sincerely and Edge brands (note: all product names are trademarked).

As Stewart puts it: “We have never been a company that strays away from a challenge, and often those challenges can be risky. One of the biggest payoffs was our venture into strap-on harnesses in the late ‘90s, originally created for the LGBTQIA+ community. The expedition has since become a signature product style, with the New Comers Strap-on Kit being one of our top-sellers!”

But most significant for Sportsheets’ name development as a soft-entry BDSM brand was the Sex & Mischief line. 

“Sex & Mischief, which debuted in 2011, was a game-changer for us, as serendipitously, the global phenomenon that was Fifty Shades of Grey followed shortly after,” shares Stewart. “S&M is a gateway product that allows us to connect with users who are new to the bondage category, providing gentle guidance wherever they may need it.”

Thirty shades of Sex & Mischief

The greatest successes are also the grounds for the greatest improvements, and Sportsheets prides itself on utilizing feedback from customers to enhance what’s most beloved about their products. Sportsheets delights in sharing that it’s working on improving upon its already impactful S&M line.

“Sex & Mischief is just over a decade old and has been an incredible success for us since it was first released,” says Stewart. “From a retailer’s aspect, the rebrand will be putting some products on hang cards, helping customers to make a more informed buying decision, while cutting down on the amount of waste, making them more environmentally-friendly. In addition to this, we plan to keep the adored black-and-white photography but with an updated brand logo and inclusive models to match the current mindset and future of the company. We have also greatly improved and expanded the information provided on the back panel, offering more in-depth call outs to features, versatile use and even a pairing guide. Rather than pressing a hard reset on packaging, the refresh will take place over the remainder of 2023 and has already begun with our Brat collection.”

Among all these exciting changes, Sportsheets will be launching 30 new product additions to their S&M line in honor of their 30-year anniversary.

“These products help fill gaps within the brand and ensure that S&M stays not only timeless but adaptable,” shares Stewart. “S&M will supply everything from beginner to bargain options for customers to explore, reinforcing our role as an introductory brand for people stepping foot into a kinkier world with a softer first step. The versatility of these new products are unmatched, even for the more seasoned kinksters.”

The future of kink, involving positioning and pleasure products

Although they are not the most signature of Sportsheets’ lines, positioning products aren’t necessarily new to Sportsheets, and they are nonetheless integral to its overall vision and intent. 

“Tom (Stewart) was in the Marine Corps as a Helicopter Pilot where he met many individuals with varying physical capabilities,” explains Stewart. “This experience inspired products that could aide people with different physical needs, so that their intimacy need not be restrained by their physical limitations. Doggy Style straps, Sex Slings and more have helped individuals enhance their experiences through position support for nearly 20 years.”

Sportsheets will be expanding their positioning product offerings as the natural progression of that mission.

“We believe that everyone deserves to have support where it’s needed to get the most out of their sexual interactions,” Stewart continues. “The growth of our team is putting new and exciting opportunities on the horizon that we cannot wait to explore.”

Speaking of opportunities on the horizon, Sportsheets’ insiders share that vibrators and grinding products are in the works, as well.

“Watching industry trends and listening to our customers plays a large role in the beginning of any product development process,” says Stewart. “These products are still very new, so there is very little that can be shared, but what I know is this: Whatever we come up with will be created with an end-user focus and will provide the same gentle encouragement to explore sexuality. We are very excited about where this will take us in 2024.”

After taking a few years to slow down and restructure things internally, Sportsheets is excited to be back in full force and revamping its external initiatives.

“For instance, last year our products were featured in the Netflix hit, ‘How to Build a Sex Room,’ and the host, Melanie Rose, recommended our Under the Bed Restraint System as her top ‘must-have,’” Stewart says. “Taking risks has always played a large part in not only this industry, but in our outlook here at Sportsheets. We look to what can set us apart, but our commitment is to keep the same level of quality and human-focused design throughout everything we do.”

For more information, visit Sportsheets.com.