Digital Brands Group forecasts revenue growth through collegiate licensing

US apparel and e-commerce company Digital Brands Group (DBG) has announced its financial guidance for 2026, projecting revenue between 55 million dollars and 65 million dollars. The group also expects to generate free cash flow in the range of 2.50 million dollars to 3.50 million dollars for the calendar year.

The company provided a further outlook for the period spanning July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. During this 12 month timeframe, DBG forecasts revenue to reach between 100 million dollars and 115 million dollars, with free cash flow expected to rise to between 10 million dollars and 12 million dollars.

Management attributes this projected growth to the expansion of its collegiate licensing program and a strategic apparel licensing agreement with Global Combat Collective (GCC). The company anticipates a significant increase in monthly revenues aligned with the academic calendar, beginning with the ‘TikTok rush’ period in August 2026.

Strategic expansion of university partnerships

The collegiate licensing program has seen rapid scaling, growing from two partnerships in December 2025 to 16 by the end of April 2026. DBG intends to limit the total number of partner universities to 30.

This cap is designed to ensure the group can maintain deep integration with name, image, and likeness (NIL) initiatives and high-quality product execution. The strategy involves partnering with major influencers, such as Katie Feeney, to facilitate monthly product drops centered around major home football games and athletic events.

These collections are intended to support university NIL programs, with a particular focus on female student athletes. DBG chief executive officer Hil Davis stated that the business model has evolved to focus on areas where the company can offer a significant quality-to-value proposition.

Licensing agreements and institutional programs

In addition to collegiate efforts, DBG is leveraging its partnership with GCC, which acts as a licensed commercial channel partner. This collaboration supports existing US program frameworks with a potential aggregate contract value of up to 125 million dollars.

The partnership focuses on scalable supply and brand expansion rather than direct government contracts. DBG expects to receive the first purchase orders under this framework no later than June 2026.

According to GCC president and co-founder Joshua Chasse, the model is built to support growth while delivering quality products through an innovative commercial framework. Davis noted that this partnership represents the beginning of broader distribution opportunities for the group this year.