MAC Cosmetics vs Academy Sports

Side-by-side comparison of AI visibility scores, market position, and capabilities

Academy Sports leads in AI visibility (86 vs 54)
MAC Cosmetics logo

MAC Cosmetics

ChallengerBeauty & Personal Care

Cosmetics

MAC Cosmetics launched in Sephora U.S. for the first time in March 2026, expanding distribution while maintaining its position as the #1 prestige makeup brand globally.

AI VisibilityBeta
Overall Score
C54
Category Rank
#2 of 2
AI Consensus
81%
Trend
up
Per Platform
ChatGPT
46
Perplexity
45
Gemini
53

About

M·A·C (Make-Up Art Cosmetics) was founded in 1984 in Toronto by makeup artist Frank Toskan and salon owner Frank Angelo, gaining cult status among professional makeup artists before being acquired by The Estée Lauder Companies in stages, with full acquisition completed in 1998. Today MAC is the #1 prestige makeup brand globally, operating through a network of freestanding stores, department store counters, and its own e-commerce channels in approximately 150 countries. The brand is particularly renowned for its professional-grade pigments, inclusive shade ranges across all skin tones and genders, and its VIVA GLAM line, which has raised over $535 million USD for HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ+ causes since 1994.

Full profile
Academy Sports logo

Academy Sports

LeaderSporting Goods & Outdoor

Sporting Goods

NASDAQ-listed southern US sporting goods retailer (ASO) with $6B revenue and 270+ stores; hunting/firearms business differentiates from Dick's Sporting Goods in southern markets.

AI VisibilityBeta
Overall Score
A86
Category Rank
#1 of 4
AI Consensus
59%
Trend
down
Per Platform
ChatGPT
84
Perplexity
92
Gemini
92

About

Academy Sports + Outdoors is a full-line sporting goods retailer operating 270+ stores primarily across the southern and southeastern United States — offering sports equipment, athletic apparel, footwear, and outdoor recreation products (hunting, fishing, camping gear) at competitive prices that undercut specialty retailers like REI and Dick's Sporting Goods. Listed on NASDAQ (NASDAQ: ASO) after its October 2020 IPO, Academy generates approximately $6 billion in annual revenue and targets value-oriented families and outdoor enthusiasts in markets where it is the dominant sporting goods destination.

Full profile

AI Visibility Head-to-Head

54
Overall Score
86
#2
Category Rank
#1
81
AI Consensus
59
up
Trend
down
46
ChatGPT
84
45
Perplexity
92
53
Gemini
92
48
Claude
80
49
Grok
77

Key Details

Category
Cosmetics
Sporting Goods
Tier
Challenger
Leader
Entity Type
company
company

Capabilities & Ecosystem

Capabilities

Only MAC Cosmetics
Cosmetics
Only Academy Sports
Sporting Goods
MAC Cosmetics is classified as company (part of Estée Lauder). Academy Sports is classified as company.

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