Some athletes have established themselves as worldwide brands and attract the much-desired attention that marketers desperately need in the cutthroat business industry. Numerous brands have agreements worth millions of euros with athletes. These endorsement contracts account for a sizable portion of the income for some of the most successful athletes.
Nike and Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has several endorsement contracts and business endeavours, making him perhaps the most lucrative athlete off the field. American sportswear company Nike is his biggest client. The Manchester United great signed a lifetime contract with Nike in 2003, which is estimated to be worth over $1 billion and pays around 44 million euros annually.
In addition to several top deals, he represents EA Sports, Herbalife, and Tag Heuer. He is the most followed user on Instagram and makes significantly more money from post advertisements.
Federer and Uniqlo
The excellent roster of athletes sponsored by Nike also includes Roger Federer, a tennis superstar. One of the largest athlete brand endorsements in sporting history, King Roger, was signed by the Japanese fashion label Uniqlo in 2018. The deal is estimated to be worth around 300 million euros over ten years.
Barilla, Gillette, Mercedes-Benz, Mot & Chandon, On, Rimowa, Rolex, Sunrise, and Wilson are a few of the numerous companies the Swiss legend endorses.
Tiger Woods and Nike
Woods has had a 26-year career in golf. Since 1996, Woods has been a part of Nike. His most recent contract renewal was worth almost 200 million euros.
Additionally, he has contracts with Bridgestone, Discovery Communications, Hero Motocorp, Monster Energy, Rolex, TaylorMade, and Upper Deck.
Under Armour and Steph Curry
Stephen Curry, a legendary player for the Golden State Warriors, has millions of followers. With Under Armour, an endorsement contract worth 44 million euros. Moreover, reports estimate his footwear deal with the same company at about 20 million euros. Hence, Under Armour values him at billions of dollars right now.
He is the image for companies including Brita, JPMorgan Chase, Nissan, Rakuten, Vivo smartphones, and Verizon.