Matthew Pavlich is one of nine sports presenters and co-founders Pickster
Talent approval is nothing brand new.
Since the 1920s and from Baby Ruth’s underwear line, athletes have been leasing their own personal brands to be associated with the latest and greatest brands and products available.
Earlier in the day, athlete approvals seemed to be a side gig. Some money to complement their sporting earnings and achievements. This is exactly what happened when I first started my AFL career in 2000.
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Nowadays, this is not the case with top stars. It’s a part of everything they do.
American football icon Tom Brady will walk into the television commentary booth when he recently signed a 10-year record-breaking সাথে 375 million ($ 540m) deal with Fox Sports, finally calling during his NFL career. Brady is playing at least one more season, reversing his retirement decision.
In any case, he is safe in retirement! If I had won seven Super Bowls, I might have asked my media partners for a pay rise.
Michael Jordan, the most iconic sports marketing tool we’ve ever seen, signed a বছরের 7 million five-year business deal with Nike in 1984.
Over the next 30-odd years, almost every year, we witnessed massive approvals, including Steff Curry’s recent $ 42 million contract deal with Under Armor which was one of the richest athlete contracts of all time.
But when it comes to selling a brand or service, it may not be one of the biggest global stars that is short and best suited to the budget. A low profile talent can fit well!
There are more layers this may appear first.
Understanding the seller’s needs, the location of an event, the availability of talent and their passion points are all important.
When you are trying to maximize someone’s value through profiles, another important aspect is to understand when it is best to capitalize on the top marketing moment and if there is a proper alignment of values and trust between the star and the brand.
Is it authentic? If not, customers will probably see it live.
Most professional athletes earn more from competition than from their approval work – with a few broad exceptions.
The stars who can earn more as brand ambassadors are in games that have a fast growing audience, but they still do not have the structure to give the best performers the best dollars.
A great example of women’s football: superstars like Megan Rapapino, Alex Morgan, Daisy Pierce and Sam Kerr have fans around the world but their clubs have not yet changed enough to compete with the blue-chip brands in terms of financial rewards.
Following the likes of AFLW and Daisy Pierce, Abbey Holmes and Erin Phillips, the media and the brand have more demand than their pay for playing the game of their choice.
Many of the leading athletes in women’s team sports will push hard to build followers on social media – and engage with fans as authentically as possible – so that they can value their partners as much as possible.
Importantly, as we have seen with the recent AFLW wage increase, the wages of this game must continue to rise, allowing women to pay attention, first and foremost, to the day they worked hard to get a job.
Other teams that earn almost as much from their commercial activities as from the sport of their choice are among the richest athletes in the world. Over the past few weeks, trade media company Sportico has released a ranking of the highest earning stars in the sport.
At the top of the list is LeBron James, who paid LA 36.9 million in salaries and bonuses to LA Lakers last year but earned $ 90 million from endorsements. Kevin Durant and Giannis Anteokoumpo, fellow NBA megastars, have also done more from the court than this.
Individual sports stars often have more opportunities to cash in on their personal popularity. According to Sportico, Tiger Woods earned $ 8.5 million playing golf and $ 65 million as an ambassador last year.
Naomi Osaka has earned a 1.2 million prize from tennis and an estimated $ 52 million from her various commercial activities. Great Roger Federer, whose hands have been limited due to a recent injury during the racket, took $ 724,000 in circuits and 80 80 million from Wilson, Mercedes-Benz and Rolex.
Federer’s success – which he reportedly earned $ 1 billion as an active player – came as part of a bold decision to partner with high-street apparel brand Uniqlo and footwear startup On after a blockbuster deal with Nike ended.
Athletes often have reason to think strategically and strategically about their approval portfolio. Argentine soccer icon Lionel Messi – second on Sportico’s list with a gross of 122 million, এন 50 from endorsements – has been a staple of the place for the past few months.
In March, he signed up to be a global ambassador for crypto-backed, blockchain-based fan token provider Socios for 20 million in windfall. In May, he was unveiled as Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambassador during a trip to Jeddah on the shores of the Red Sea.
But remember, a brand doesn’t have to partner with a big star to get great results. In fact, there are many reasons to try to get the best bang for your buck.
Paralympians, netball players and hockey players all have inspiring stories that may resonate more with your customers than with a big name player.
Athletes’ careers are infamously short and even those who have spent years in the public eye may have temporary windows to capitalize on. If you miss them, it can be difficult to reach your earning potential. But it can also lead to fixed relationships that survive well in retirement.
All of these brands are worth considering, too. There will come a time when a deal is impossible and one athlete is out of reach, and others where everyone is ready to talk. There will be times in the career of an athlete where they are in the right place for a particular campaign because of their popularity or maturity. To make the maximum that it depends on both parties.
Star athletes have unique qualities that make them perfect for their brand. They are young, recognized throughout the generation, in great health and make an emotional connection with the audience.
It takes calculation and conversation to get the most out of it.
And despite the huge numbers quoted above for the world’s biggest stars, you don’t have to part with as much as you think to get a meaningful result with talent.
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