When you think of great sporting partnerships in terms of brands, it’s hard to look past Tiger Woods and Nike as being one of the most iconic.
Sure, we’ve seen Michael Jordan’s own line of Nike dominate over a number of decades now while top stars like David Beckham have been synonymous with Adidas for years.
However, when it comes to golf, there was little like Woods and his link up with Nike, especially as he was an emerging and then dominating force on the PGA Tour.
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Woods went 27 years with Nike as a partner and his infamous ‘Sunday red’ shirts were the stuff of legend, so much so, that Woods carried that on as his own brand recently.
But when it comes to sheer dollar signs, just how much did Woods earn, and more importantly, just how big was that opening contract with Nike?
Tiger Woods’ first ever Nike contract
Young sports stars yearn for a big brand deal and after Tiger was impressing in the amateur golf ranks, it was never going to be long before he was snapped up by a big player.
Quite remarkably, Woods was signed to a mega-money deal by Nike before he’d even turned professional.
As a youngster, Woods penned a deal with Nike worth a reported $40m over five years. Of course, it was heavily reliant on Woods producing but produce he did, winning The Masters in 1997 in dominating fashion and proving Nike had got their judgement call just right.
At the end of that first deal, Woods then signed a new record $105m contract, as Nike and Woods continued to dominate.
Woods would go on to sign further deals, reportedly worth up to $40m per year, before signing one final mega money deal worth north of $200m in 2013.
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How much Tiger Woods has earned in sponsorship money
It’s hard to put an exact number on the money Woods has earned from endorsements over the years but multiple reports suggest it is into the billions.
Deals with golf giants like Nike, TaylorMade and Bridgestone have all provided massive sums for Woods, while outside deals with the likes of Rolex, AT&T and Gatorade have all brought in huge revenue streams for Woods.
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Woods’ effect on marketing is well known and despite winning over $120m on the golf course, it’s claimed that he earned more than ten times that amount from outside sources.
With Woods certified as one of the world’s first billionaire athletes, it’s little wonder there is still such a clamour for him in the modern day as well.
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