Evolution of Athlete Endorsements

         source: Faniq.com

                Some athletes don't just rely on their contracts with sports teams to earn money. Athletes in nearly every sport have some form of endorsement. Whether a basketball player or an Olympic snowboarder, endorsements usually work the same way. An athlete signs a contract with a company for a certain amount of years, and the athlete then starts endorsing the company, whether that be in commercials, magazine advertisements  or wearing the companies gear. Since the early 1900s athletes have been endorsing products such as cigarettes,shoes, and even underwear receiving good pay. In recent years, these endorsements have become more and more lucrative  In 2003, Professional footballer David Beckham signed, what was at the time, the biggest endorsement contract in sports history. For the rest of his life he will receive a percentage of profits from Adidas valued at over $160 million dollars. These type of deals have become more common, especially in the basketball world where it is common for a top draft pick to receive over $50 million dollars for a shoe deal. This past year, star point guard Derrick Rose signed a 14 year long contract with Adidas valued at $260  million dollars. These endorsements earn athletes a ridiculous amount of money. Do you think these deals are worth while for the companies?



 Five of the Biggest Athlete Endorsement Deals: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ycn-11011486