• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Betting Offers UK

Best Free Bets & Casino Sign Up Offers For 2022

  • Betting Offers
  • Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Home
  • New Sites
  • Free Spins
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Bookies
  • Football
    • Premier League
  • Horse Racing
    • Cheltenham Festival
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Old Course v New Course
      • Prestbury Cup
      • Top Trainers
      • Top Jockeys
      • Amateur Races
    • Grand National
      • Picking a Winner
      • Grand National Winners
      • Grand National Fences
      • Disruptions & Cancellations
      • Back to Back Winners
      • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
      • Prize Money
      • Virtual Grand National
      • Grand National Sponsors
      • Reserve Horses
      • How Many Finish
      • How Many Run
      • Grey Horses
      • Popularity
      • Amateur Jockeys
  • Irish Lottery
  • Blog

What is a Lifetime Sponsorship Deal and Which Sports Stars Have Signed One?

22 September, 2023

Businessman Holding Up Contract and PenOne of the greatest moments in sport, certainly for professional athletes, was the day that they realised that they were commercial commodities as well as supremely-talented individuals.

Amongst the first sponsorship deals ever penned by a sports star came in the late 1950s, when NFL ace Frank Gifford agreed to promote – incredibly by today’s standards – Lucky Strike cigarettes, and since then things have changed both in terms of what products/brands are deemed acceptable and also how much the athlete is paid.

In an ideal world, you want to pen a lifetime sponsorship deal, which is exactly as it sounds – a guaranteed payment every year for promoting a specific brand. That was how Skechers, the American footwear firm, managed to convince Harry Kane to become the face (and feet) of their debut football boot collection.

So happy to join the Skechers Football family. Love the comfort and feel of the boots and there’s loads more to come in this partnership… #SKX_01 pic.twitter.com/m5UYkr8MTG

— Harry Kane (@HKane) August 17, 2023

It’s not known how much Skechers are paying the England striker, although you can bet your bottom dollar it’s a handsome amount – in return, Kane must wear their boots for the remainder of his career and act as a brand ambassador for decades to come; if you end up in the same retirement home as the Bayern Munich man, you can be assured he’ll be wearing Skechers for any garden kickabout.

Only a select few sports stars have been offered lifetime sponsorship deals thus far, but these really are the pinnacle of commercial partnerships for those seeking an ongoing payday of the highest order.

By our count, as of September 2023 there’s only six individuals who have confirmed lifetime sponsorship deals, more on those later…

What is a Lifetime Sponsorship Deal?

A lifetime sponsorship deal is exactly as the name suggests.

A brand will offer to pay a sportsman or woman a specific amount every year for the rest of their lives – a rather handsome earner, and appealing to many athletes who lose their sole income stream when their careers come to an end.

How Do Lifetime Sponsorship Deals Work?

Game Worn Air Jordan 1s
Michael Jordan first signed with Nike in 1984. Image Credit: Smithsonian Institute, Wikimedia Commons

We know what you’re thinking: why would a brand want to sponsor an individual after their sporting career is over?

Well, there’s two reasons why. The first is that the guaranteed lifetime income is one of the ways a firm can convince the most iconic sporting stars of today to sign a sponsorship deal with them – these deals can make them millions, if not billions, in merchandising revenue.

The second is that the most iconic sports stars remain marketable and en vogue even after their playing careers have ended, so their lifetime ambassadorial role will still retain value for the brand.

As an example of that, just take a look at Michael Jordan’s hook up with Nike. The first ever lifetime sponsorship deal in sport, the NBA legend’s Nike Air Jordan range is still in demand three decades after its launch – netting Nike £4 billion a year and the former Chicago Bulls ace a pretty penny into the bargain, years after he hung up his vest.

Who Has a Lifetime Sponsorship Deal?

At the time of writing, there are six confirmed lifetime sponsorship deals in sport and perhaps one another.

Athletes with Lifetime Sponsorship Deals

Player Sponsor
Michael Jordan (Basketball) Nike
Cristiano Ronaldo (Football) Nike
LeBron James (Basketball) Nike
Lionel Messi (Football) Adidas
Stephen Curry (Basketball) Under Armour
Kevin Durant (Basketball) Nike
Harry Kane (Football) Sketchers

The slightly dubious one is the link-up between NBA star Steph Curry and Under Armour. Their agreement will last ‘beyond Curry’s playing days’, although it’s not confirmed if this is a lifetime deal.

We’ve learned about Kane’s Skechers deal and Jordan’s Nike contract already, with the latter also dishing out lifetime pacts to Cristiano Ronaldo, LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

Although the exact terms of these deals aren’t known, it’s thought that each could net the recipient up to $1 billion (£820 million) depending on, in rather morbid terms, how long they live for. James led the lucrative way for NBA shirt sales in 2022, with Nike thought to earn around £300 million a year via LeBron merchandise.

The last of the lifetime sponsorship deals was handed to Lionel Messi by Adidas. The terms of this agreement are rather more transparent – the brand will pay the Argentine £22 million a year until the contract comes to an end, one way or another.

Can a Lifetime Sponsorship Deal Be Scrapped?

Lance Armstrong During Race
Lance Armstrong was dropped by Nike and multiple other sponsors following his well publicised doping scandal. Image Credit: Anita Ritenour, flickr

We don’t have an answer to this question, given that – at the time of writing – none of the half-dozen sports stars with lifetime deals have lost them.

But you can be sure that brands will have implemented a ‘get out’ clause in case their sponsored athlete goes out and doesn’t something crazy – gross misconduct is always an easy out in the legal sphere.

Besides, there are precedents of sorts. Lance Armstrong lost around £100 million in sponsorship deals when he was outed as a drugs cheat, while Nike, Oakley and others dropped Oscar Pistorius when he was charged with murder.

So yes, it seems highly likely that a lifetime sponsorship deal could be scrapped when the individual’s behaviour determines as such.

Previous Post: « Has a Goalkeeper Ever Scored in the Champions League?
Next Post: What is the Longest Point-Less Start to a Premier League Season? »

Primary Sidebar

Blog

Old Trafford Mural
How Being Manchester United Manager Became the Hardest Job in Football
White Cricket Ball Striking Orange Wicket
Twenty20 Vision: Why T20 Cricket Has a Problem with Corruption
Is Saudi Arabia’s Takeover of International Sport Over Already?
Football Match on TV on Pitch
Premier League Games Played Overseas: Why It’s a Case of When, Not If
Wembley Stadium Pre Match
Should the Manager of the England National Football Team Be English?
More Blog Posts | Full Archives

Archives

Betting Sign Up Offers

  • Free Bets
    • Bet £5 Get £20/£30+
    • Bet £10 Get £30/£40+
    • Casino Free Bets
  • Casino Bonuses
  • Free Spins

Loyalty Offers

  • Acca Bonuses
  • Acca Insurance
  • Best Odds Guaranteed
  • Free Bet Clubs
  • Loyalty Points

Major Events

  • Grand National
    • How to Pick the Grand National Winner
    • Grand National Winners
    • Grand National Fences
    • Prize Money
    • Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Back to Back Winners
    • How Often Does the Favourite Win?
    • What Is the Virtual Grand National?
    • Grand National Sponsors
    • Reserve Horses
    • How Many Horses Finish?
    • How Many Horses Run?
    • Most Successful Owners
    • Changes Over Time
    • Female Jockeys
    • Grey Horses in the Grand National
    • Amateur Jockeys
    • Popularity
  • Cheltenham Festival
    • Festival Disruptions & Cancellations
    • Old Course v New Course
    • The Prestbury Cup
    • Top Trainers
    • Top Jockeys
    • Amateur Races
  • Premier League
    • Without the Big Six?
  • Irish Lottery

Related Posts

  • Is Saudi Arabia’s Takeover of International Sport Over Already?
  • How and Why Sporting Dynasties Like Red Bull and Manchester United Crumble
  • Cryotherapy, Telekinesis and Pyramid Water: How to Be an Elite Athlete Well Into Your Thirties
  • Do Play-Offs Prove or Disprove the Theory of Momentum in Sport?
  • Do Female Athletes Get Maternity Pay?
  • Which Sports Has the Most BBC Sports Personality of the Year Winners?
  • Ranking the Unlikeliest Finals in Sporting History
  • Which England Teams Have Won a Major Tournament on Home Soil?
  • Which Sports Stars Have Had to Complete Military Service?
  • What is a Lifetime Sponsorship Deal and Which Sports Stars Have Signed One?

Betting Blog

  • American Football
  • Athletics
  • Betting Industry
  • Boxing
  • Cricket
  • Darts
  • Football
  • General
  • Golf
  • Horse Racing
  • Motor Racing
  • Politics
  • Rugby
  • Snooker
  • Tennis

Please bet responsibly. If you need help to stop gambling visit Gamstop.


Copyright © 2025 Betting-Offers.com | GambleAware.org 18+