This is a staggering achievement but it’s not really surprising. If you look at my “10 Things That Make An Athlete Marketable” you’ll notice Woods covers every base and then some.
The average punter will look at the 1$ billion and shake their heads at the craziness of it. But let’s break it down. Think about the money Woods has brought into the USPGA, its sponsors and golf in general. Event sponsor rights go up, broadcast rights go up, TV advertising goes up, ticket sales go up, memorabilia sales goes up, golf equipment sales go up, membership for local golf clubs increases and we haven’t even discussed Woods’ personal sponsors yet.
Not since Michael Jordan have we seen an athlete transcend a sport and influence the market quite like Woods has. On that point, Nike must be congratulated for their ability to secure another ‘once in a generation athlete’.
Sports is big business because it attracts big business. And the big athletes get the biggest slice of the pie. And they don’t come any bigger than Tiger Woods.
Woods deserves every cent of that $1 billion.
Tags: Forbes Magazine, golf, Michael Jordan, Nike, Tiger Woods, USPGA
