Andy Murray could earn up to £15M ($22M) a year from personal endorsements following his Wimbledon men's title victory, but is "unlikely to mirror David Beckham by signing multiple sponsorship deals," according to John Reynolds of the London GUARDIAN. Murray's victory over Novak Djokovic is "likely to transform the British player's earnings potential from sponsors." Murray is represented by Simon Fuller's XIX, which has "also been responsible for a number of Beckham's key sponsorship deals." But experts believe that Murray, who scooped £1.6M ($2.4M) for winning Wimbledon, is "unlikely to be as active as Beckham in terms of branding and sponsorship." They "do not expect him to capitalise on his maximum sponsorship potential," and instead to be "cautious about choosing his commercial partners." BrandRapport Managing Dir Andy Kenny said, "He doesn't strike me as the kind of person who will now look to have lots of commercial partners or commit himself to lots of PR activity -- my instinct is that he will have a few sponsorships, but will do more with them." Havas Sport & Entertainment Managing Dir Gordon Lott said, "In Andy's case, he was already at the top of his game, and he should be a serious contender for many more majors to come which creates many more opportunities, such as clothing ranges and merchandise" (GUARDIAN, 7/8). BLOOMBERG's Danielle Rossingh reported branding consultant Jonathan Gabay said, "A British man winning Wimbledon hasn’t happened for such a long time. The sky really is the limit for him" (BLOOMBERG, 7/8). In London, Elliott Goat reported University of West Scotland sport business & management lecturer Scott Barcley said Murray “will easily enter sport's rich list” with at least £17M ($25M) earned this year. Barcley said, "Personally, I would be convinced that his contract with adidas -- presently £15M over three years -- will have a performance-related increase as Brand Murray becomes an even more recognized in markets such as the Far East.” Media.com Global Head of Sport Marcus Jon points to non-sporting areas such as telecom and banking "as new areas for Murray to exploit." Jon said that Fuller would be looking at companies such as Coca-Cola and Visa "as possible partners." Jon: "This is his time to capitalise on the potential of very lucrative sponsorship deals" (INDEPENDENT, 7/8).
GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE: MARKETING MAGAZINE’s Simon Nias wrote Murray's Wimbledon win is “hugely significant from a U.K. perspective.” However, M&C Saatchi Sport & Entertainment CEO Steve Martin “stressed that when it comes to endorsements, it is Murray's worldwide profile that matters.” Martin: “I don't think that the fact he has won Wimbledon will mean brands are suddenly beating a path to his door. You have to crack the American and Asian markets before you start getting those global deals that put you on a new level.” He added, "Yesterday's win will enhance his appeal massively and I certainly believe he will win more titles over the next four to five years, but he's still some way off [Roger] Federer and [Rafael] Nadal who transcend all boundaries and are really streets ahead in terms of their global appeal” (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 7/8).
SIR ANDY? The BBC reported PM David Cameron said that Murray "deserves a knighthood." Cameron: "I can't think of anyone who deserves one more." Cameron said Murray's win had "lifted the spirits of the whole country." Cameron: "We were wondering on Sunday morning, 'Do we dare to dream that this is possible?' and he proved absolutely that it was" (BBC, 7/8). In London, Naughton & Gardner reported Murray "played down the possibility of knighthood." Murray: "I think it’s a nice thing to have or be offered. I think just because everyone’s waited for such a long time for this, that’s probably why it’ll be suggested, but I don’t know if it merits that. I don’t know" (LONDON TIMES, 7/8).
