McIlroy, Jumeirah End Sponsorship Agreement; Nike Deal Could Be Announced Monday

Dubai-based hotel chain Jumeirah "is not renewing its five-year sponsorship deal” with Rory McIlroy “amid expectations that the Northern Ireland golf star will sign with Nike next week,” according to the AP. The Jumeirah Group “signed a five-year deal with McIlroy when he was 18 and was one of his first corporate sponsors” (AP, 1/8). The GUARDIAN reports McIlroy “will be introduced” by Nike in Abu Dhabi next Monday. He is “understood to have earned” around US$7.1M from his five-year deal with Jumeirah. The news comes after Titleist and Oakley “also ended relationships" with McIlroy late in '12 (GUARDIAN, 1/8). Jumeirah President & Group CEO Gerald Lawless said McIlroy was a “tremendous ambassador for our brand, both as a consummate golfing professional and as a young man with a great future ahead of him” (London DAILY MAIL, 1/8).