Cristiano Ronaldo has agreed to a six-year image rights deal with Media Mint, a company owned by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim, according to Tim Hanlon of REUTERS. It marked "another step into the football world" for Lim, who bought La Liga club Valencia last year and is part owner of Salford City along with ManU's "Class of 92." The deal to take over the image rights of Ronaldo, except those held by Real Madrid, "takes Lim into the field of sports marketing." Ronaldo: "Peter has a valuable and extensive business network and I have always admired Peter's entrepreneurial savvy and his ability to grow businesses" (REUTERS, 6/29). The PA reported Ronaldo banked a reported £50M last year in salary, bonus and endorsements, "making him the highest-paid team athlete," according to Forbes. Ronaldo, who is under contract with Real until June '18, has 36 million Twitter followers and almost 104 million Facebook fans. He has worn Nike Mercurial boots his entire career and "among his endorsements" are Coca-Cola, Castrol, Konami, Banco Espirito Santo, Motorola, Jacob & Co., KFC, Tag Heuer, Emirates and Samsung. He also has his own clothing brand, CR7, as well as starring in video game "Ronaldo & Hugo: Super Skaters" (PA, 6/29). In London, James Whaling reported Lim "also hailed the deal," saying that he will provide "good value-add" for his growing brand. Lim: "Ronaldo is not just a great soccer player, he is also a very popular personality. I am confident that the Cristiano Ronaldo brand will continue to grow" (DAILY MIRROR, 6/29).
