Explored – Athletes With the Most Endorsements

Not only can the world’s leading athletes bank huge salaries and bonus payments in the modern age, but they also have the opportunity to supplement these earnings with eye-watering endorsements. Think of NBA great Michael Jordan, for example, who developed the immortal ‘Air Jordan’ sneakers and earned $1.3 billion through his multi-year partnership with Nike.

This type of lucrative endorsement deal is more common today than ever before, particularly among the world’s highest profile athletes. So, in addition to wagering on these stars through the best sports gambling sites, you can also bet that they’re earning far more than their annual salary suggests! But who were the athletes with the most endorsements in 2024?

• A History of the Highest Sports Endorsements
• A Look at the Best Athlete Endorsements and Highest-Earning Sports Stars
• Lebron James – Banking $80 Million in Off-field Earnings in 2024
• Lionel Messi – Another Enduring Star with a Lucrative Endorsement Portfolio
• Giannis Antetokounmpo – A Rising Star on and off the Field
• Cristiano Ronaldo – A Marketer’s Dream and King of Luxury Brand Endorsements
• Shohei Ohtani – A Rising Star in the World of Sports Endorsements

A History of the Highest Sports Endorsements

Although the aforementioned partnership between Michael Jordan and Nike may be the most renowned and best athlete endorsements of all time, it was by no means the first. In fact, baseball shortstop Honus Wagner was the first ever athlete to endorse a sports product or brand for money, during his 17-year stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bud Hillerich, who was a close friend of Wagner, started producing bats in 1894, complete with the engraved names of their owners. When he began to sell his ‘Louisville Slugger’ to the general public, he reportedly paid Wagner $75 to use his signature on the bats, driving sales and interest in the process. Nowadays, of course, most MLB stars use eponymous clubs and are endorsed for the privilege.

In 1922, iconic golfer and seven-time major winner Gene Sarazen pioneered the decades-long or ‘lifetime’ endorsement deal, which has since been capitalized on by stars like David Beckham. After Sarazen became the first member of the Wilson Advisory Staff, he signed a contract to promote sporting goods that would last for an incredible 75 years.

This remains the longest-running endorsement deal in history, while the peak of the arrangement saw Wilson sell 50,000 units of the ‘R-90 sand wedge’ used by Sarazen when winning the British Open in 1932. This became the most popular club of its type in golf for years, while its development helped to enrich both parties considerably.

The world’s first million-dollar endorsement deal was signed by Don Carter in 1964, when he agreed to endorse Ebonite bowling products. This paved the way for the lucrative endorsements signed by Jordan and similarly high-profile athletes barely 20 years later, and enabled sports stars to simultaneously boost their bank balance and global profile!

A Look at the Best Athlete Endorsements and Highest-Earning Sports Stars

In the current sporting realm, of course, the most accomplished and decorated athletes are signed up to the highest sports endorsements and deals imaginable. In many ways, this is just reward for their on-field accomplishments and longevity, but who were the athletes with the most endorsements and highest value promotional deals in 2024?

Lebron James – Banking $80 Million in Off-Field Earnings in 2024

Despite turning 40 on December 30th, 2024 was an incredible year for NBA legend Lebron James. Not only did the LA Lakers draft Lebron’s son Bronny in June to create the league’s first ever father-son duo, but he also surpassed fellow icon Michael Jordan (562) for the most 30-point games in NBA history. He also continued to extend his lead at the top of the league’s all-time scoring charts, with the power forward having now notched 41,261 points in 1,525 appearances (at a rate of 27.1 per game).

Last year also saw him bank an estimated $80 million in off-field earnings, as his personal net worth grew to an impressive $1.2 billion. The bulk of Lebron’s off-field 2024 earnings were generated through endorsements, including the proceeds from his $1 billion lifetime partnership with Nike. This endorsement is strangely similar to the one agreed by Nike and Michael Jordan back in the 1980s.

‘King James’ also continues to benefit from a multi-year deal with the PepsiCo-owned ‘Lifewtr’ brand, which was signed back in 2022. At the same time, Lebron boasts lucrative endorsement deals with Beats by Dre and Walmart, creating a strong portfolio of deals that actually dwarf his $48.73 million annual salary with the Lakers.

James also remains the largest shareholder in the SpringHill entertainment and production company, which he set up with long-term business partner Maverick Carter in 2020. At the time of writing, James’ stake in the company is thought to be worth $300 million, creating another highly valuable asset for the NBA’s biggest icon.

Lionel Messi – Another Enduring Star with a Lucrative Endorsement Portfolio

Although Lionel Messi’s on-field career may be winding down with Inter Miami in the MLS, he remains one of the most talented and recognizable sports stars in the world. This enabled the diminutive Argentinian to earn $70 million in endorsements and investment dividends last year, placing him just behind Lebron James, according to Forbes.

Once again, brand endorsements were the key driver of Messi’s earnings in 2024, with Adidas, PepsiCo and Budweiser having all agreed deals with the former Barcelona star. The multi-year endorsement by Adidas is especially lucrative, enabling Messi to earn approximately $20.5 million each year on average.

His arrangement with PepsiCo, which has seen Messi star in a number of brand advertisements, secures the Argentine a further $10 in annual payouts. American football fans will also know that Messi starred in a 60-second commercial commissioned by Michelob Ultra-Anheuser-Busch at the 2024 Super Bowl, with this reportedly earning the forward a staggering $14 million alone.

As sports stars endorsements go, being paid such a huge amount for a 60-second commercial appearance surely represents the pinnacle for any established athlete!

Outside of such endorsements, Messi continues to build his business interests and portfolio on a significant scale. To this end, his own clothing line (The Messi Store) continues to be a generative source of supplementary income, while the star’s ‘MiM Hotel’ chain represents another lucrative interest.

Giannis Antetokounmpo – A Rising Star on and оff the Field

While Giannis Antetokounmpo may lack the global profile of NBA rivals Lebron James and Lionel Messi, he managed to earn around $65 million in off-field deals and arrangements last year. He’s certainly among the younger athletes with the most endorsements in the modern age, each of which contributes to a burgeoning net worth of close to $200 million.

Antetokounmpo certainly has a broad portfolio of backers, including Whats App. He was endorsed by the Meta-owned messaging platform in 2022, becoming their first-ever brand partner in the process. This multi-year deal is highly lucrative, while it’s undoubtedly one of the most creative and best athlete endorsements reported in recent times.

The 6-foot, 11-inch power forward also boasts a lucrative endorsement from Nike, which earned him a little over $10 million in 2024. Incredibly, the sportswear brand paid him just $20,000 a year when they first signed him in 2016, only to dramatically increase this after Antetokounmpo’s maiden All-Star campaign the following year. He was the first ever overseas NBA star to earn such a deal and have his image appear on the 2K game cover.

Antetokounmpo also has deals with Hugo Boss and Google, alongside Tissot, 2K Sports and communication giant the T-Mobile network. The ‘Greek Freak’ is just 30 years old too, so he has ample time to build his net worth further and add to his current NBA points haul of 19,476 (which places him just outside the top 50 on the all-time list).

Cristiano Ronaldo – A Marketer’s Dream and King of Luxury Brand Endorsements

Like Lebron James, Cristiano Ronaldo continues to showcase incredible career longevity. He remains enduringly marketable too, despite being a couple of months shy of 40 and currently plying his trade in the less heralded Saudi Pro League. Notwithstanding the lower level of competition, however, he has scored an impressive 81 goals in 90 appearances since signing for Al Nassr in 2022.

Incredibly, his net worth has exceeded $800 million since moving to the Middle East, thanks largely to an annual salary of $200 million and total contract value of $500 million. Of course, such on-field earnings are eye-watering, while they’re also supplemented by a huge portfolio of endorsements from some of the world’s leading brands.

The biggest endorsement comes from Nike, who have sponsored the Portuguese forward since his first move to Manchester United in 2003. A lifetime agreement was signed in 2016, with this worth an estimated $1 billion and equal to the endorsements awarded to the aforementioned Michael Jordan and Lebron James.

Ronaldo has also earned a reputation for being endorsed by luxury brands, including Swiss watch manufacturers Tag Heuer and Armani. The latter brand was keen to capitalize on Ronaldo’s enduringly impressive physique and profile, which is currently bolstered by a strong social media presence and more than 629 million Instagram followers.

R7 is also renowned for his obsessively fit and healthy lifestyle, which has been central to his extended career success. To this end, 2013 saw him team up with Herbalife, which is a wellness and nutrition firm that has experienced immense successful and commercial growth as a direct result of the collaboration.

Shohei Ohtani – A Rising Star in the World of Sports Endorsements

Last, but not least, we come to Shohei Ohtani. Star of the Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, this Japanese star excelled during the 2024 campaign and emerged as one of the best designated hitters in the MLB. In fact, the 30-year-old struck 54 home runs last season (second only to Aaron Judge), while contributing 134 runs in total and topping the table for this metric.

He hit the headlines in the 2024 off-season too, when he signed the richest contract in the history of North American professional sports. This deal will see him bank $700 million over the course of a bumper 10-year deal with the Dodgers, securing his future financially and setting a benchmark for other key players in the MLB.

Like Ronaldo, Ohtani also accounted for some of the highest sports endorsements in 2024. One of his biggest deals is with footwear brand New Balance, with Ohtani among the first athletes to be sponsored by the manufacturer in January 2023. This has helped to nudge the player’s total net worth north of $50 million for the first time.

Ohtani also represents the Japanese watch brand Seiko. This collaboration boosted the former’s bank balance in 2024, while also leading to the launch of two limited-edition Prospex watches. Across all athletes and their endorsements, Ohtani represents a genuine rising star, and it will be interesting to see how his commercial career continues to thrive in the coming years!