Globally, Tiger Woods is #1 with $65 million annually in endorsements.
By Deepak Chitnis
WASHINGTON, DC: India’s national cricket team captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, is now the highest-paid sportsperson in India when it comes to brand endorsements, commanding a fee upward of Rs. 13 crore (roughly $2,150,000) to have his name and face associated with a product.
Dhoni’s ascension to the endorsement throne means that he has officially overtaken teammate Virat Kohli, who previously held the title. The captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL team, Kohli’s highest-paying endorsement comes from Adidas, through a contract he signed last year which pays him Rs. 10 crore. Ironically, that contract actually put Kohli, 25, ahead of Dhoni, who was already the highest-paid athlete endorser and was commanding Rs. 8 crore.
Now that Dhoni, 32, has entered the double-digit crore realm, he trails only one person when it comes to celebrity endorsements: Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, whose fees can go as high as Rs. 15 crore for each brand he endorses.
Dhoni’s rise in endorsement money is credited to the success the Indian cricket team has experienced lately. Even though the team lost the T-20 series to Sri Lanka last week, India is still a formidable presence on the world stage, and Dhoni receives much of that credit.
Over the course of his career, Dhoni has endorsed brands such as PepsiCo., Reebok, Brylcreem hair product, Bharat Petroleum, NDTV, and several others. Kohli, in addition to his deal with Adidas, is also a brand representative of TVS Motors, PepsiCo., Toyota Motors, Nestle’s Munch Bar, and the Fair and Lovely Men’s beauty product.
Globally, Dhoni ranks #16 in terms of the highest-paid athletes, and is the top-earning Indian or Indian-origin athlete on the list of Forbes’ Highest-Paid Athletes of 2014. Dhoni pulls down $33.5 million in annual earnings, of which $30 million come from endorsement deals. The only other desi on the list is Sachin Tendulkar, who recently retired from his historic cricket career. Tendulkar came in at #51, with $22 million in total yearly earnings, of which $18 million are from endorsements.
Despite all his recent personal and professional woes, Tiger Woods is still the highest-paid athlete in the world, with a whopping $65 million in endorsement deals contributing to his $78.1 million in total annual earnings. Tennis star Roger Federer is #2, and also brings in $65 million in endorsements, but slightly less total income – $71.5 million. Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant is #3, with $34 million in endorsements and $61.9 million in total earnings.
Number four is reigning NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) LeBron James, whose endorsements earn him $42 million per year. Rounding out the top five is New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who makes $11 million annually from endorsement deals. The rest of the top ten goes as follows: Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers ($6 million in endorsements, $49 million total), golfer Phil Mickelson ($44 million in endorsements, $48.7 million overall), David Beckham ($42 million in endorsements, $47.2 million overall), soccer stars Cristiano Ronaldo ($21 million in endorsements, $44 million overall), and Lionel Messi ($21 million in endorsements, $41.3 million overall).