Decades-old partnership between golf legend Tiger Woods and Nike ends

Golf legend Tiger Woods and Nike have decided to splitafter being partners for 27 years. Both announced the breakup on their social media handles, with Woods saying he was fortunate to join hands with one of the iconic brands worldwide.Nike, on their Instagram handle, bid adieu to Woods, saying he challenged everything and everyone and that Nike is grateful for the partnership.

“Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world,” Woods wrote on X.

Woods added, “There will certainly be another chapter.”

“Tiger, you challenged your competition, stereotypes, conventions, the old school way of thinking. You challenged the entire institution of golf. You challenged us. And most of all, yourself. And for that challenge we’re grateful,” Nike said on its Instagram handle.

For the past two decades, Woods and Nike have been synonymous with each other, from when he went pro in 1996, to winning his first major tournament in 11 years in 2019.

In 1996, Nike even launched the iconic ‘Hello World’ commercial, based on Woods'professional debut, where he started the presser with, “I guess, hello world, huh?”

Meanwhile, his relationship with Nike stayed intact even though several top brands decided to split up with Woods following his sex scandal and DUI arrest in 2017.

Although, at one point, Woods'Nike deal was worth $20 million a year, it grew ten-fold to $200 million a year in 2013 after Woods had signed multiple deals with the shoe brand for nearly three decades.

Why is Nike separating from Woods?

Eric Smallwood, the president of Apex Marketing Group - a sports and entertainment firm that evaluates sponsorships and advertising campaigns, raised questions over the shock split up, asking if this happened because Tiger is nearing the end of his career.

“Woods is synonymous with golf. Nike has stuck with him through his life trials and his comebacks,” he said. “Woods can play as long as he wants to in the PGA and then the Senior PGA. Look how long Nike has held on to Michael Jordan. He hasn’t played in over 20 years.”