Top 7 Biggest Sports Sponsorship Deals in History

7. Steph Curry and Under Armour: $215 million

Golden State Warriors’s Steph Curry. The point guard signed a $215 million deal with sports brand Under Armour back in 2013, and is the only athlete to have launched signature shoes with the brand.

6. Rory McIlroy and Nike: $250 million

The first golfer on our list is former number one Rory McIlroy, who penned a 10-year, $250 million deal with Nike in 2013 — the record for a British sportsperson.

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4. Lionel Messi and Adidas: $1 billion

Not to be outdone by his perennial rival Cristiano Ronaldo, football mega star Lionel Messi signed what is believed to be a similarly lucrative lifetime deal with Adidas in 2017.

3. LeBron James and Nike: $1 billion

As you will have noticed, there’s a trend when it comes to Nike, as they are by far the world’s largest sponsor of athletes. Like Jordan and Ronaldo, basketball icon LeBron James has also signed a lifetime deal with the sports giant.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo and Nike: $1 billion

Next up is football megastar Cristiano Ronaldo, who signed a $1 billion lifetime contract with Nike in 2016. While the Portuguese maestro has been contracted to the sports giant since 2003, he became just the third person to be awarded a lifetime contract with Nike.

1. Michael Jordan and Nike: $1.3 billion

The Michael Jordan and Nike partnership is one of the most famous and lucrative sponsorship deals of all time, let alone sports sponsorship deals.