Nike's Yen for Tiger Grows: WNBA's Ladies

Brandweek, June 26, 2000 by Terry Lefton

With industry pundits starting to compare Tiger Woods' effect on golf to Michael Jordan's on the NBA during his illustrious career, Nike is close to re-signing the recent U.S. Open champ to a new long-term apparel/footwear deal that insiders said will dwarf his existing $40 million deal and may include some equity provisions. Meanwhile the SAG/Aftra strike continues to delay a number of scheduled Tiger ad shoots, including ones for Buick, Nike and Wheaties.

While negotiating a new contract, Nike was in the unfortunate position of having their post-Michael poster boy play the best golf of his career during his historic win at the recent U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Still, with Tiger clad head to toe in Nikewear throughout, the residual exposure may have been worth more than any contract.

The WNBA season may have started in late May, but Venator is in as the league's final corporate sponsor. The three-year renewal grants the shoe retailer two spots on national WNBA telecasts on NBC, ESPN and Lifetime, rotational signage for its Lady Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker stores via ANC. The agreement also lands some WNBA licensed product at Lady Foot, which had an exclusive distribution deal via former WNBA licensee Champion for the distaff league's early years. Venator is supporting via WNBA-specific ads for Foot Locker and Lady Foot Locker stores with a spot that uses Tom Jones' "She's a Lady" as backdrop to highlights from game footage.

The deal covers more than 2,500 units of Foot Locker, Lady Foot Locker and Kids Foot Locker; excluded are Venator's 570 Champs stores.

With Nike exiting as an on-field licensee of the NFL, which rejected a proposal for a joint venture that would have given the Eager Beavertons a complete exclusive on licensed togs, rival Champion, a former NFL licensee, is suiting up to play. Sources said Champion, which Sara Lee officially put up for sale earlier this year, has signed a preliminary deal that would get up to five teams wearing Champion-branded uniforms on-field by the 2001 season.

The current agreement expires at the end of the upcoming season. Incumbents Puma/Logo and Adidas are expected to return and the NFL is also courting Reebok. A sign of the times: the league has been telling potential and existing licensees that any deals will only last one year, in deference to the uncertainty of the renewal of the NFL Trust, the document which cedes club licensing and marketing rights to the league.

Will Nike's exit (which some still read as a negotiating ploy) mean the entrance of more small- to medium-sized companies as on-field licensees? "We're open to any deal that makes economic sense," said Majestic Athletic svp Faust Capobianco IV.

Meanwhile, Champion is also close to signing a one-year deal with a two-year option as the exclusive uniform supplier for all XFL teams, creating an intriguing state of affairs wherein the Champion logo will likely be playing with both leagues. Sources also report that Bike is close to completing a deal to be the new league's helmet supplier.

Pillsbury has inked a pair of U.S. Women's Soccer Team players--Carla Overbeck. and Joy Fawcett--for a retail recipe promo set to run across multiple brands during the Olympics in September, where the American team is a favorite to repeat its Women's World Cup Championship from last summer. Playing off the fact that both women are moms and soccer players, recipe cards are expected to be included in grocery aisle displays.

Extra Innings: Nightmare for one marketer following last week's Lakers victory and ensuing rioting: An A.P. photo of an exuberant fan walking off with his own Hack a Shaq, a piece of an O'Neal standee, as fire burned in the background ... With the upcoming July 11 All-Star Game in Atlanta, Major League Baseball has got a few more incumbent sponsors involved. Season ticket.com will title All-Star Sunday, which includes a celebrity hitting contest and the futures game that showcases top minor leaguers. And Claritin will title Monday's workout day ... New Jersey Nets artistic point guard Stephon Marbury, now repped by David Falk and SFX Sports, was close to a deal that would have returned him to And 1 as an endorser, but the proposed pact fell through. After what was reported as a $150,000 diamond necklace was stolen from around his neck last week, you'd think Marbury could use the money.