By Rick Horrow and Karla Swatek
July 13, 2012
Although he didn’t win Wimbledon, Andy Murray’s first time trip to the men’s final should mean big bucks for the British tennis star. According to some sports marketing experts, while winning Wimbledon could have been worth more than $100 million in newfound endorsement and appearance money over the course of Murray’s career, his appearance in the finals will create new opportunities as well.
Ironically, Murray wore clothing by Fred Perry, the last Brit to win the Wimbledon men’s championship, in 1936, before switching to adidas in 2009 in a deal that reportedly pays him over $4 million a year. Murray earns about $2 million more annually from his other sponsors Head and Royal Bank of Scotland, and the Scottish working class hero popular with younger fans is thought to pull in an additional $1 million from appearances and exhibitions.
Tickets for Murray’s Wimbledon semifinal match against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga were changing hands for more than $5,000, while some men’s final tickets were selling for more than $40,000. London Olympics officials can only hope the excitement carries over into their tournament later this month.
