SPORTSWATCH
Archives | Email alertsApril 25, 2012, 12:01 a.m. EDT
Newcomers shake up track sponsorship deals
Nike, Adidas, Puma, giants of the sport, face track and field sponsor challenges
By Sara GermanoNEW YORK (MarketWatch) — The track and field events at the Olympic Games conjure thoughts of glory and glamour. But while there’s plenty of glory, for many U.S. athletes the glamour’s less than you’d expect.
Most get by on endorsements doled out by the $6.5 billion running shoe industry that are so meager that many of the country’s top athletes earn less than $15,000 a year and have contracts that limit their sponsorship options and cut their income if they do badly on the track.
