Hamilton to sign $20m Reebok deal
05/13/08 This rumor is upgraded to 'fact'. Lewis Hamilton is once again counting the price of fame after striking a $20 million deal with sportswear giants Reebok.
Hamilton's deal with Reebok, who are owned by German company Adidas, is a major coup for his father and manager, Anthony. He has been trying to wriggle his son free of the straitjacket traditionally imposed by McLaren in an attempt to limit their drivers' personal endorsements.
A team spokesman said: "Any marketing activity undertaken by Lewis on behalf of Reebok will be fully consistent with his existing obligations to McLaren, and will run in complete cooperation with Lewis's primary marketing commitments to the team and its partners."
Hamilton's exclusive Reebok stable includes football star Thierry Henry, basketball hero Allen Iverson as well as British boxing hope Amir Khan. Two of the racer's rap favorites, 50 Cent and Jay-Z, are also on the books.
The multi-year contract confirms Formula One's most marketable driver status as the 23-year-old who wants for nothing. As well as his $20m-plus McLaren salary, he has pocketed around $4M from HarperCollins for his autobiography, Lewis Hamilton: My Story. Daily Mail
05/13/08
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| Lewis Hamilton in Turkey |
| McLaren |
(GMM) Lewis Hamilton is to sign a lucrative personal sponsorship deal with Reebok.
The multi-million dollar deal, which is yet to be finalized or confirmed, is believed to be similar to the British sportswear brand's approximately $20m apiece 'global brand ambassador' agreements with footballers Thierry Henry and Andrei Shevchenko and boxer Amir Khan.
The marketing publication Brand Republic claims that McLaren, which does not usually allow its drivers to seek personal sponsors, has made an exception in this case because 23-year-old Hamilton is "one of sport's most marketable stars".
Reebok is owned by Adidas.