Adidas AG plans to sharply ramp up its endorsements of NFL and MLB players in the next few years, Adidas North American President Mark King said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. The report stated Adidas will sign as many as 250 NFL players and 250 MLB players for
endorsement deals over the next three years, up from a total of fewer
than 40 now.
The increased spend comes as Adidas recently reached deals with both the NFL and MLB that
will allow players it endorses to wear the company’s three-stripe
logos on the equipment they wear on the field.
Current Adidas-sponsored football players include DeMarco Murray, Von Miller, Robert Griffin III, Frank Gore, Eric Berry, Sammy Watkins and Jimmy Graham. Its current MLB lineup includes BJ and Justin Upton, Coco Crisp and Chase Utley.
