Endorsement Deals
In 2013 McIlroy signed a sponsorship deal with Nike worth $250m, highlighting his status as a modern sporting icon. McIlroy’s iconic status has also lead to him facing several advertising campaigns, most notably Santander. This is further proof that McIlroy is one of the elite sportsmen and the wold and is instantly recognisable. Although Spieth is not yet as well-known as McIlroy, he has recently signed a host of sponsorship deals with the likes of Rolex, NetJets and Under Armour. These deals show that while Spieth cannot currently command the same fee as McIlroy for endorsing a product, his profile is rising and several major companies are now willing to pay the young American to be associated with them.
Social Media Presence
McIlroy is one of the biggest sport starts in the world and this is reflected in the presence he has on social media. He currently has 2.48 million followers on twitter and his Facebook page has over 890,000 likes. In comparison, Spieth only has 425,oo followers on Twitter and has over 200,00 likes on his Facebook page. While this is small in comparison to McIlroy, it remains quite high in comparison with other golf stars and as the young American’s profiles continues to grow he can expect to pick up many more fans on social networking sites. However, for now it is clealy McIlroy who has the edge when it comes to having a large online fan base.