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> According to 2019 data from the athlete marketing platform Opendorse, only about 70 athletes in the world make at least a million dollars a year in endorsemen

> According to 2019 data from the athlete marketing platform Opendorse, only about 70 athletes in the world make at least a million dollars a year in endorsement deals. McBeth’s endorsement income from Discraft alone puts him on par with Bears linebacker Khalil Mack, Jazz guard Mike Conley Jr., and Astros pitcher Justin Verlander. This doesn't pass the smell test at all. Opendorse doesn't give any transparency into how they arrived at those numbers; they could be pulled from thin air, and Opendorse are clearly ignoring some sports. For example, there are zero NHL players on the list despite Forbes listing at least 10 players who should be on that list, including several who make well over a million in endorsements. I'd wager there are an order of magnitude more than 70 athletes with $1 million+ in endorsements.

natrik 5y ago
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- function_seven 5y ago
  Those aren't endorsement deals, though. That's their salary.
- dghlsakjg 5y ago
  Endorsement deals are a whole different ballgame than salary
rohitb91 5y ago
It would be mind blowing if Crosby isn’t making at least a million from those crappy Tim Hortons commercials.
pcthrowaway 5y ago
I'm also skeptical. There are no rock climbers on this list. Climbing is still a relatively niche sport (though depending on where you are, it might be one of the most popular), but I'd wager participants collectively spend as much on climbing equipment as many more popular sports. The gear is quite expensive, and for safety reasons, much of it needs to be replaced with relative regularity. You'd be hard-pressed to find a sport where people who don't compete at any level spend $500-2000 per year on equipment (though skiing might give it a run for its money, especially when other expenses of skiing are taken into consideration) As a result, 'professional' rock climbers (many of whom counterintuitively don't participate in competitive climbing), court a wide variety of sponsorships.
- cjonas 5y ago
  In skiing, only a few individuals at the very top make any real money. Most "professional skiers" just get free gear and travel budgets to film a segment or go to competitions. To be a professional, you either have to be a massive dirtbag, or have a trust fund; and the former has gotten much harder these days. Same deal for professional climbers, AFIAK. I also disagree in that climbing seems quite affordable compared to other outdoor recreation. Shoes and ropes are the biggest wearable expenses (the latter of which you can split with your partner). You can even get a trad rack for ~500$ that will last you a decade (minus replacing a stuck piece occasionally). Most importantly, climbing outside is free. When I walk out of my house to go skiing, I probably have close to 7k in gear on me, all of which has to be replaced every 2-5 seasons :(
  - pcthrowaway 5y ago
    Sponsored climbers are quite common. Climbers who would have no chance of winning a competition and are climbing nowhere near the frontier of the sport can become sponsored; it's often about building connections and a name for themselves (perhaps for being really good at one specific move, or doing some first ascents in a remote area). I think very few climbers have made $1 million in a year from sponsorships. But if I had to guess, I'd say Alex Honnold and Lynn Hill have (and perhaps a handful of a few others). Sure, it's probably not $1mm every year, but I'd be surprised if they're not making that some years. Right now, the climbing "industry" is also going through a massive boom which has led to hundreds of new gear companies, so this might be the most lucrative time ever to be a sponsored rock climber. And yes, it's not the most expensive sport either, I already acknowledged skiing is likely more expensive. As someone who climbs outside 30-50 times a year I personally would need to spend ~$400/year just to keep up with replacing helmets, harnesses, ropes, slings, shoes, and misc. lost/broken/damaged gear. It's more because I'm adding to my trad rack constantly, but I know lots of climbers who spend roughly this amount every year, none of whom climb competitively or professionally. And you can get a trad rack for $500 (in the U.S.), but that would just be single cams from .3-3 with carabiners, a nut tool, and a handful of slings and nuts. And you'd still have to buy it used. Add in quickdraws, double cams, more nuts, and other gear (guidebooks, bouldering pads, totems, offsets, hexes, tricams, UFOs, aiders, big bros, portledges, pulleys, ascenders, haul bags), and as a non-professional climber, it can be very easy to spend >$1000/year. Compare this with a soccer player who plays a couple of pickup games every week. Even if soccer is a much more popular sport for people to play/watch, it's easy to imagine how the same amount of money could be spent on climbing gear collectively.
ameetgaitonde 5y ago
Yeah, the article seems to reference this post: https://opendorse.com/blog/top-100-highest-paid-athlete-endorsers-2019/ https://opendorse.com/blog/top-100-highest-paid-athlete-endo... Yet, this article from Sports Illustrated claims Derrick Rose and John Wall have multi-million dollar endorsement deals with Adidas that would have been active in 2019. https://www.si.com/nba/2018/02/06/derrick-rose-adidas-sneaker-contract-details-cavaliers-knicks-bulls https://www.si.com/nba/2018/02/06/derrick-rose-adidas-sneake... This article from Forbes claims footballers like Sergio Ramos and Luis Suárez earned more than $1 million through endorsements in 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2019/06/18/the-worlds-highest-paid-soccer-players-2019-messi-ronaldo-and-neymar-dominate-the-sporting-world/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2019/06/18/the... It might not be an order of magnitude, but there are certainly many more professional athletes who earned more than $1 million in endorsements in 2019.
- ameetgaitonde 5y ago
  On second thought, judging by the endorsement deals of these tennis players in 2019, maybe it is an order of magnitude greater: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/08/26/highest-paid-tennis-players-roger-federer/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/08/26/high...
frogpelt 5y ago
I’m thinking they cherry-picked some names that aren’t worried about endorsement deals. It’s a silly comparison. Mike Conley Jr. makes about $30m/year salary. He may not be that interested in endorsements.

natrik 5y ago

function_seven 5y ago
Those aren't endorsement deals, though. That's their salary.
dghlsakjg 5y ago
Endorsement deals are a whole different ballgame than salary

rohitb91 5y ago

It would be mind blowing if Crosby isn’t making at least a million from those crappy Tim Hortons commercials.

pcthrowaway 5y ago

I'm also skeptical. There are no rock climbers on this list. Climbing is still a relatively niche sport (though depending on where you are, it might be one of the most popular), but I'd wager participants collectively spend as much on climbing equipment as many more popular sports. The gear is quite expensive, and for safety reasons, much of it needs to be replaced with relative regularity. You'd be hard-pressed to find a sport where people who don't compete at any level spend $500-2000 per year on equipment (though skiing might give it a run for its money, especially when other expenses of skiing are taken into consideration) As a result, 'professional' rock climbers (many of whom counterintuitively don't participate in competitive climbing), court a wide variety of sponsorships.

cjonas 5y ago
In skiing, only a few individuals at the very top make any real money. Most "professional skiers" just get free gear and travel budgets to film a segment or go to competitions. To be a professional, you either have to be a massive dirtbag, or have a trust fund; and the former has gotten much harder these days. Same deal for professional climbers, AFIAK. I also disagree in that climbing seems quite affordable compared to other outdoor recreation. Shoes and ropes are the biggest wearable expenses (the latter of which you can split with your partner). You can even get a trad rack for ~500$ that will last you a decade (minus replacing a stuck piece occasionally). Most importantly, climbing outside is free. When I walk out of my house to go skiing, I probably have close to 7k in gear on me, all of which has to be replaced every 2-5 seasons :(
- pcthrowaway 5y ago
  Sponsored climbers are quite common. Climbers who would have no chance of winning a competition and are climbing nowhere near the frontier of the sport can become sponsored; it's often about building connections and a name for themselves (perhaps for being really good at one specific move, or doing some first ascents in a remote area). I think very few climbers have made $1 million in a year from sponsorships. But if I had to guess, I'd say Alex Honnold and Lynn Hill have (and perhaps a handful of a few others). Sure, it's probably not $1mm every year, but I'd be surprised if they're not making that some years. Right now, the climbing "industry" is also going through a massive boom which has led to hundreds of new gear companies, so this might be the most lucrative time ever to be a sponsored rock climber. And yes, it's not the most expensive sport either, I already acknowledged skiing is likely more expensive. As someone who climbs outside 30-50 times a year I personally would need to spend ~$400/year just to keep up with replacing helmets, harnesses, ropes, slings, shoes, and misc. lost/broken/damaged gear. It's more because I'm adding to my trad rack constantly, but I know lots of climbers who spend roughly this amount every year, none of whom climb competitively or professionally. And you can get a trad rack for $500 (in the U.S.), but that would just be single cams from .3-3 with carabiners, a nut tool, and a handful of slings and nuts. And you'd still have to buy it used. Add in quickdraws, double cams, more nuts, and other gear (guidebooks, bouldering pads, totems, offsets, hexes, tricams, UFOs, aiders, big bros, portledges, pulleys, ascenders, haul bags), and as a non-professional climber, it can be very easy to spend >$1000/year. Compare this with a soccer player who plays a couple of pickup games every week. Even if soccer is a much more popular sport for people to play/watch, it's easy to imagine how the same amount of money could be spent on climbing gear collectively.

ameetgaitonde 5y ago

Yeah, the article seems to reference this post: https://opendorse.com/blog/top-100-highest-paid-athlete-endorsers-2019/ https://opendorse.com/blog/top-100-highest-paid-athlete-endo... Yet, this article from Sports Illustrated claims Derrick Rose and John Wall have multi-million dollar endorsement deals with Adidas that would have been active in 2019. https://www.si.com/nba/2018/02/06/derrick-rose-adidas-sneaker-contract-details-cavaliers-knicks-bulls https://www.si.com/nba/2018/02/06/derrick-rose-adidas-sneake... This article from Forbes claims footballers like Sergio Ramos and Luis Suárez earned more than $1 million through endorsements in 2019. https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2019/06/18/the-worlds-highest-paid-soccer-players-2019-messi-ronaldo-and-neymar-dominate-the-sporting-world/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2019/06/18/the... It might not be an order of magnitude, but there are certainly many more professional athletes who earned more than $1 million in endorsements in 2019.

ameetgaitonde 5y ago
On second thought, judging by the endorsement deals of these tennis players in 2019, maybe it is an order of magnitude greater: https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/08/26/highest-paid-tennis-players-roger-federer/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/08/26/high...

frogpelt 5y ago

I’m thinking they cherry-picked some names that aren’t worried about endorsement deals. It’s a silly comparison. Mike Conley Jr. makes about $30m/year salary. He may not be that interested in endorsements.