Women’s World Cup: How Sam Kerr can capitalise on multimillion-dollar moment

A Sam Kerr goal in the Matildas’ World Cup opener won’t only be a win for the team on the night. It could just set her up for life.

Is Sam Kerr about to have her Cathy Freeman moment? Picture: AP Photo/Michael Probst

Sam Kerr can create the same iconic moment as Cathy Freeman’s Olympic gold-medal winning run at the FIFA Women’s World Cup starting today, and set herself up for multimillion-dollar sponsorship deals well into retirement, industry experts say.

The Matildas captain leads Australia against Ireland in the opening match of the World Cup at Sydney’s Accor Stadium, and the atmosphere will be like Freeman’s memorable 400-metre race at the Sydney 2000 Games.

Sports marketing guru Kate Lalak says if Kerr scores in front of 80,000 fans, the moment will carry the same legacy as Freeman’s victory.

“People still talk about where they were when they watched that race with Cathy Freeman at the Olympics, it’s something you’ll always remember,” said Lalak, the former head of marketing and commercial at Sydney FC and Ticketek, who also ran multiple channels for Foxtel.

“There’s a sold out stadium on Thursday night, everyone will watch to see Sam Kerr score a goal. Everyone wants the Matildas to win of course, but they want to be there for that magical moment if she scores a goal.

“I remember my first year Sydney FC, we brought out LA Galaxy, and I jokingly told my friend Clint Bolton, who was the goalkeeper, ‘You can’t stop David Beckham’s free-kick, everyone’s coming here to watch that’.

“People have that expectation of Sam Kerr, she is that person where everyone wants the team to win, but the ideal scenario is to watch her score a goal.”

Kerr’s marketability seems to be ever-increasing. Picture: Chris Hyde – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

Professor Con Stavros from RMIT University agreed.

“I’m getting notes ready for my students in the sports marketing class next week on that, there was enormous pressure on Cathy Freeman and she absolutely delivered,” said Professor Stavros, the university’s head of Marketing and Deputy Dean (Learning & Teaching), Course Coordinator Sport Marketing.

“We’re 23 years later and Con Stavros’ sports marketing lecture still goes back to that. It tells you how enduring the whole thing has been.

“It’s different because it’s a team sport, Sam will be the first to say it’s all about the team.

“But Sam is used to the big stage.

“We’ve had rugby World Cups and cricket World Cups here before, but this is a different level; South America can win this, Europe can win this, North America can win, Asia can win this competition.

“I think once we get to the knockout stage, the country will become enchanted and entranced.”

It’s fitting, then, that Freeman personally met with Kerr and her Matildas teammates this week to inspire them for the campaign.

Learning from the best 🙏🏽#Matildaspic.twitter.com/K29gBtqP1Y

— CommBank Matildas (@TheMatildas) July 18, 2023

Lalak is an expert in placing a dollar value on employees and businesses.

But she said while it’s impossible to calculate Kerr’s market value right now because of vastly structured deals she’ll be offered, she is already on par with our highest-profile athletes like Nick Kyrgios, Ben Simmons and retired tennis great Ash Barty who earn tens of millions.

Kerr has a $1.5 million contract with Chelsea, a $1 million endorsement deal with Nike, and several other sponsorship deals but after this World Cup offers are set to explode.

“For me, 100 per cent she’s already there, if you look at what she’s already achieved in terms of winning the Golden Boot in three different leagues, the Medal of the Order of Australia, the five MVPs, she tops the league in scoring constantly, and she’s been doing it for years,” Lalak said.

“This is not something she’s started doing in the last 12 months, so she should be earning that money already in terms of what other sports stars are earning.

“Take Ash Barty out because she’s retired, if you look at Kyrgios and Simmons, there’s a lot of controversy around them, there’s a risk for brands to invest in them, for me there is very little risk in investing in Kerr.

Nick Kyrgios has been a longstanding ambassador for Nike. Picture: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images

“If I was still running a marketing budget like I used to, I would absolutely be looking at her as a brand ambassador, and I’d be getting in now because I expect her value to skyrocket after the tournament.

“If I was working for a global brand, I’d use her globally, because she has global relevance. “She’s an ambassador not just in Australia, not just for herself, she’s an ambassador for women’s football globally, which is huge.

“You just add a zero to the contract when you’re able to use someone across the world like that.

“I’m primarily in the business of helping people and businesses get paid what they’re worth, by helping them quantify their value and then communicate it, whether that’s an employee, or a business selling services.

“It’s hard to put a dollar value on Sam Kerr because it depends what you want from that person, for how long, and where, but the unique situation for Sam is that there are very few footballers globally who are brand ambassadors.

“So it means companies can come in and do something unique partnering with her, because ultimately you bring a brand ambassador on to come in and help sell more products or services, and leveraging the value that person has built up in their own brand.

“Hers is just exceptional in terms of what she offers; she has so much authenticity, a broad appeal, and a very strong sentiment around the positivity of what she represents. She’s a really vocal advocate for some topics that are really important today, in terms of equality and diversity.

“People are very purpose-driven in terms of what they do. There are the obvious ones like Nike which she is already doing and a brand she’s wearing, but I think there’s an opportunity for other companies to use the other side of her, and her brand strength and appeal she has.

“Whether you do a one-year or multi-year deal, how much access you have to her, whether you use her for TV ads or player appearances, that’s where the dollar value will get calculated.”

Kerr, who is proudly gay and a strong advocate for gender and sexual equality, has scored 63 goals in 120 games for Australia, and 90 goals in 116 matches for Chelsea.

“The only person I would compare her to is Ash Barty, she had that really clean image, and she had a global profile, and a strong advocate for her Indigenous background, as is Sam Kerr for the person she is and what she stands for,” Lalak said.

“They’re very similar, it’s all good to be a great person but actually they’re both extraordinary athletes.

“In tennis thankfully the prizemoney in most major tournaments is finally equalling the men, that’s not the case in football yet. And the Matildas put out an announcement requesting equal pay from FIFA, hopefully that will happen in the next couple of years.

“So that will increase her value. You look at what she’s earning as the top-paid player in the world, compared to males in the EPL, it pales, so there is a lot of opportunities for that to increase. But for me, her biggest opportunity is in sponsorship.”

Kerr’s global star-status has more eyes on her than ever before. Picture: Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

Professor Stavros added: “It’s not just that she plays for a huge club like Chelsea, or captaining the home country at a World Cup and has a chance of winning it, it’s the brand; there will be a line-up of companies happy to align themselves with her.

“She made the cover of FIFA23, which is the biggest selling franchise in the video games market, she’s on the cover of the Ultimate Edition alongside Kylian Mbappe who is the biggest name in that sport at the moment, the fact she’s been able to cut through speaks to her global position.

“She’s got this World Cup, and probably another one to follow, so she’s got longevity. And women’s football is booming, she will drive that boom and ride that boom. As the revenue expands, the people at the forefront get the lion’s share of that.

“It sets her up post-career, brands these days – particularly with superstar athletes – it’s not like ‘Your playing days are over, thanks very much, we’ll go our separate ways’. You get opportunities as a brand ambassador and post-career, whether she works in the media, or corporate events, you can continue the alignment with Nike and others, I think it’s going to sit very well with her.

“She’s a goalscorer, that always help marketing wise, but when you see her playing she looks like she’s enjoying herself for most of the time, it doesn’t look like a job for her, there is a sparkle. Brands love that attitude and confidence that comes with it.

“And clearly, she’s inspiring a young generation.”

Originally published as Women’s World Cup: How Sam Kerr can capitalise on multimillion-dollar moment