Tokyo Olympics 2021: Aussie athletes set to cash on on Games

Gold medal hauls and breakout performances in Tokyo don’t just earn the admiration of Australians. These are the Aussie athletes set for mega pay days after the Olympics.

The Tokyo Games have opened up new golden opportunities for Aussie athletes, with some of our best competitors and personalities set for lucrative commercial deals when they get home.

Sports managers say athletes such as Sam Kerr, Ariarne Titmus, Emma McKeon, Cate Campbell, Peter Bol, Jess Fox and Logan Martin can expect significant interest from companies eager to sign them up.

Sporting achievements, a strong work ethic and great personalities are what the companies will be looking for.

Leading sports manager James Erskine, chairman of Sports and Entertainment Limited, said corporates would be looking now at which athletes they wanted to align themselves with.

He said several swimmers, including Olympic debutante (and dual gold medallist) Titmus, McKeon and Campbell, would be of interest, as would 800m finalist Bol, who moved to Australia from Sudan, via Egypt.

“He has a really interesting story, he’s a really endearing character,’’ Erskine said.

He said women in particular were in a strong position to land good deals after these Olympics, and he expected interest to come from major banks, insurance companies and car companies keen to sign them up.

“The girls in particular will get really good contracts out of this,’’ he said.

“Titmus already has Harvey Norman.

“Cate Campbell can have an unbelievable career in the commercial world. She has tremendous potential going forwards.’’

Australian canoe star Jess Fox won her elusive gold medal in her third Olympics.

Medallists in the new sports, including BMX gold winner Logan Martin, would also appeal to the youth market, and would be of interest overseas.

“You’d expect they would do very well like the top surfers do,’’ Erskine said.

“They have opportunities because they cross borders really well, the guys and the girls.’’

Erskine said it was difficult for Australian athletes to get support from international companies.

He said golfer Greg Norman was probably the most successful Australia to land international endorsements, followed by motocross rider Chad Reed, who is huge in the United States.

Erskine urged athletes not to grab short-term deals to do commercials, and to employ managers to help them plan long-term careers.

He said corporates were looking to sign athletes with likeable personalities, a great work ethic and who sincerely wanted to work with their companies.

An international example is pint-sized skateboard star Sky Brown, who is already believed to be worth around $5 million, despite being just 13 years old.

Born in Japan to a Japanese mother and a British father, Sky lives in San Diego but competed for Great Britain, where she took bronze.

Ariarne Titmus made a huge name for herslef in the pool at Tokyo. Picture: Getty Images

Her father Stuart is a marketing executive, and has elevated Sky’s global appeal by social media to the point the teen now has a million followers on Instagram. The YouTube channel she shares with her brother Ocean, nine, has racked up 20 million views.

Sporting marketing expert Con Stavros, Associate Dean at RMIT University in Melbourne, said it was helpful for athletes’ commercial success if they had already “done the hard part of building up their ‘fandom’ through social media.’’

He said winning gold was probably not enough on its own for an athlete to score major endorsements, unless the sport was particularly high profile.

“Athletes don’t compete to cash-in of course, with their sacrifices and headstrong pursuit to become the best in the world an enormous cost given the dedication required. Nonetheless, leveraging a successful sporting career into a marketable personal brand is very common and athletes deserve that opportunity and more,’’ he said.

“Athletes need to sustain the success in regular, ongoing events to avoid fading from view, and also ensure that their own personality matches that of potential sponsors.

Peter Bol didn’t win a medal but he won plenty of Australian hearts with his Olympics performance. Picture: Getty Images

“Sponsors want athletes who are likeable, personable, unlikely to get into any untoward trouble, who are not overexposed with other brands, and who can provide some kind of fit, whether emotional or rational, to the products they will be associated with.

“Financial institutions for example might want athletes who are perceived as consistently solid performers, while energy drinks might want those who push the boundaries of adventure.

Stavros said the entire Australian swim team was “marketing perfection’’ given its national profile and the athletes presented themselves

He nominated Titmus and McKeon as two standouts for “marketing stardom.’’

“However Emma is top of the list for me. Emma has a simple line on her CV – Australia’s most successful Olympian - which is marketing gold. What brand wouldn’t want an association with her? The challenge for Emma, and her management team, will be to make the right choices, keeping the list of brands and opportunities measured and focused on long-term relationships that suit her style.’’

Stavros agreed Martin, the first gold medallist in BMX freestyle, would also likely find financial success, given his 400,000 Instagram followers, and the fact he was part of a global spot which held regular high-profile events.

Sam Kerr and the rest of the Matildas fell just short of Olympic medals but their commercial prospects have skyrocketed nonetheless. Picture: AAP

“Sponsors looking for adrenaline and adventure, particularly in targeting a youthful audience would love Logan and his family, who he actively includes in his messaging.’’

Stavros said while Bol was not yet a medallist, his story was so compelling that marketers would be “itching to explore the possibilities that come with a track athlete that is clearly on an upward trajectory.

“Bol is humble and courageous, traits that Aussie brands love, and features in a sport that is high-profile.

“Should Bol take gold in Paris in just three years his life would change beyond recognition, if it hasn’t already. Sponsors would be willing to take a gamble on that happening given what he has shown thus far. And they should.

“There are obviously many others, from Jessica Fox to Rohan Browning who have great marketing appeal. ‘’

Canoeist Fox already has endorsements from the likes of Toyota, Red Bull and Adidas, and further offers have been flooding in since her canoe slalom gold in Tokyo.

Her manager Josh White, from Lampoon Group, said gold medals presented a good financial opportunity.

“But actually being marketable, and being able to maintain relevance, is a whole other story,’’ he said.

“It does come down to the personal attributes of that athlete and where commercially a brand or organisation feels they can plug into that. Monetising this does vary from athlete to athlete.

“For some athletes from Australia who have picked up a gold, there could be deals as low as $10k they are considering. For others, it is in the six figure range.’’

White said he was working his way through “opportunities’’ that had arisen since Fox’s Olympic appearance.

“One thing is for sure though, we are not here to make a quick buck. As I tell Jess, and all my talent - know your worth…it’s ok to say no. If the opportunity doesn’t feel right, we move on.’’

White said there was growing momentum towards endorsements for female athletes.

“I know with my athletes, in particular Jess Fox, Ellyse Perry, Charlotte Caslick and Danielle Scott, they are pulling in big numbers commercially. Rights holders, media, brands and society as a whole are now also starting to recognise them as amazing ‘athletes’, rather than just ‘females athletes’. The more they are seen, the more opportunities there will continue to be. It’s an exciting time for women in sport.’’