Tiger Woods is ending Nike partnership after 27 years
One of the greatest partnerships in sports endorsement history has come to an end.
Through social media, Tiger Woods announced that he is ending his association with Nike, the world's best-known apparel maker.
"Over 27 years ago, I was fortunate to start a partnership with one of the most iconic brands in the world," Woods said. "The days since have been filled with so many amazing moments and memories, if I started naming them, I could go on forever. Phil Knight's passion and vision brought this Nike and Nike Golf partnership together and I want to personally thank him, along with the Nike employees and incredible athletes I have had the pleasure of working with along the way. People will ask if there is another chapter. Yes, there will certainly be another chapter. See you in LA! Tiger."
In the summer of 1996, Nike signed Woods shortly after the golf prodigy left Stanford early to turn pro at the age of 20. From the outset, the partnership was a lucrative one, helping Nike make a huge dent in the golf world despite being a relative newcomer in the market.
Woods extended his deal with Nike a few times, most notably a 10-year deal in 2013 that netted the iconic golfer around $200M.
Among one of the earlier advertisements was the "golf ball juggle," one that became remembered for showing a slightly different side of the sport of golf through one of the coolest tricks ever.
The company also stuck with him through personal scandal. As Woods prepared to return to golf after dealing with his infidelity scandal in 2009, Nike filmed a daring commercial where audio of a personal recording with his late father Earl Woods was interspersed with a candid black-and-white scene of Tiger looking straight into the camera.
The ad was considered an apology for his off-course transgressions, but it could also be viewed as a glimpse into the end of Tiger's peak as both a pitchman and an athlete.
Beyond the commercials, however, Nike Golf rode the wave of Woods' success, and just like the sport itself, its best sales were at a time when Woods was the most dominant male athlete in American sports.
However, in 2016, Nike announced that it was shuttering its golf division but still signing athletes as endorsers. The division suffered through major declines in sales and golf's waning interest without a healthy and competitive Tiger. According to NBC News, the share price for the apparel maker itself has declined by 40% since November 2021.
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