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Top athletes work hard and receive very good wages. Some decide to stick to their craft and others prefer to diversify their revenue streams and venture into other sectors. The smartest and most successful of the later group use their name and marketing power to become real brands. Forbes Magazine recently released its annual Fab 40 ranking which lists world’s biggest sports brands. Within the Fab 40, a section is dedicated to athletes. Forbes defines the term athlete brand values by “the amount by which endorsement income exceeds the average endorsement income earned by the top 10 earning athletes in the same sport during the past year.”
10. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: $11.5 million
It is quite a surprise to see the undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather at the 10th spot. Especially since he is world’s highest earning athlete. Prior to his sold out fight against Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather landed sponsorship deals with Hublot, FanDuel and Burger King.
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9. Rory McIlroy: $12 million
McIlroy is making his debut on the Forbes Fab 40. He replaced fellow professional golfer Tiger Woods as the face of Electronic Arts’ golf video game which is now called Rory McIlroy PGA Tour.
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8. Cristiano Ronaldo: $16 million
CR7 has a mega sponsorship deal with Nike as well as an underwear line called CR7. He is also in the process of renting his luxury apartment in the Trump Tower to producer Martin Scorsese for a rumored $22.5 million. Where’s Messi by the way?
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7. Kevin Durant: $18 million
Durant’s name figures on this list for the first time thanks to a blockbuster 10-year endorsement deal he signed with Nike last year. The deal is supposedly worth $300 including royalties.
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6. Usain Bolt: $18 million – tie
Bolt’s endorsement deals include a partnership with Nissan and a $10 million dollar a year deal with Puma through 2017.
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5. Mahendra Singh Dhoni: $21 million
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will co-produce his biopic called “M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story,” which has already earned him $3 million.
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4. Roger Federer: $27 million – tie
Federer’s brand value went down by $5 million compared to last year. He still remains an elite tennis player despite being 34. He extended his endorsement deal with Mercedes-Benz by 3 years. He is the only tennis player to figure on this list.
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3. LeBron James: $27 million – tie
LeBron’s signature Nike shoe line generated $340 million in sales in the U.S. during 2014, according to research firm SportsOneSource. His brand value fell by $10 million compared to last year because of a one-time gain from his investment in headphone company Beats Electronics.
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2. Phil Mickelson: $28 million
The five-time Major champion renewed his endorsement deal with golfing equipment company Callaway last year. However, his brand value decreased by $1 million compared to last year.
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1. Tiger Woods: $30 million
Tiger Woods’ income has decreased since his scandal in 2009. Although he had new endorsement deals with MusclePharm and India’s Hero motorcycles in 2014, his brand value fell by $6 million. He is still number 1 though.
SEE ALSO: The 10 Highest-Earning Athletes Of 2015.
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