Athlete endorsement is a form of celebrity endorsement in which a well-known athlete is paid to promote a product, service or cause, usually by appearing in advertising or being publicly linked with a brand [1]. The idea is that the athlete’s positive image transfers to the brand, which can raise attention and trust [1]. It is a core tool of sports marketing.
Key points
- A brand borrows the meaning of an athlete and attaches it to a product [2].
- Fit matters: people rated an endorsed product more favourably when the athlete and the product matched [3].
- Endorsement turned toward athletes in the 1930s and grew in value with free agency [1].
- The risk is shared: a scandal around the athlete can pass to the brand [1].
Origin
Paid endorsements by athletes go back to the 1930s, when the trend among advertisers turned toward athletes, for example Babe Ruth’s paid endorsement of Red Rock Cola [1]. The academic account of why it works comes from Grant McCracken (1989), who argued that a celebrity carries cultural meanings that the endorsement process moves onto a product, and from there to the consumer [4]. This became known as the meaning transfer model. Later experiments support McCracken’s axiom at the individual level [2].
Two shifts raised the stakes. In the 1970s, with free agency, the value of celebrity endorsements escalated [1]. In the 1980s companies started making products around celebrities, for example Nike using Michael Jordan [1]; see Be Like Mike.
How it works in sports media
The athlete’s meaning reaches fans through media: TV and online ads, social posts, packaging and appearances. The brand chooses an athlete whose image it wants to borrow, and the media carry that meaning from the athlete to the product [2]. Fit between athlete and product is a main condition: the product is judged more favourably when the pairing is congruent [3].
Endorsement is related to, but not the same as, sports sponsorship. Sponsorship buys a link with a team, event or league, while endorsement ties the brand to one person. Today the same logic runs through influencer athletes and name, image and likeness deals.
Examples
- Babe Ruth and Red Rock Cola in the 1930s, an early paid athlete endorsement [1].
- Michael Jordan and Nike, where the product was built around the athlete [1].
- Tiger Woods and Nike Golf: after his 2009 scandal, negative perceptions of an endorser could pass to the brand [1].
Common questions
Is athlete endorsement the same as sponsorship?
No. An endorsement links a brand to a person who speaks for or appears with the product; sponsorship links it to a team, event or organisation.
Does it work?
It can. Experiments show a product is rated more favourably when the athlete fits it [3], and meaning can move from the celebrity to the brand [2]. It gives no guarantee: a scandal can turn the effect negative [1].
What are the risks for a brand?
Scandal is the main one: negative perceptions of the athlete can be transferred to the brand [1]. An endorser who overshadows the product, or who promotes many similar products, can also weaken the message [1].
Related terms
- Meaning Transfer Model — how an athlete’s meaning moves to a brand.
- Sports Sponsorship — brand ties to teams, events and leagues.
- Influencer Athlete — athletes who endorse through their own channels.
- Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) — the rights an endorsement deal uses.
- Athlete’s Brand — the image a brand borrows.
- Sports Celebrity — the fame that makes endorsement valuable.
Read more on Play of Values
- Sports marketing history
- Marketable athletes over winning
- The value of influencer athletes
- The year of Caitlin Clark
Sources
- Wikipedia contributors. (2026). Celebrity branding. Wikipedia. Link
- Miller, F. M., & Allen, C. T. (2012). How does celebrity meaning transfer? Investigating the process of meaning transfer with celebrity affiliates and mature brands. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(3), 443–452. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcps.2011.11.001
- Kim, Y. J., & Na, J. H. (2007). Effects of celebrity athlete endorsement on attitude towards the product: The role of credibility, attractiveness and the concept of congruence. International Journal of Sports Marketing and Sponsorship, 8(4), 310–320. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijsms-08-04-2007-b004
- McCracken, G. (1989). Who is the celebrity endorser? Cultural foundations of the endorsement process. Journal of Consumer Research, 16(3), 310–321. https://doi.org/10.1086/209217