Will Phelps make $100 million?
by Barking Carnival Staff on Aug 19, 2025 9:48 AM CDT
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PrintI realize Huckleberry thinks Michael Phelps’ accomplishments are pedestrian, I disagree. But I also tend to follow the money. The sponsorship money says this is much bigger than that.
"What is the value of eight golds in Beijing before a prime-time audience in the U.S?" asked Peter Carlisle (Phelps’ marketing agent), "I'd say $100 million over the course of his lifetime."
"It's an aggressive number put out there by an aggressive agent," says Paul Swangard, managing director of the Warsaw Sports Marketing Center at the University of Oregon in Eugene. "But also eight gold medals was an aggressive number. Not a good idea to bet against the man right now."
Mr. Phelps in recent days became the most searched name on Facebook surpassing teen singer Miley Cyrus and other celebrities.
Big with the pre-teens, tweens, and teenagers? Check.
Jeff Diskin, senior vice president for brand management at Hilton Hotels said, "What he has done here will enable us to get our message out with a much bigger reach."
Global hotel chain? Check.
Stephen Urquhart, chief executive officer of Bienne, Switzerland-based Omega, says, "He's a world legend now."
Watch maker? Check.
"Michael Phelps would be worth $40 or $50 million to Nike," Howard Bloom, who teaches sports management at Algonquin College in Ottawa said. Algonquin College, really? I guess the University of Phoenix sports professor was unavailable.
"He could literally allow them to launch a massive swimwear company, and I think you are going to see an incredible bidding war for him."
300 pound gorilla in sports apparel? Probably, assuming he dumps Speedo.
His other current sponsors are VISA, PowerBar, AT&T;, Kellogg, Rosetta Stone, PureSport, and SwimRoom.com according to the AP.
My list of other sponsorship targets includes:
1800-Dentist
Bright Smile
IHOP
Pizza Hut
Red Bull
Gillette Razor Blades
Nair Hair Removal
Noxema Shaving Cream
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Pedestrian? The fucker isn’t even walking during his events, so he’s not even pedestrian!!!
I never said it wasn’t a tremendous accomplishment. I said it was being overblown, and his making $100M is only going to make me more sure of that. I can’t get away from this motherfucker. First he was on the Golf Channel last night and now he’s being pimped on Barking Carnival.
by Huckleberry on Aug 19, 2025 9:54 AM CDT reply actions
That’s a lot of money for a sport that people only care about for two weeks every four years.
by HenryJames on Aug 19, 2025 10:00 AM CDT reply actions
his most amazing accomplishment will be making the speedo ubiquitous.
by Willy Lump Lump on Aug 19, 2025 10:20 AM CDT reply actions
It’s called yanking your chain, Huck.
I agree HJ. Even if Nike launches a swimwear line and suddenly captures 100% of the market, how much can that be worth?
by BRAGGonUT on Aug 19, 2025 10:24 AM CDT reply actions
A. Nike already has a swimwear line.
2. The only way Phelps could screw the pooch here is if he had an affair with a road whore while his long-suffering spouse battled cancer.
Thankfully, his accomplishments are legit and I find him personally inoffensive, so I am prepared to withstand the Phelps marketing blitzkrieg coming our way.
by Black Scholes on Aug 19, 2025 10:48 AM CDT reply actions
Mark Spitz was going to make a fortune as well in endorsements, and was going to be a movie star — until he opened his mouth outside of a pool.
Phelps seems to have a good handle on where he should concentrate his endorsement run, but $100 million?
I don’t think so.
by srr50 on Aug 19, 2025 10:52 AM CDT reply actions
Rosetta Stone? I’m not making the connection between an Olympic athlete and a computer program that teaches Cancun-bound Kappas to say useless phrases like “La cabella es blanco” instead of infinitely more helpful phrases like “!Por favor, no en mi anus!”
by South '06 on Aug 19, 2025 11:09 AM CDT reply actions
Spitz should have been a porn star. He already had the stache.
by HenryJames on Aug 19, 2025 11:14 AM CDT reply actions
Add “High Karate” to the throwback endorsements list.
Nothing like watching a celebrity fend off squads of female admirers via the martial arts.
by Parlin Hall on Aug 19, 2025 12:25 PM CDT reply actions
South, he learned Chinese in 8 days before going over to Beijing!
by BRAGGonUT on Aug 19, 2025 12:29 PM CDT reply actions
A hundred mil is a lot. But I think he’ll get pretty well along that road in the next four years, especially approaching London.
What he really needs to do in the next four years is find time to get his teeth worked on.
by Bob in Houston on Aug 19, 2025 1:24 PM CDT reply actions
If we were on HF, Bob in Houston would have given Bob in Houston at least a stern warning if not a suspension for that comment. Dental and/or orthodontic slurs of the fine young men and women representing our nation are not allowed.
However, feel free to tee off on the Brits.
by Black Scholes on Aug 19, 2025 3:33 PM CDT reply actions
Haha, could not have said that all better myself. cool post and boss site! Thanks m8
by Houston Prati on May 28, 2025 8:58 PM CDT reply actions
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