In today’s Sports Business Journal Daily, it was reported by Senior Sports Writer Bill King that boxing star Manny Pacquiao will appear in Hewlett-Packard’s advertising campaign for its recently released tablet computer.
The announcement represents a big deal for a sport grossly underrepresented in global marketing and advertising deals for Fortune 500 companies.
Aside from Manny Pacquiao’s deal with Nike and Floyd Mayweather’s appearances on AT&T television commercials, it is difficult to think of any other products endorsed by boxers. Other deals likely exist, but the fact remains that boxers associated with big brand names and the money that comes with such partnerships are a rarity these days.
One reason cited in the article for Pacquiao’s lack of big time endorsement deals to date has been confusion over who actually represents him in such matters outside of his native country, the Philippines. But recently, boxing promoter Top Rank was named his exclusive commercial agent outside of his homeland, so that alone may result in bringing companies to the table that in the past may have been scared away due to lack of clarity on the issue of representation.
While the poor state of boxing as a sport has been cited for a lack of endorsement deals in the past, a by product of this has been the lack of name recognition for its stars among common fans. Outside of active fighters Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. along with retired boxers Oscar De La Hoya, Sugar Ray Leonard and Mike Tyson, sadly, most casual fans likely have no idea talented guys with great stories like Timothy Bradley, Devon Alexander or Robert Guerrero exist.
Although such lack of fame outside hardcore boxing fan circles is a problem from a marketability perspective for all but a few boxers today, Manny Pacquiao’s new Hewlett-Packard deal as well as Floyd Mayweather Junior’s ability to rake in significant sponsorship deals for his fights are encouraging signs for the sport.
Fighters risk life and limb like no other athletes in the world, so if they can earn money outside the ring without having to take punches, that is certainly a good thing. And should companies be able to tie success to advertising campaigns featuring the sport’s mega stars (Pacquiao and Mayweather), opportunities will likely present themselves to other deserving boxers in the future.
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