Puma athletes: A list of the most influential athletes sponsored by Puma

The last few years have seen an increase in the number of Puma athletes. These sports personalities enjoy numerous career opportunities and stability once they sign a deal with the sportswear company. In return, they market the company's apparel and merchandise. Who are the most influential athletes sponsored by Puma? Read on to find out.

Puma is a well renowned German multinational footwear and accessories company founded in 1948. The company has enabled some of the finest athletes in various fields to become household names. These Puma athletes have also gained massive popularity globally.

Influential Puma athletes

Sponsorship opportunities are mutually beneficial for the sports brand and the athlete. The athletes get branded sportswear and impressive payouts for being brand ambassadors. The sponsor gets unlimited brand visibility and an opportunity to connect with sports lovers worldwide. Here is a list of top Puma athletes:

Usain Bolt

Usain was born in Jamaica in 1986 and started participating in school runs at a tender age. The world-record holder is an 8-time Olympic gold medal winner.

Widely regarded as the fastest man on the planet, Bolt signed a deal with PUMA in 2003 when he was 16 years old. In 2021, Usain became one of the lifetime Puma athletes. Bolt was the first track and field athlete to sign such a deal. The signing meant that he would earn $10 million annually during his time as an active athlete.

Neymar

Renowned Brazilian footballer, Neymar, signed a deal with Puma in 2020. The endorsement came shortly after he parted ways with his long-time sponsor and PUMA rival, Nike, over undisclosed reasons.

The deal, estimated to be worth approximately $30million-per-year, makes Neymar one of the highest-paid Puma athletes. Out of the partnership, the 30-year-old got exclusive PUMA KING Platinum boot featuring his 'NJR' logo.

The boot is the fastest and lightest PUMA KING ever and was designed to align with his electric moves on the pitch. Besides the boots, he also has a branded tee, matching tracksuit, hoodie and beanie.

Lewis Hamilton

Puma signed an endorsement deal with Mercedec-Benz Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton in 2013, but he became the brand ambassador in 2017. The partnership saw the racer become Puma’s official merchandise retail partner at a fee of $2.61 million.

Lewis advertises the brand’s merchandise, while the sportswear company acquired the rights to produce, design and sell branded products on the trackside. Puma also provides Hamilton's race suits and boots to secure his competitiveness and safety through top-notch lightweight and fireproof materials.

Harry Maguire

Harry is an English professional footballer who plays for Manchester United as their centre-back. In 2019, Maguire entered a lucrative partnership with Puma worth £700K per year, which translates to £18,000 per game.

He ranks among the top-paid Puma athletes. Upon signing, the parties agreed that Harry would exclusively wear Puma boots. According to dailystar.co.uk, Maguire said,

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Football

Christian Pulisic

Chelsea midfielder, Christian Pulisic is one of the Puma athletes in American football. The sports apparel company signed a boots deal with the player in 2021 worth £58 million per year. Following the deal, Pulisic debuted a customized pair of Puma Ultra 1.3 boots at the UEFA Super Cup final in August 2021

In return, Puma has been helping Christian’s project to take football to the less privileged in America. They are doing this by establishing camps and clinics, rehabilitating playing fields and donating products for underprivileged youth.

DeMarcus Cousins

Demarcus has dominated the basketball industry, having played for teams like Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers. The sports personality is one of the high-earning Puma athletes basketball players.

Cousins signed the deal in 2018 and he debuted the Puma Clyde Court Disrupt, Puma’s first shoe after almost 20 years. Unfortunately, details of the multi-million deal are not public.

Sara Vaughn

Sara is an American middle-distance runner who has spent most of her career without a significant sponsorship deal. However, in December 2021, she won the California International Marathon (CIM) in Sacramento, and the offers started coming in.

A few weeks later, she signed a two-year deal, making her one of the top female Puma athletes. Unfortunately, the details of the contract are not public. To support women athletes, the multinational signed Annie Frisbie and Dakotah Lindwurm, both American marathoners under the RUN Puma outfit.

Lamelo Ball

21-year-old Lamelo Ball, who currently plays for the Charlotte Hornets, is one of the youngest NBA Puma athletes. According to Forbes, in 2020, Ball signed a deal worth $100 million yearly with Puma that gave him access to a private jet. Lamelo said of the deal,

Can Puma athletes wear Jordans?

Every sponsorship deal has its special terms of engagement. However, most brands are in direct competition, so it is unlikely that athletes would wear apparel from a competing brand. For example, Nike and Puma have been brand rivals for a long time, and due to their partnership with Jordans, their athletes are likely not permitted to wear Jordans.

Puma athletes enjoy lucrative financial payouts and benefits for endorsing the brand. These agreements help to better position the sports personalities as they grow in their career. In return, these companies increase their market share and value, connecting with a wider audience.

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