"It's just a different environment," Lee said. Her incredible showing during the championship event has made her an American hero and fans are curious how much money the Minnesota native makes from her gymnastics career. I want to be able to do everything. Now she actually gets that shot.. Really ready. Nurse License Verification. Lee, 18, landed her first gold medal Thursday after delivering a gutsy performance in the womens gymnastics all-around final, an event Simone Biles was favored to win before she withdrew, citing her mental health. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Lees win in the all-around could be leveraged for as much as $10 million over the young athletes lifetime, Burton said. Sunisa Phabsomphou was born on March 9, 2003, in Saint Paul, Minnesota. Suni Lee Net Worth: How the Olympic Gymnast Makes Money - Life & Style Even without additional gold medals in Tokyo, though, Dorfman believes Lees endorsement potential could rival what Biles made in the wake of the 2016 Olympics based solely off her performance in the all-around and the nature of the sport, with the athletes not hidden behind masks or headgear, making them more recognizable to consumers. They both came at a perfect time, Delpy Neirotti says, adding, Its going to be advantageous for both of these stars in terms of commercial value., This is a BETA experience. More than two decades of archival stories, profiles, research and data. Soon after, she won the silver medal for the team gymnastics competition while she only claimed bronze for her signature uneven bars competition. "Supporting these athletes gives us a chance to connect with members in a new way, support students and rally behind many under-represented collegiate sports," Sam's Club chief merchant Megan Crozier said in a statement. A post shared by Scotty Pippen Jr (@spippenjr), Action Network noted that while college sports already are popular in the U.S., "players capitalizing on NIL marketing deals should further strengthen the long-term viability of college athletics.". On3 NIL, which tracks college athletes' NIL deals, estimates Lee's market value of $1.5 million. However, the elite athletes net worth is a bit of a mystery. Still, she pressed on, telling the New York Times in 2020, I am tougher because of it. In addition to her gold medal, Lee won silver in the team event and bronze on uneven bars at Tokyo 2020. Tokyo Olympics' Breakout Stars Suni Lee And Caeleb Dressel - Forbes Normal College-Going Gymnast, Last Year I Was Putting a Lot of Pressure on Myself : 19-Year Old Gymnastic During that competition, she claimed the gold medal for uneven bars, the silver-medal in the all-around competition, and won the bronze medal for the floor competitions. Theres almost always someone who emerges as the fresh new face of the Olympic Games, and it is almost always a female, Burton said. Pippen Jr. already has an endorsement deal with chicken fingers restaurant chain Raising Cane's. . Prior to her new partnership with CLIF, she had already signed deals with Amazon AMZN -1.6%,. Get our latest stories in the feed of your favorite networks. Its yeah, this is huge Its the biggest event of the Olympics. So she, of course, wanted to be a college athlete, St. James said. In the past, the only option brands had to associate with college-bound Olympic gymnasts was to sponsor entire college athletic departmentsa move that often did not align strategically, Thompson suggests. 152 posts. In advance of the Tokyo Games, the IOC introduced a relaxed version of Rule 40, a provision that protects the Games exclusivity and intellectual property for official Olympic sponsors by limiting other non-sponsor brands from getting involved. "There's a pro league for gymnastics, it's just endorsements," Jeff Graba said. Make a gift of any amount today to support this resource for everyone. It will remain in effect until federal legislation is passed or the NCAA creates permanent rules. Lee was thrust onto the worlds stage when she won the all-around after Simone Biles withdrew from the event. Olympic hero Sunisa Lee banks off success thanks to NIL - On3 If NIL rules hadnt changed, she would not be able to do any of the things we are talking about. 5 things to know about Sunisa Lee, America's new Olympic gold medal Set on an island in the Saint Lawrence River, in Canada's Quebec province, Montreal is a historic, yet modern city, known for its European flair, vibrant nightlife, superb cuisine, cultural diversity and joie de vivre (zest for life). And while the incoming freshman may now decide to forgo the NCAA ranks, as many Olympians doBiles had verbally committed to UCLA before the 2016 Olympics, eventually opting to instead turn proLee no longer has to choose between endorsement deals and college eligibility. Also, Lee and her teammates competing in college could join Biles in an ad for Athleta and profit from it as long as it doesn't violate the confines of the trademark of their respective colleges. Plugging a product or service on social media is just one way college athletes have begun cashing in. Follow. With her masterful gold medal performance amid a whirlwind of attention and emotion caused by Simone Biles withdrawal, Lee now moves into the role of Americas newest face of the Games. Timely, daily updates provide the latest developments and news relied upon by industry leaders. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Athlete. But beyond their competitive success, both Lee and Dressel fit the mold of what Delpy Neirotti calls the ideal Olympian, with brands naturally gravitating to athletes who demonstrate humility, graciousness and family values. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2021/08/16/Insiders/Labor-and-Agents.aspx. Sunisa Lee competes on balance beam during the all-around finals Thursday. Its all great for her right now.. Access to easy-to-read digital editions of weekly issues. She's a favorite to add another medal to her gold in the all-around and team silver during the uneven bars final on Sunday. With each Olympic federation interpreting the provision in its own way, there are regulatory questions that need to be sorted out. But everybody at the top of WME and, I dont think it was too challenging, especially when you look around the league and see most teams are still rewarding their top players, CAA Sports, At CAA Sports, clients are represented by multiple agents. The agency also completed its first draft, which included former No. Winning an Olympic gold medal in the women's all-around competition is the most coveted title in gymnastics. She's getting a bit of a crash course on the finer points of the rules surrounding NLI. Sunisa Lee's father, John Lee, celebrates his daughter's Olympic gold as she is presented the medal on television at a watch party in Oakdale, Minn., Thursday. product endorsements, or corporate entertainment. Life & Style is part of the a360media Entertainment Group.Copyright a360media 2023. Time permitting, she should be able to make just as much money as she would have normally made.". Ad Age and Creativity Staff But its a sport and an athlete that performed under incredible pressure, especially given everything thats happened leading up to this. You would think that all the sponsors would be jumping on her, Dorfman said. The latter is probably out of the question for Lee, since Auburn is an Under Armour program, but according to Dorfman, a number of options should be on the table for her, from performance-based products like Gatorade, to exercise equipment, to fashion brands or haircare and grooming products, like Dove or Revlon. Olympic champ Sunisa Lee still focused on college, not fame While the COVID-induced one-year Olympics delay resulted in a lot of hardship, this is one situation where the pause helped. Lee could now potentially get a branded doll or clothing line, as long as it doesn't incorporate Auburn in the design. Verified. (Its) probably bigger; bigger than that quarterback (Alabamas Bryce Young) who hasnt started a game and Im sure Nick Saban was kind of goosing that number just to get recruits, Dorfman said. Sensation Suni Lee Recalls Fighting a Soul-Crushing Syndrome, US Olympic Gold Medalist Suni Lee Breaks Silence on Paris Olympics 2024, Makes a Brands that want to work with Lee in the immediate aftermath of Tokyo will pay a premium due to her demand, which means cash in her pocket and continued visibility that Burton said creates a sustainable revenue stream for Lees future. The so-called NIL rules that took effect July 1 allow college athletes to strike deals with brands that use their name, image and likeness. If she does still opt to go to Auburn, INFLCR CEO Jim Cavale said the star will arrive with a massive head start in terms of social media endorsement deal opportunities in the NIL era. It worked. Sunisa Lee's gold medal in the women's gymnastics all-around might be worth seven figures. Thats not to discount Michael Phelps and some of the other great athletes that have been a part of the Olympics, but I anticipate that she will become very visible and very popular. Oh My! Contact All American Speakers Bureau to book the best keynote speaker for your next live or virtual event. 49 print issues delivered to your home or office. Churchill Downs has been home to some of the most incredible moments in sports history. 376 following. The Auburn University incoming freshman won gold, silver and bronze medals at the 2019 World Championships in Stuttgart, Germany. Sunisa Lee's Olympic Gold for Team USA Could Be Worth $1 Million She helped lead Team USA to a silver medal in the team final earlier this week, stepping up after Biles withdrew following the first rotation due to a medical issue. Everyone had been expecting Simone to win, and [Lee] stepped up. 2023 Leaders Group. Flight + Hotel (+Car/Transfers) Flight + Car. Suni Lee 2023: Net Worth, Salary, and Endorsements - EssentiallySports America loves champions, but they especially love meeting new celebrities, who emerged against difficult odds.. Jade Carey will attend Oregon State, Jordan Chiles will start at UCLA, and Grace McCallum will go to Utah. And while the incoming freshman may now decide to forgo the NCAA ranks, as many Olympians doBiles had verbally committed to UCLA before the 2016 Olympics, eventually opting to instead turn proLee no longer has to choose between endorsement deals and college eligibility. NCAA rules will limit her practice time.
