Castore signs Andy Murray in £8m sponsorship deal
UK tennis-pro Andy Murray has signed a sponsorship deal worth £8m with British sportswear start-up Castore. Facing a potential retirement as a result of a long-term hip injury, the brand said Murray “perfectly aligned” with its brand ethos of ‘Better Never Stops.’
Andy Murray nets Castore deal as hip injury aligns with ‘Better Never Stops’ mantra
As the sponsorship was announced today (6 March), Murray claimed that he is pain-free after hip surgery to his hip. However, he put his odds of making Wimbledon his year at 50%.
He is guaranteed to wear Castore at the Australian Open at the very least, a follow up to his expired Under Armour deal.
The Financial Times reported that Castore’s deal with Murray is worth £1m a year for eight years, “according to people with knowledge of the transaction”.
The sportsmaker has already adopted an ‘Andy Murray’ tab and designs on its main website.
Sportswear start-up Castore was launched in 2016 by the Liverpool-based Beahon brothers with an eye to delivering premium products they believe are simply not available on the market.
Tom Beahon, co-founder of Castore, said: “The most successful British tennis player in history choosing to wear our products to help his performance is a real privilege and really underscores the superior quality of Castore products.
“We create sportswear that helps make athletes perform better and it is fantastic that Andy rates our products so highly. Andy is a huge inspiration to athletes all over the world and is perfectly aligned with our brand ethos of Better Never Stops.”
Murray added: “I am a fan of the Castore brand and have been following their progress for some time. As my next kit partnership will potentially be my last one, I want to wear the very best products. I've been testing a range of different kit including Castore, the British sportswear brand, and really like their stuff.
“We have been discussing potential opportunities to work together, and I will be wearing Castore for Australia and remaining on court appearances as I have been so impressed by their quality from my testing in training.”
Upon news of Murray’s probably retirement from the spot, The Drum assembled some of the Scot’s most memorable ads, for brands spanning Jaguar, Head, Under Armour and Nintendo.
On Murray’s value to sponsors, David Frossman-Miller, W Comms' director of media and entertainment told The Drum: “While some with a short-term view will be concerned on his immediate value to sponsors, Andy should now move into a more cerebral role as one of Britain’s sporting greats, much like Beckham, and carry on his work in raising awareness for issues on equality and mental health. This will also enable him to sign premium global brands to long-term partnerships that look beyond the world rankings or his latest trophy haul."
UPDATE: Read The Drum's interview with Castore co-founder Tom Beahon here.