Anderson Silva has signed a long-term contract with San Paulo, Brazil-based sports marketing company, 9ine. The company, with offices in London and San Paulo, is co-owned by famous soccer player Ronaldo Fenômeno.
9ine is named after Ronaldo’s soccer number. It was created in anticipation of the burgeoning sports market in Brazil with the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Olympics on the horizon.
Via Bloody Elbow:
The first project will have the champion wearing the Bozzano logo (a hygienic product company) on his shorts during the Belfort fight; this will pay the champion R$170,000.00 (around $100,000.00 USD) for that fight, which was negotiated by 9ine.
“9ine wishes to work with a small group of elite athletes and companies, this is the case with Anderson Silva, one of the best competitor’s in MMA in the world” commented Ronaldo, who goes on to say this will be the first deal of many to come for the champion.
h/t (Bloody Elbow, Tatame and Bonde)
Payout Perspective:
The creation of 9ine and the signing of Silva shows the potential uptick in the sports market in Brazil. With two huge sporting events happening in Brazil in the coming years, it makes sense to capitalize on potential sponsors. For Silva, signing with a startup agency in Brazil may make sense, but may not be a way to extend his brand in the US and beyond. Certainly, his deal with Bozzano is lucrative and makes sense to his native Brazil, but will 9ine be able to get him sponsorship deals with companies outside of Brazil. Then again, Silva may not be interested in extending his reach outside of South America.
This what my friend, Guilherme Pinheiro, from Brazil posted regarding the deal:
“I have absolutely no doubts that 9ine will be able to get Anderson sponsorships from abroad. The company is co-owned by WPP, which is one of the largest advertising groups in the world. This is huge for Anderson and for Brazilian MMA.”