The brand All Blacks is displaying an impressive newfound financial muscularity. News released last week that adidas has extended its sponsorship of the All Blacks to 2023 in a deal estimated to be worth about $10 million a year.
It came a day after the All Blacks secured a sponsorship with luxury Swiss watch-maker Tudor and a week after it revealed a new relationship with Vodafone.
With AIG having extended its sponsorship to 2024 in a deal thought to be worth about $15m a year and the game in New Zealand also benefiting from a broadcast contract that doubled in value in 2016 to about $75m a year, the All Blacks have in the last six months become big, big business.
From turning over $104m in 2011, revenue jumped to $161m in 2016 and, given the raft of new and extended sponsorships, the New Zealand Rugby Union could earn close to $200m in 2017.
Meanwhile rugby is a booming and emerging sport in countries such as Japan and the US, which have massive economies and growing corporate interest in the game.
