Nike an organization that got her on a Bargain Basement deal and is telling her well we're going to wait to promote you until we're done promoting Asia Wilson and and she's in the middle of all of these racial discussions that she has nothing to do with wants nothing to do with and then they're demonizing her fans Nike landed one of the rare generational potentially billion dooll athletes Michael Jordan Tiger Woods LeBron and now Kate Clark in April of this year Caitlyn signed an 8-year deal with Nike for up to $28 million a super cheap contract
they'll make a killing off of with a signature shoe but despite winning unanimous WNBA rookie of the year they've got no plans for a Caitlyn Clark shoe why not over the last few years Nike has imploded they are worth over a100 billion less than they were in 2021 it got so bad people called for their CEO to be fired so he had to step down is sports losing popularity no Adidas has done pretty well over that time despite ending their partnership with Yeezy Nike sleeping on Caitlyn Clark and fans are fuming how did the biggest
name in sports miss out on basketball's hottest star Clark crushing it on the court breaking records left and right but Nike is not saying a word what's really going on here and what is Adidas doing about it Caitlyn Clark has just been named the 2024 rookie of the Year Clark's rookie season it was historic she had the most points in a rookie campaign the most assists in any season ever and she even messed around and got a pair of triple doubles something no other rookie has ever done let's break down just how incredible Clark's been
she's not just good she's rewriting the record books in her rookie season she snagged the Rookie of the Year title like it was nothing but that's not all she's packing Arenas selling out merch and making fans lose their minds can you believe the impact she's having since she has signed this contract you guys and her WNBA season has come and gone and with that Nike has not done one thing to promote her we have not seen any commercials we have not seen any ads we have not seen any Caitlyn Clark merchandise and we for sure
as hell have not seen any Caitlyn Clark signature shoes now you might be wondering why isn't Nike all over this they've got the next big thing in basketball right under their nose but they're acting like Clark does doesn't exist no ads no commercials no nothing it's like they're allergic to success what's the deal kin originally signed an nil deal with Nike when she blew up in college she was so popular Caitlyn was the most recognized college player in the country by far twice as much as second place Angel Reese four times more than the most
popular men's player that's never happened so when she turned Pro several shoe companies were after her under arour said she'd be the the face of Curry brand but here's where it gets really interesting is Nike playing some kind of long game we can't see or are they about to Fumble the biggest opportunity in women's basketball stick around because we're about to dive deep into this mystery and trust me you won't believe what we uncover Nike struck absolute gold when they signed Caitlyn Clark to an 8-year $28 million endorsement deal so why in the world are
they ignoring her hold up Nike's got Caitlyn Clark on their roster but they're acting like she doesn't exist no ads no merch nothing what's the real story behind this $28 million silent treatment I will say that Kaitlin Clark has created more Buzz around the basketball landscape and has actually transformed and revived a league that was the WNBA and she is getting paid a measly 28 million for 8 years as opposed to wem's 100 I believe that Caitlyn Clark if they would have released a signature shoe for her this season they would have made a killing
let's break down this deal that's got everyone scratching their heads Clark signed an 8-year $28 million contract with Nike that's not chump change folks this kind of money usually comes with The Works we're talking signature sneakers Billboards commercials the whole nine yards but what's Nike doing crickets there was a Nike ad for Iowa Caitlyn though it wasn't exactly pushed on the public there has been no no Nike commercial for Clark as a pro let that sink in no Caitlyn Clark commercial she's had four years of being the biggest star in all of sports driving all
these television ratings no Nike commercial you might be thinking okay but maybe they're just warming up right wrong Clark's been crushing it on the court breaking records and selling out Arenas she's the hottest thing in basketball right now so where's all the hype from Nike Nike has been reluctant to take advantage of Caitlyn Clark because they have and what I've always start was like man that contract she signed seemed pretty reasonable it it it was it's like wow Caitlyn Clark comes out of Iowa and I started say uh after her junior year in college like
hey man she's the biggest star in college sports and then after what she did at with her senior year I started saying hey I think she's going to be the biggest star in sports here's where things get really weird no commercials no ads no merchandise it's like Nike forgot they signed one of the most exciting players in the game can you imagine having LeBron James on your team and not putting him in a single ad that's basically What's Happening Here with Clark so when she turned Pro several shoe companies were after her under arour said
she'd be the face of Curry brand Adidas and Nike she stayed with Nike because of how they marketed her in college and everyone waited on news of that signature shoe but uh no update then Asia Wilson who just won another MVP announced her shoe and a strange detail about Caitlyn came out Asia Wilson just announced her signature shoe with Nike is on the way after beginning the process in 2023 Wilson shoe is expected to be released spring of 2025 under this 2-year time frame Clark shoe could hit stores sometime in 202 627 what now you
might be wondering what's Nike's game plan some people are saying they might be putting all their chips on other players like AA Wilson but here's the kicker we might not see Clark's signature shoe until 2026 or 2027 that's ages away in the World of Sports but hold on is Nike playing 4 d chess while we're all stuck in checkers maybe there's more to this strategy than meets the eye are they building up anticipation waiting for the perfect moment to unleash Clark on the world or have they truly dropped the ball on one of the biggest
opportunities in women's basketball eight figures so that could be 10 million or 99 million right correct that's the eight figures um and she's going to have her own shoe which to me I mean it's genius to be able to sign her up because think of all of the girls and women out there who loved Caitlyn Clark going to continue to follow her in the WNBA and they're going to want to have her shoe Caitlyn Clark you she could have a line of shoes that that could you know be workout shoes basketball shoes casual shoes yes
Marvin and when they come out the Iowa women and the Iowa men are going to have Caitlyn Clark shoes and the colorway is perfect it's got the navy blue the yellow and the red for the fever I mean okay they're going to have a great commercial just when you thought Nike had fumbled their chance with Caitlyn Clark a new player entered the arena Adidas saw an opportunity and pounced but here's the real kicker it's not just about sneakers anymore what move did Adidas make that's got the Sports World buzzing when you're a kid sneakers have
magical powers they can make you run faster jump higher I believed it so did my kids Caitlyn Clark sneakers did create Magic for one lucky Iowa girl Blake hornstein has the story while Nike's been playing it cool Adidas came in hot recognizing Caitlyn Clark's achievements like they were handing out candy on Halloween they stepped up and filled that promotional void Nike left wide open and they didn't just do it quietly they brought in the big guns it's being reported that Adidas's Global Ambassador Billy Jean King did a post on her ex account account praising Kayla
Clark for winning Rookie of the Year and this sent the Firestorm throughout the comments you know who singing Clark's Praises none other than Sports icon Billy Jean King yeah that Billy Jean King as an Adidas Ambassador she's out there publicly applauding Clark for her incredible rookie season and that shiny Rookie of the Year title talk about a power move it's a huge game guys for Caitlyn Clark sinking her 86th three-pointer of the season Breaking the WNBA record for the most three-pointers by a rookie in a single season congratulations to Caitlyn but Adidas didn't stop there
they saw how Clark's Indiana Fever Jersey was flying off the shelves faster than you can say three-pointer we're talking record-breaking sales here folks it's like everyone in their grandma wants a piece of Clark's success and Adidas they're right there ready to cash in on that star power business reporter Ethan stuss he reports Nike wants to prioritize Asia Wilson and it fears the Optics of giving a rookie a signature shoe before an already established star who just won League MVP for the third time we have talked about this multiple times on my channel is Asia Wilson
currently the best player in the WNBA yes is Caitlin clarkk currently the face of the WNBA yes do I think if Asia Wilson dropped a shoe and Caitlyn Clark dropped a shoe today at the very same time that Caitlyn Clark would outsell Asia's shoe by a 100 times yes I think that would be the case now you might be thinking okay but what's the big deal it's just another endorsement right wrong this is Adidas playing chess while Nike still setting up the checker board they're not just slapping their logo on a rising star they're aligning
themselves with the future of women's basketball the average WNBA viewership okay game 7,300 in attendance okay the average Angel Reese game is 10,100 10,200 they come to watch her you know what the average attendance is when K and Clark plays home order the road what 15,300 okay 15,300 do you know what Caitlyn Clark just got the contract from uh Nike Nike you know what the contract is I want to say it's 3 million bucks year for 8 to 10 years it's almost 30 million think about it Clark's not just winning games she's winning Hearts she's
drawing in viewers like a magnet selling merch like it's going out of style and Adidas they're right there riding that wave of popularity it's like they found the golden ticket to the women's Sports Marketing Factory she landed a major endorsement deal with Adidas this partnership is a game changer it's a huge win for Clark and for women's basketball but here's where it gets really interesting Adidas isn't just making A smart business move they're shaking up the whole game they're showing the world that women's sports aren't just a sideshow they're the main event and they're daring
other brands to step up or get left behind just another example about how people have fumbled the gift that is Caitlin Clark you've got to wonder is Nike watching all this and kicking themselves are they regretting their choice to sign Wilson over clark now that Adidas is stealing the spotlight because let's face it Adidas isn't just selling shoes here they're selling a vision of the future of sports and with Clark's massive audience they're making a statement WNBA players have been saying that they just lack the support for the league to grow and in which other
people get this is the moment where you now can allow someone to come in and really make a change really be a star and bring other eyes into the sport I don't want to see any WNBA player speak against this this is exactly what the close this is what you need and that future is looking pretty bright for women's basketball with Clark at the Forefront and Adidas backing her up we might be seeing a whole new ball game when it comes to how Brands approach women's sports it's not just about signing contracts anymore it's about
recognizing Talent celebrating achievements and investing in the future of the game before the 2023 season the WNBA had grown by 40% viewership from 2022 to 2023 but with Caitlyn Clark's arrival it's grown by 400% viewership what that means is if the WNBA were continued to grow at the rate it grew from 22 to 3 it would take until 2028 to do what Caitlyn Clark did this year now you might think this is just another sponsorship story but hold on what if Clark's popularity is actually reshaping the entire landscape of women's sports the numbers we're seeing
are off the charts we're talking about a 93% growth in WNBA ticket sales for 2024 compared to last year that's not just a little bump that's a full-on explosion growing the game in what some are calling the Caitlyn Clark effect Camille gear has more from Iowa City I'm looking there's Clark she fires and it goes she hit it ask any little girl in the stands at Carver Hawkeye who's your favorite player on the team you'll get the same answer Kaitlyn Clark over Caitlyn Clark and over again cl2 everywhere the junior plays attendance is up not
by the hundreds but by the thousands and it's not just about filling seats Clark's games are pulling in over a million viewers that's huge for the WNBA where average attendance has been a fraction of that people are calling it The Caitlyn Clark effect and it's no joke she's not just playing basketball she's changing the game it seems to me that it is more on the political side as to why Caitlyn Clark is not getting the praise the commercials the ads the mer like all of the things that she should have gotten during the rookie season
Nike hasn't produced One ad or commercial featuring Clark since she turned Pro and despite a signature shoe being part of Nike's agreement with Clark it may not be released until 2026 according to sports business reporter Ethan St but here's where it gets really wild this whole situation with Nike and adius it's exposing some serious issues in the Sports Marketing World we're talking internal politics biases and a whole lot of missed opportunities fans are getting frustrated and they're starting to ask some tough questions is Nike really committed to promoting women's sports or are they stuck in
the past to be first team old WNBA as a rookie LED all rookies in points field goals made assists Steals and minutes LED all players in assists and three-pointers made she was fourth in MVP voted her games got an average over a million viewers on TV think about it Clark's not just a basketball player she's a phenomenon she's bringing new fans to the sport people who might might never have watched the WNBA game before and it's not just about the numbers it's about the energy the excitement Clark's making women's basketball must see TV just the
the WNBA you know if you want us to be here you have to pay us more it's business it's how it works and that's that's all that that means so what does this mean for the future of Sports Marketing are we seeing a shift in how companies value women athletes Adidas saw an opportunity and jumped on it they're not just selling shoes they're selling a vision of what women Sports can be in that Vision it's looking pretty darn Bright Now Clark fever are in the WNBA playoffs and she's wearing Kobe sneakers instead of her own
signature brand uh in summary Nike lucked into the marketing chance of a generation and they're using that to advertise old product why is it happening this way now here's the money based on conversations with people in the know it indeed has something to do with the WNBA MVP and Nike athlete Asia Wilson but beyond Wilson it's about the culture of the company that's more concerned with quelling noise rather than making it as Nike once used to but it's not just about Adidas and Nike this whole situation is sparking conversations about gender race and representation in
sports it's making people question the old ways of doing things why should women athletes have to fight so hard for recognition why aren't more companies jumping at the chance to sponsor these incredible athletes tourism officials say they have aces up their sleeve when it comes to Creative Marketing plans for members of the two-time defending WNBA Champions members of the Las Vegas Aces insist they had no idea that Las Vegas tourism leaders on Friday were set to offer $100,000 sponsorship deals for each player and we want to recognize that's a nice payday in a league where
the average salary is just over $100,000 season essentially the Las Vegas Convention and visitors Authority is wanting to hire the aces as ambassadors for the city and here's the thing this could be just the beginning if Clark's success continues and let's be real it probably will we might see a whole new approach to Marketing in women's sports more companies might start taking risks investing in upand cominging stars and really promoting women's league this is insanity what they're doing to Caitlyn Clark it's bad business it's shortsighted when this woman exits the playoffs probably tonight the WNBA
playoffs are over so what's next will other brands follow Adidas's lead will Nike wake up and realize what they're missing out on or will we see new players enter the game ready to shake things up even more let's wrap this up Nike's silent treatment of Caitlyn Clark is baffling while Adidas jumped at the chance to back her this isn't just about sneakers anymore it's reshaping how we see women's sports but I feel like there are so many little tweaks and little things that could be done and I am upset for her honestly I think 28
million for 8 years eight8 years is such a long time she'll be midway maybe if not over halfway through her WNBA career by the time that this contract is up and then renegotiating that and trying to get more at that point in her career like this was the buzz that you should have capitalized on so what's next will Nike wake up up and give Clark the spotlight she deserves or will they keep sleeping on one of basketball's brightest stars Adidas saw the future and went all in they're not just selling shoes they're selling a vision
of what women's sports can be and hopefully they capitalize on it to the point where you'll have a player like guju Watkins at USC who would leave college to go to the WNBA because the money would be great I mean that might be what Caitlyn Clark brings to the WNBA she's going to bring recognition maybe salaries go up between salaries with the NBA and the WNBA and okay well if you're bothered by it then buy season ticket this whole Situation's got people talking about more than just endorsements it's about how we value women athletes in
the future of Sports Marketing are we seeing a shift in the game only time will tell but her games got an average over a million viewers on TV while the average game is 300K a ticket for her first playoff game cost more than every other WNBA playoff game combine and get this the Washington Mystics recently hosted Caitlyn's team the Indiana Fever they had to move to the Wizards Arena to accommodate all the fans and set a WNBA record for attendance so yeah she is that good one thing's for sure Caitlyn Clark's changing basketball on and
off the court
