Swiss confectionery company Lindt has extended their colloboration with Roger Federer in a deal reported to be worth millions.
19-time grand slam champion Federer has been teamed up with Lindt (also known as Lindt & Sprüngli) since 2009. He is an ambassador for the brand, attending a series of promotional events in aid of the company. In a press release published on Wednesday, Lindt said they have chosen to extend the collaboration because of Federer’s ‘Swissness, premium quality, passion and skill .’ Qualities they say that are fitting for their brand.
The extension comes after what has been a successful season for the 36-year-old. He has won a total of seven titles on the ATP Tour, including the Australian Open and Wimbledon. Resulting in him rising back up the ATP Emirates rankings to second in the world. Overall, he has 52 out of 57 matches played this year.
“We are very proud to once again extend the successful partnership with our brand ambassador Roger Federer. In this very extraordinary year for him, he has shown his ability to write sport history with unwavering maximum effort and a great degree of passion. Lindt and Roger Federer both stand for the highest Swiss quality”, says Ernst Tanner, Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors of Lindt & Sprüngli.
There has been no detail provided about the financial incentives awarded to Federer. According to forbes.com, their ‘industry sources’ have reported that the deal will generate roughly $20 million extra for the Swiss player. To put that figure into context. The world No.2 earned a total of $13,054,856 in prize money this year alone.
“I grew up with Lindt products so, as a Swiss and an enthusiastic fan of chocolate, I associate the close partnership with Lindt with wonderful childhood memories. As I travel around the world, people are always asking me about Lindt and I am very proud to be part of the Lindt family”, said Federer.
Federer is ranked fourth in Forbes’ highest paid athletes in the world. His annual pay is listed at $64M with $58M of that coming from endorsements. Cristiano Ronaldo, Lebron James and Lionel Messi are the only athletes that earn more than him. Apart from Lindt, Federer also has contacts with Nike, Rolex, Credit Suisse, Jura and Wilson.
