Michael Phelps’ Act During a Photoshoot Cost His Sponsors Under Armour Nearly $453,000 to Nike Back in 2016

Michael Phelps has been an unparalleled legend in the pool. In 2008, he managed to break a record that had been set in 1972! And, he didn’t stop making history till his last day as a competitive Olympic swimmer. In fact, even today, he remains one of the highest-paid athletes that have had collaborations with other brands.

It is thought that out of his total net worth of $80 Million, a large chunk actually comes from brand deals. But, even with the attraction of great money and exposure, brand deals can sometimes lead people to sticky situations.

Even the greats, with all their precision, have had to deal with this. Phelps once made a grave mistake at a photo shoot that made a brand lose millions to their competitor. The catch? Both were endorsed by the flying fish himself. All this happened when Michael along with others like Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

How a mistake of Michael Phelps cost Under Armor $453,000

The Phelps, Biles, and Ledecky trio were featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, a magazine worth 18.2 million readers. The photo shoot was short, and it was probably not until later that the flaw was noted. Phelps was wearing Nike sportswear since he had reached the shoot venue after a USOC appearance.

USOC and Nike had a partnership deal and since Team USA and USOC were associated, all the athletes had to don Nike. But, there was a problem, Phelps was an UnderArmor-sponsored athlete. And he simply forgot to change.

Not only did it slip out of his mind, but also none of his assistants on the floor remembered to point the folly out. Athletes like Simone Biles were also sponsored by the same brand and they were wearing so.

ALSO, WATCH THIS STORY: “He Did Them a Lot Quicker”: Not Just Michael Phelps, Even 9-Time Olympic Champion Mark Spitz Had Biological Advantages

Legally, Team USA was only to wear Nike in official awards ceremonies and conferences. This was not that sort of an event. Due to this mixing, Nike gained millions of dollars in profit.

The aftermath of this slip-up

Thankfully, it did not have a great load of legal repercussions. It was one of those legal loopholes that made one company gain at the expense of others. But, on the bright side, the magazine not only did get published but also became a memorable piece among the fans.

There were a few people who found this situation kind of amusing. One of them was Rick Burton, a former marketing officer for the Olympics. He said, “Under Armour must be going wild behind closed doors.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Michael Phelps’ Long Torso Leaves Fans Shocked As His Image With 4’11 Ft Tall Gymnast Resurfaces

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