Athletes train their entire lives for a shot at competing in the Olympics – even participating in the games can bring fame and glory. One thing, however, is not guaranteed when it comes to Olympic success: money.
The games themselves are unpaid (though American gold medalists earn a $37,500 bonus) meaning that many athletes rely on endorsement deals, which can pose a problem for those who compete in less high-profile sports.
Athletes on the American women’s water polo team, for example, were working multiple jobs to support their athletic careers until captain Maggie Steffens publicly asked for financial support prior to the Olympics. Rapper Flavor Flav eventually stepped in to finance the American men’s and women’s teams and signed a five-year deal to “elevate the visibility and excitement surrounding water polo in the United States.”
“I was calling for people to know my teammates and challenging them and empowering them to follow some of the more niche sports this Olympics, especially women’s,” said Steffens, according to the Guardian.
“And Flavor Flav saw that and something about it sparked his interest,” she continued. “He has really opened the door for people to learn about our team and different communities, different people who would have never heard of water polo.”
Ilona Maher, who earned a bronze medal in rugby sevens, has said that she spends as much as six hours a day on TikTok – building a social media brand to ensure that she can earn sponsorships and support herself in a sport that is obscure to many Americans.
“It’s become a brand-building thing. I’m a female athlete in a sport that’s not very big, especially in America. It’s not a money-making sport,” Maher told the Guardian of her social media presence. “I want to make sports a career and I don’t think many women can think that way.”
Even superstars, like gymnast Simone Biles, make far less than their Olympic peers in more mainstream sports. Biles earned $7.1 million in 2023, primarily through endorsement deals. On the other hand, Stephen Curry – one of the highest paid American Olympians – earned $102 million in the last year, according to a Forbes estimate.
Continue reading to see which companies Olympians like Biles, Maher, and Sha’Carri Richardson partner with for endorsement deals.