Lacoste to Review Sponsorship Deal with Novak Djokovic Amid Covid-19 Vaccination Controversy

Strategic Insights -

Lacoste, the French sportswear brand, has announced that it will review its sponsorship deal with tennis star Novak Djokovic following his deportation from Australia due to his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19. The review comes as sports sponsors face a dilemma in balancing their business interests with the need to promote public health measures. Djokovic, the men's world number one player, earns $30m a year from sponsorship tie-ups, including a multiyear deal with Lacoste signed in 2017.

Key Takeaways:

  • Lacoste will review its sponsorship deal with Novak Djokovic following his deportation from Australia due to his refusal to be vaccinated against Covid-19.
  • Djokovic's opposition to mandatory Covid-19 vaccinations highlights the dilemma facing sports sponsors, which must weigh up their approach when athletes raise objections to widely recommended public health measures.
  • Other sponsors of Djokovic include Peugeot, Hublot, and Raiffeisen Bank International, which pointed to his "high reputation in central and eastern Europe" as the motivation for the multiyear deal.
  • Hublot has stated that it cannot comment on Djokovic's personal decisions regarding vaccination, while Raiffeisen emphasized that the partnership was agreed "long before the current reporting on Novak Djokovic and his Covid-19 vaccination status".
  • The review of Lacoste's sponsorship deal with Djokovic comes as the Australian Open, where Djokovic was set to compete, has implemented strict vaccination requirements for attendees.

Statistics:

  • Novak Djokovic earns $30m a year from sponsorship tie-ups, according to Forbes.
  • The multiyear deal between Lacoste and Djokovic was signed in 2017.
  • 21 - the number of grand slam titles that Djokovic had hoped to win in the Australian Open.
  • 100% - the vaccination requirement for spectators, staff, and players at the French Open, as announced by Roxana Maracineanu, sports minister for France.

Sources:

  • "As soon as possible, we will be in touch with Novak Djokovic to review the events that have accompanied his presence in Australia." - Lacoste
  • Lacoste signed a multiyear deal with Djokovic as kit sponsor in 2017. - Forbes
  • According to Forbes, the men's world number one player earns $30m a year from sponsorship tie-ups.