Tiger Woods dropped by Gatorade (Reuters)
February 26, 2010
* Latest corporation to walk away after sex scandal
* Partnership with Tiger Woods Foundation to continue
LOS ANGELES, Feb 26 (Reuters) – Golfer Tiger Woods wasdropped by sports drink brand Gatorade on Friday, the latestcorporate sponsorship he has lost since details of hisadulterous affairs surfaced late last year.
“We no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing effortsand have ended our relationship,” a spokeswoman for PepsiCo’sGatorade said.
“Our partnership with the Tiger Woods Foundation willcontinue. We wish him all the best.
Gatorade decided before the sex scandal that it would dropits “Tiger Focus” drink.
AT&T and Accenture already have dropped their sponsorships,while Gillette has distanced itself from Woods, who isbelieved to be the world’s wealthiest athlete.
He is estimated to have earned $100 million annually inendorsement deals before his confession on Dec. 11 of“infidelity” and his subsequent televised apology.
Other sponsors, such as Electronic Arts, have moved aheadwith endorsement plans. The games publisher will introduce thenext version of its Woods console game in June. (Reporting by Lisa Baertlein; Editing by Gary Hill)
Tee it up with Yahoo! Sports Fantasy Golf 10
