Michael Jordan has made $7M through groundbreaking PSG deal ahead of Champions League final
Paris Saint-Germain has been sponsored by the Jordan brand since 2018, and NBA legend Michael Jordan has received millions through his five percent royalty share of the sales
Paris Saint-Germain will aim to win the Champions League for the first time on Saturday when facing Inter Milan in the final, and Michael Jordan will be supporting the French giants due to his exclusive deal with the club.
Since retiring from the NBA, Jordan has since become a serial businessman. The Chicago Bulls legend purchased a stake in the Charlotte Hornets franchise before generating a profit of over $2 billion, and Jordan has since founded a NASCAR team alongside stock car veteran Denny Hamlin.
The Jordan brand is also thriving, with the subsidiary of Nike generating approximately $7 billion a year. Jordan receives an estimated $350 million annually due to a five percent royalty share he holds, and he's made over $7 million from PSG merchandise alone.
PSG may seem like it's always been a heavyweight in European soccer, but their presence has only been felt within the last 15 years. The club was struggling until Qatari government-backed investment fund Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) purchased 70 percent of the organization in 2011, before acquiring the remaining 30 percent a year later.
In 2013, under the new owners, PSG won its first French League title in 29 years and has since added another nine championships to the collection. PSG has gone from an organization losing money each year to generating major profits, but Jordan's involvement has accelerated that success.
Jordan partnered with PSG in 2018, an unprecedented move at the time as no soccer team had ever collaborated with the brand. Not only did the Jordan logo appeal to soccer fans and lead to a boost in sales, it gained interest from NBA fans and has since become a fashion statement.
PSG and Jordan both saw a surge in sales in 2021 after Lionel Messi signed for the club, following his exit from Barcelona. Within the first 24 hours, 832,000 jerseys were sold, smashing the previous record of 520,000 when Cristiano Ronaldo moved from Real Madrid to Juventus in 2018.
It's thought that PSG generated $140 million from Messi's jerseys alone, meaning that Jordan earned $7 million due to his share of the royalties. The rise in popularity, and the partnership with Jordan, has led to PSG opening club stores in New York, Tokyo, and London.
PSG now generates more revenue from merchandise and licensing deals per year than from media rights and tickets, with the Jordan brand boosting its global image. The organization has been trending in the right direction ever since, and will now look to become champions of Europe for the first time.
For years, PSG has been aiming to win the Champions League but has never managed to get over the line. The closest that the French club came was in 2020, but they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the final as former player Kingsley Coman scored the only goal of the game.
Inter Milan has also suffered recent heartbreak, losing 1-0 to Manchester City in the 2023 final after midfielder Rodri scored the only goal. However, Inter has won the Champions League on three occasions, with 2010 being their most recent triumph.
Not only could PSG secure a historic European trophy on Saturday, it could also complete a memorable treble after already winning the domestic league and the French Cup. PSG also has the benefit of their head coach, Luis Enrique, who led Barcelona to Champions League glory in 2015.
"I’m ten years older compared to my last final. I’m trying to convey to the team what a great opportunity it is to play in a Champions League final, to make history," Enrique said. "We’ve shown no fear. My biggest motivation is to mark PSG’s history, to mark a country’s history. Being the first is what motivates me the most."