Unilever, based in London and Rotterdam, generated €51 billion in 2012 revenues. In today’s U.S. dollars, that’s $66 billion. Through a marketing firm, the players were asked for permission to use their likeness, and the players signed off on the deal. The NCAA, through a spokesperson, would not disclose the licensing fee it received from Unilever for the rights to its NCAA Tournament content. In response to questions about the specifics of the compensation, and whether or not it was too low, Unilever said, through a spokesperson: “We really enjoyed creating a spot for the new AXE Apollo campaign that focused on this iconic moment during the NCAA men’s tournament. In regards to compensation, unfortunately we do not disclose financial information on the AXE brand. Thanks for your inquiry.”
Announcer Kevin Harlan, who is broadcasting this year’s NCAA tournament for CBS and Turner, did the voiceover for the Axe ad; he did not announce the actual Valpo-Ole Miss game in 1998. (Ted Robinson made that call for CBS). Through his agent, Harlan declined to comment on his compensation for the ad.
The Ed O’Bannon class action lawsuit against the NCAA, which is working its way through the legal system, could change the dynamics of college sports economics. O’Bannon, a former UCLA basketball star, first brought the suit forward because his likeness was being used in a video game, yet he received no money from sales of the game, or a portion of the NCAA’s licensing fees. (The NCAA denies that his likeness was used). The suit, which now includes Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell as plaintiffs, is also seeking a cut of TV revenues for players. The hearing on class certification is set for June of this year, and the trial is scheduled for July 2014. If the suit prevails, players like Sykes and Jenkins might see much bigger paychecks for their 1998 feat.
For now, though, they’ll have to make do with $500. You may have noticed another commercial running on a March Madness loop, this one from the NCAA itself. The organization asks you to think of it as a “spirit squad, cheering for student-athletes at every big event, and every small one.” The last line of the NCAA ad: “Just know we’re always there for student-athletes.”