I would conservatively estimate that there are 5000x more golfers on the planet than there are triathletes. Giant global market means giant endorsement deals. She is worth every penny.

edit: Make that 1000

I doubt very much if there are ANY millionaire professional triathletes( Ironically, there are very likely more than a few millionarie age-group triathletes!). The total pool of money in this sport is actually quite small.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

" I am a big golf fan and a triathlete and in all honesty, I hate watching triathlons on T.V so I can understand from a sponsor's perspective"

And watching golf on TV is entertaining?

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

so what do the top tri pros make? $200k, $500k?

Earnings in professional sports is all about exposure for sponsors. Not only are there far more golfers than triathletes, but I suspect their average income is as high, or higher than that of triathletes. It all adds up to lots of people with money to spend on the sponsors' products.



If Michelle Wie or Tiger Woods show up to play in your tournament, then 1000's of additional people will purchase tickets to attend the event in person, and some multiple of that will watch on TV, making advertising exposure more valuable. If Peter Reid or Tim DeBoom sign up for your triathlon they bring in somewhere around zero extra dollars for your charity, sponsors, etc.

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Happy trails,
Chris

Strangely, yes.

In the off season when I go out big on a friday or saturday night, golf is one of my favorite things to watch when I am hung over. Soft talking, and some action here and there. Kind of has a soothing effect. You can even pass out and nap on the couch for a while, wake back up and catch the last few holes...

I prefer Iron Chef America. Faster moving, they make ice cream out of clams, and what's not to like about Bobby Flay!

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

It is estimated that TriDubai is paying ~$60K per athlete. Some probably get more, some less. But they paid $60K in salaries for 10 athletes. There are probably some bonuses for race performances, etc. But that should give a reference. The equivalent Nike contract for Michelle Wie is probably about $6 million, so figure if she's making $15m , that a very top triathlete could be making $150K, which is what i've heard here and there for the BIG names. The fall-off after that is quite dramatic, though, and unlike with golf, it can be tough to make a living at the bottom of the triathlon circuit.

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"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp

It will also be interesting to see how long this whole Tri Dubai experiment goes. Are they going to get a return on their investment and is it really going to attract that many people to go over there and vacation, etc.?

I think that lew Kidder has estimated here that Sheila T has made somewhat north of $200K in her best years. I suspect that a few of the other ITU studs have made more. I'm not sure if that includes prize money salaries and goods or is purely cash. If I remember correctly B Lundquist took home a pretty good chunk of change from Lifetime twice plus had a lot of endorsments. Willing to bet she's topped a million total (just barely)

Styrrell

Bobby Flay is getting fatter and fatter. If he doesn't tone down the "taste testing" he'll end up looking like Mario Batali in a couple years!

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Your guess is pretty close. Sheila T. averaged close to $200,000/year for the 2000-2004 period. A few make more than that (the winners of Lifetime Fitness take in $250,000 from that race alone), but going over $500,000/year is VERY rare.

The money lavished by businesses on golf has several roots. First is the average demographics of the audience - very upscale and connected. Second is the ease of production - no cameraman has to hang off the side of a motorcycle while descending the Col de Madeline at 100 kph. But more important than both, to the eyes of many observers, is the lens through which the big dog looks. Many CEOs/Chairs-of-the-Board play golf; few (the CEO of Lifetime Fitness being one) do tri's.

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Lew

"Bobby Flay is getting fatter and fatter. If he doesn't tone down the "taste testing" he'll end up looking like Mario Batali in a couple years! "

Hazard of the job, I guess. That and I think he got married.....kj

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Awww, Katy's not all THAT evil. Only slightly evil. In a good way. - JasoninHalifax

Hey Lew,

Not to hijack the thread but is Karen doing hawaii? Good luck to her if she is.



Shawn

"The fall-off after that is quite dramatic, though, and unlike with golf, it can be tough to make a living at the bottom of the triathlon circuit."

Professional traithletes fall into three groups.

1. A very small group at the top who are doing "well" making possibly into the moderate 6 figures

2. A larger group that is making OK money but, in reality just covering costs

3. Finally group who make little or no money and get by on part/full tike jobs, supportive partners or other financial arrangments.

The money does drop off very dramatically. IMH this week end is a great example. The winner makes a huge amount of money. nest to the Life-Times fitness race the biggest prize of the year, plus I would suspect significant sponsor bonuses for the high exposure. However, move done to say 6th or 7th place and that athlete may not even be able to cover their costs of getting to/from the race with their winnings.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Golf is not a sport. Its an industry. Much like casino gambling or NASCAR or the fashion industry.

The answer lies in tradition folks.....Tennis and golf have over a century of history and triathlon has.....30 years history max? Really...come on...

My girlfriend plays on the pro WTA Tennis circuit and has done pretty well over the past 15 years by staying in the top 100. It is amazing to see what these girls are making playing a tournament, especially if they are in the main draw vs. qualifying, and if it is a Grand Slam the pay is more than doubled. Plus their endorsements are huge if they are in the top 10. There is BIG BUCK$$$ in tennis...Sony Eiricckson just kicked in well over 60 million dollars as a title sponsor, along with Porche, Gatorade. HOWEVER..just as there are many making money...there are many that are NOT raking up the buck$ like everyone thinks... They have to pay for flights around the world weekly as the season is from Jan to Nov, hotels, food, and other expenses on $45K/year just to keep their ranking up.

To your initial question.....there are THOUSANDS more spectating people per athlete in tennis than in triathlon always has been...always will be. Her friends on the tour cannot believe the winner of IMH only gets $100K for racing their ass off for 8 hours, where if they place 4th in a Glad Slam...they will walk away with that easily.