How Much Do Disney On Ice Skaters Make?
How much does a Disney On Ice performance make? The average yearly salary for Disney On Ice employment in the United States is $47,378 as of November 6, 2022.
Are the skaters on Disney On Ice professionals?
Over the previous four decades, Disney On Ice has employed the most professional figure skaters in the world, representing 48 nationalities.
The world’s wealthiest figure skater – The list of highest-paid skaters is headed by Yuna Kim, the ice queen from South Korea. It comes as no surprise that the Olympic icon is ranked first. Her creativity and talent helped to promote the sport in her native South Korea.
She secured a multitude of sponsorship partnerships with major corporations like as Kookmin Bank, Nike, Korean Air, Samsung, and Hyundai. In 2014, her final year as a professional skater, Yuna Kim reportedly earned a staggering $16 million, according Forbes. After winning the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, her popularity skyrocketed.
A fragmented marketing landscape makes it difficult for Winter Olympians to get even five-figure marketing partnerships. However, when you gather as many fans as Yuna Kim, nothing is impossible. DIVE DEEPER Former Training Buddies Yuzuru Hanyu and Javier Fernandez Reunited six months ago on the Fantasy on Ice Tour Even after her retirement, Yuna Kim’s influence in South Korea is as strong as ever.
How do ice skaters support themselves?
Nathan Chen, a 22-year-old figure skater from the United States, won the men’s singles gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, redeeming himself after finishing fifth in Pyeongchang in 2018. Forbes estimates that Chen earned at least $1 million from his sponsors in the year leading up to the 2022 Olympics.
- Forbes reported that Chen has agreements with established companies such as Comcast, Nike, and Visa, as well as newer brands such as Grubhub and the game developer nWay (nWay also has an NFT marketplace called nWayPlay).
- He will also receive $37,500 for his gold medal in the men’s singles competition and $22,500 for his silver medal in the team competition.
These monetary awards are distributed through a program of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Sponsorship deals can generate millions of dollars for popular medalists. According to Lisa Delpy Neirotti, an associate professor of sport management at the George Washington University School of Business, figure skaters are always prominent in the Olympics.
- In 2002, NBC News reported that figure skater Michelle Kwan earned an estimated $2 million annually from endorsement deals with companies such as Chevrolet and Yoplait.
- Wan, who won a silver medal at the 1998 Games in Nagano, Japan, won a bronze medal at the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.
- Historically, ice skating, particularly for women, has been a veritable treasure chest for those who have reached the medal stand.
For men, perhaps slightly less “Professor at Columbia University and veteran sports marketing consultant Joe Favorito stated. Typically, ice-skating sponsors will be companies that also sponsor the Olympics, such as Bridgestone, Toyota, Panasonic, and Nike, according to Favorito.
- There is also a prestigious Wheaties endorsement.
- According to FiveThirtyEight, as of 2021, more than 850 athletes had been featured on the cereal’s coveted orange box, with 77 of them Olympic medalists.
- However, the General Mills endorsement is significantly less valuable than other endorsements, with some athletes receiving less than $1,000, according to The Wall Street Journal.) Sarah Hughes and Kristi Yamaguchi, both Olympic gold medalists, are the first figure skaters to appear on the cereal box’s cover.
A reporter for the Washington Post recently noted that Yamaguchi transformed the sport thirty years ago, opening the way for Asian-American ice skaters like as Kwan, Alysa Liu, and Karen Chen. However, acquiring endorsements without medaling might be challenging.
Lloyd Zane Remick, president of the sports, entertainment, and communications consulting firm Zane Management, stated that he has previously represented ice skaters, and unless they’ve won medals and are well-known, endorsement opportunities aren’t as common for them as they are for athletes in other sports, such as football or boxing.
Favorito stated that there may be obstacles since “America values team sports above individual sports, with the exception of golf and tennis.” He believes this is due to the fact that many Americans grow up participating in team sports, such as softball, baseball, and basketball.
James R. Hines, author of the book “Figure Skating: A History,” stated that figure skating’s popularity has varied throughout its history, similar to other sports. According to Favorito, one of the difficulties with ice skating and other solo sports in particular is their cyclical character. “Because you don’t have a professional league, it’s difficult to stay in the public eye after the Olympics,” he remarked.
Neirotti stated that medalists had a narrow window to acquire sponsorships after the Olympics; if they don’t secure endorsements within a month after the Games, it will be difficult to do so at all. Neirotti stated it depends on the individual. Dorothy Hamill, who won the gold medal in the 1976 Winter Olympics, remained popular for decades, according to her.
- Her legacy probably lasted twenty years after she competed.
- There was a haircut known as the Hamill cut “Neirotti stated, chuckling.
- She was the poster kid for the United States.
- Everyone admired her.” According to Neirotti, ice skaters and Olympic competitors in general earn the majority of their income from commercial sponsorships.
She responded, “It’s crucial.” Athletes also receive a minimum living allowance from the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, as well as monetary prizes for medal wins and touring with ice shows, she added. Neirotti remarked that becoming an Olympic figure skater is costly.
Money.com estimated that competitive skaters spend between $35,000 and $50,000 year on travel, coaching, and choreography. Favorito said that more businesses are investing money on advertising and sponsorships. “Consider fintech today, which was not even a category 18 months ago,” added Favorito. Chen and other athletes are employed by NWayPlay, a game developer and NFT marketplace that cooperated with the International Olympic Committee to manufacture Olympic NFT pins.
Favorito stated that any athlete “with a voice” may grow their sponsorship portfolio through social media. He added that brands are seeking athletes that are devoted to social causes and share their ideals. There are many events occurring in the globe.
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