Stock Spotlight: Nike a long-term winner thanks to centre court performance

Strong brand power

As the drama on the centre court of Wimbledon comes to a close, there has been one winner who has survived every battle and it is not a tennis player. It is the sponsors. And analysts agree that one of these, Nike, gains “immense value” from the historic sporting event, which will help it as it continues to undergo a strategy transformation and battle macroeconomic factors.

Nike's logo and name is seen by millions during the weeks of Wimbledon. Last year the BBC's coverage of the event attracted an average of 15.5 million viewers across 43.5 hours of coverage. "One of the most important ways that Nike builds strong global appeal is through partnerships and collaborations with top athletes and prestigious sporting events such as Wimbledon and the World Cup later this fall," commented Jim Tierney, CIO and portfolio manager of the AllianceBernstein Concentrated US Equity fund, which holds 6.5% in Nike. And one of the reasons this brand, more so than some of...