McIlroy’s €95m sponsorship deals revealed in court dispute

The golfer Rory McIlroy negotiated sponsorship contracts over the past two years with a value of up to $129 million (€95 million), according to proceedings in the Commercial Court in Dublin yesterday.

Horizon Sports Management, with which he signed agreements in 2011 and 2013, says that as a result of its work McIlroy had contract earnings of $50 million this year.

A multi-year sponsorship deal with Nike negotiated in late 2012 was worth $20 million a year to him and other lucrative sponsorship deals were also negotiated, according to Horizon.

However, Mr McIlroy now says his agreements with Horizon were executed at a time when it had “undue influence” over him and that the agency failed to live up to its responsibilities to him under the agreement. He wants the agreements to be rendered void.

The Dublin-based agency is to contest the golfer’s claims and lodge its own counter-claim for very significant damage to its reputation.

In the proceedings, Mr McIlroy’s address is given as Monaco. Yesterday a spokeswoman for the golfer said he had moved tax residency there last year.

Earlier this year Mr McIlroy announced he had ended his relationship with Horizon and that Rory McIlroy Incorporated (RMI) would now be managing his interests. The head of RMI is to be Donal Casey, who formerly worked for Horizon.