Sponsors preparing to cash in on Tiger Woods brand again

London: Sponsors are now preparing to cash in on Tiger Woods return to the sport.

Sports memorabilia company Upper Deck Co is preparing to sell signed red shirts for more than 1,000 pounds. Electronic Arts Inc has a new browser-based version of its Tiger-themed video game coming out next week, and Nike Inc reportedly has a TV commercial featuring Woods in production. Golfsmith, the biggest chain of golf stores in the United States, and sports card and memorabilia maker Upper Deck Co say Woods’ scandal that erupted in late November did not dampen demand for his products. “The tour wants him back. The players want him back. His endorsers want him back and like anybody with an economic interest in him, we want him back,” The Post and Courier newspaper quoted Golfsmith CEO Marty Hanaka, as saying.“Tiger has brought more interest to the game from even casual players, and boosted TV ratings and sponsorships, which has translated into higher payouts for Woods and his fellow golfers,” he added. In 1995, the year before Woods turned pro, the Masters’ total prize payout was 2.1 million dollars. Last year, it reached 7.5 million dollars. ANI