The incredible growth of the shoe brand backed by tennis legend Roger Federer shows no sign of slowing down, with the biggest names in soccer now joining the relentless success story that is On.
The shoe brand was growing steadily when Federer took up an option to get involved in the brand that was making waves in his native Switzerland, as he took a small stake on the company to highlight his association.
That proved to be a turning point for On, as they have enjoyed remarkable growth since it was revealed they were being backed by arguably the most popular tennis player of all-time.
Iga Swiatek and Ben Shelton were among their first brand ambassadors in tennis and now they have signed big money deals to start working with two of the biggest names in the history of French football.
World Cup winners Thierry Henry and Kylian Mbappe would have huge price tags to sign sponsorship deals, so their deal with On is an eye-catching moment for a company that has taken on the giant of the sports shoe world and made a big impact.
More Tennis News
“From the beginning, what drew me to On was the opportunity to build something entirely new together that will help shape tomorrow’s game,” said Mbappe.
“I want to bring my experience and perspective into what we create, push what’s possible through innovation, and always stay true to the joy of football. We have a shared dream, and this is only the beginning.”
Arsenal legend Henry joins as On’s first Director of Football and he is excited by the prospect.
“Building something new in football requires a bold and original approach,” stated Henry.
“Over the past year, I’ve seen first-hand the curiosity and attention to detail the team at On brings to that process.
“We want to listen to players, understand what they need and create something that can genuinely add to the game. I’m proud to be part of shaping what comes next.”
Taking on traditional giants like Nike and Adidas was a bold ambition for On at the start of their journey, but the company is now valued in excess of $20billion, ensuring Federer will make much more from his investment in this company than he ever made in a tennis career that saw him win 20 Grand Slam titles.
Moving into football will open up new avenues for On to grow again, with the most popular sport in the world set to be targeted by a company that Federer admits has taken him by surprise.
“I never thought it was going to work this well,” said Federer as he spoke about his partnership and investment in On.
“All I thought was it would be cool to work with a Swiss brand, help the guys out.
“We started working on a shoe before I had the deal with On because I thought it would be nice to help the guys out in what is an incredibly difficult market.
“Now you can think I was a little naive and I always wanted them to be successful, but not at this speed like that. I didn’t know that a brand could grow this quickly.
“It’s been a wonderful journey. The numbers are incredible and hopefully we can go into new sports if we want growth.”
On is one of the great successes of the modern sports shoe market and it looks like it is about to go to the next level, with Federer’s slice of the company now believed to be worth well in excess of $500million.
READ NEXT: Roger Federer admits he is ‘surprised’ by the staggering scale of his biggest business deal
