EA came out strong last week in support of Tiger Woods despite the recent media firestorm surrounding his car accident and alleged marital infidelities. An editorial yesterday by Forbes editor Mike Ozanian, however, predicted that both EA and Gillette would be forced to drop Tiger as they and other companies begin reevaluating their celebrity athlete sponsorship deals. EA responded, saying that their previous position stands.
"Sponsors like Gillette and Electronic Arts are going to drop Tiger Woods regardless of what they are saying now," Ozanian wrote on Forbes.com. "Near term, Tiger is done as a corporate pitchman."
Not so, according EA's follow-up, which reinforced their commitment to the "Tiger Woods PGA Tour" series.
"There is no change in our marketing strategy for the franchise," EA said in a statement to GameDaily. "Our strong relationship with Tiger for more than a decade remains unchanged."
Ozanian cited E Poll Market Research results indicating that no other golfers generate the amount of buzz Tiger does, though, which may be the number one reason for EA to wait out current events for as long as possible if they really are destined to part ways with Woods.
Are there any other golfers that you could see taking over to headline EA's golf games? What do you think of Ozanian's prediction? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.