John Abraham in `100cr, three-year deal with Mates

NEW DELHI: Madison Mates, the celebrity management firm owned by Madison World, has signed on John Abraham for a `100 crore minimum guarantee deal over a period of three years, the company said. The deal includes endorsements, merchandising, licensing, academies, television tie-ups, content development across platforms, besides event creations and event appearances. Sam Balsara, CMD, Madison Communications said: “Mates this year is one of our core focus units after media and outdoor.” Before his tie up with Mates, Abraham was handling his work independently. He said: “I was looking for representation for long-term strategy rather than just brokering deals.” According to Darshana Bhalla, Mates CEO, the focus will be not only endorsements but also tapping new dimensions for celebrities.

Abraham, the face of brands like personal care brand Garnier, two-wheeler maker Yamaha, consumer electronics maker Haier and Castrol, and has now inked a deal with apparel firm Madura Garments’ Vdot brand and the association will be beyond endorsements.

While Aamir Khan remains the most expensive film star for endorsements, estimated to be charging `12-14 crore per brand for each year, Shah Rukh is learnt to be now charging in the region of `8-10 crore annually for each endorsement. The trend of signing on stars with a minimum guarantee for two-three years together, for associations that go beyond just brand endorsements, is gradually picking up in India.

Till now, the most expensive individual deal by an Indian film star is learnt to have been inked by Aamir Khan by telecom company Etisalat—for an estimated `30-35 crore for a three-year period.