Under Armour’s Most Valuable Players

Bets on young, unproven athletes are paying off.

Newton
Photographer: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

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By Matthew Townsend

February 4, 2016 at 6:28 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

This article is part of the February 8, 2016 issue of businessweek.

When Under Armour re-signed an endorsement deal with NFL quarterback Cam Newton of the Carolina Panthers before the current season, it looked like a risky investment. The former Heisman Trophy winner wasn’t considered a top NFL player. As he heads into the Super Bowl on Feb. 7, Newton is the favorite for the league’s MVP, according to oddsmakers who also have the Panthers winning the game. “Investing in Cam Newton before this season is like buying Apple before they announced the iPhone,” says Scott Becher, managing director of Z Sports & Entertainment, an advertising agency.

Under Armour’s roster now boasts three of the best players and biggest stars in the NFL, the NBA, and MLB: Newton, Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and Washington Nationals right fielder Bryce Harper. Like Newton, Curry wasn’t a sure thing. The company picked him up after Nike decided not to re-sign him in 2013 in part because he was injury-prone. Now he’s pro basketball’s reigning MVP.