Double Olympic champion Matt Weston, Team GB’s joint-most successful Winter Olympian in history, could rake in as much as £1million after his outstanding success in Italy. The skeleton superstar stands the chance to line his pockets after becoming the nation’s first Winter Olympic athlete to win two gold medals at the same Games.   

The next 12-18 months now stand to be profitable away from the ice, thanks to his hard work and success on it. Sport Finance Expert Professor Rob Wilson believes the champion has earned a strong platform to launch his personal brand and turn it into a lucrative next step in his career.

“If we look at Matt Weston commercially, this is what I would call a conversion moment for him,” Wilson explained via OLBG.

“Performance alone doesn’t guarantee commercial value, but the double gold medal provides him with a really strong platform on which to build a commercial brand from.

“In raw endorsement terms, the Winter Olympics in Britain sits in a very niche market, although one that is growing. So we’re not Premier League territory but a breakout champion like Matt can realistically generate something in the region of £600,000 in the first 12 to 18 months post games.

“That money will come through sponsorship, appearance fees and some digital content if he can leverage his own personal brand.

“It would also be fair to say that if Matt can become the face of British Skeleton, then you could probably push that number beyond £750,000, perhaps even up to £1m.”

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Weston’s exploits have already seen him pencilled in as a Sports Personality of the Year contender, and the skeleton star is all too aware of how his profile is likely to be different on his return to the United Kingdom.

He said: “I’ve kind of been preparing a little bit for it. Obviously, this was the goal coming into it – to go there and win everything, which is kind of how I operate in normal terms.

“My teammates call me Captain 110%. I hate losing. So this was the goal, but to actually achieve it is pretty special. I’m not quite sure how it’s going to change because I’ve been keeping off socials, keeping off my phone. But I’ve definitely noticed a bit of a buzz.”

Wilson believes Team GB also stand to benefit from Weston’s success. “In terms of the impact on Team GB’s winter funding, then you’re talking about the halo effect rather than revolution,” he said.

“Success will make sponsorship conversations much easier for the governing body. It will strengthen the UK sport narratives and attract participation.

“So we would likely see a spike in participation in the short term. I would estimate something in the region of £2million in uplift across a funding cycle and that should really be for reinvestment in Skeleton and other related winter programs.

“This wouldn’t be transformational but it will be strategically significant as Team GB and their winter sport program evolves over the next cycle.”