Tiger's Sponsorships Might Be in Jeopardy

Dec. 10, 2009 — -- As golfer Tiger Woods' once-sparkling world continues to crumble around him, the latest news reports suggest that some of his corporate sponsorships are in jeopardy.

His relationships with Gillette, Gatorade and Accenture are possibly at risk, even as Woods' agent, Mark Steinberg, works overtime to salvage the multimillion-dollar deals, according to the Daily Beast.

Steinberg is trying to help Woods save face and wants the companies to state publicly that they "had full faith in Tiger and backed him completely," according to the news Web site, based on comments from people at two sponsors.

Nike appears to be standing behind the star but Steinberg is having less luck with Gillette, Gatorade and Accenture, the Daily Beast said.

Indeed, Gatorade dropped its "Gatorade Tiger -- Focus" drink earlier this week and initial reports suggested that the PepsiCo Inc. subsidiary made the decision months ago because of poor sales.

But that's just PR, according to the Daily Beast.

"One insider at the company, who asked for anonymity, says that Gatorade seized on the golfer's travails as an opportune time to announce the break from a deal that had already gone bad," wrote Daily Beast investigative reporter Gerald Posner, adding that Steinberg had lobbied intensely to rescue the $100 million, five-year deal.

Meanwhile, Gillette's parent company, Procter & Gamble Co., might ask to reduce Woods' pay, according to a source cited by the Daily Beast.

Woods' deal, signed with Gillette in 2007, is worth about $20 million, according to the Web site.

Neither Gillette, Gatorade nor Accenture has responded to ABC News' requests for comments.