Bartlett Group

At the peak of their career, a player's body could be insured for a total of $57m in the event of sports disability, including accidental death and permanent total disablement, 24 hours a day. In addition, these days a player's brand is sometimes just as important as their playing ability with respect to generating merchandise revenue for their clubs; their brand could hold an insurable value of up to $15m.

Lloyd's and London markets remain the home for professional sports cover and they hold a great deal of expertise in the sector

Ian Roberts, Director and Head of Sports at Bartlett said, "London and Lloyd's markets are global leaders in underwriting professional sports cover. This market position is sustained through a combination of underwriting expertise and innovation."

There are two main types of insurance bought by a professional sports club:

• Permanent Total Disablement Cover—this is usually bought by a club to cover the whole team in the event of accidental death or a player's career ending through total disablement.

• Temporary Disablement Cover—this covers a club in the event of a player being injured and the club having to find a replacement. With clubs such as the Philadelphia Eagles paying out over $100m in wages this year alone, it is not surprising that this type of cover is growing in popularity.

Developed by the Lloyd's market, these covers are often bought by clubs for their top players, with the cost of the insurance determined by the player's age, health, injury record, the medical treatment available and the motivation of the player.

With sportsmen and women becoming increasingly aware that a professional sports career is relatively short term, there has also been an increase in players obtaining their own personal insurance.

Bartlett has overseas offices in London with access to Lloyd's and has over 60 years' experience in arranging cover for professional sports at all levels—from individual players and clubs right through to Governing Bodies.