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Subject: Beckham to LA Galaxy
Posted by: Great One
- [201155199] Sat, Jan 13, 2007, 10:19
We have a soccer forum and nary a mention of this! lol... :)
Beckham the new $250 million man? There's no guarantee
By ALEX VEIGA, AP Business Writer
January 13, 2007
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- David Beckham is big. But is he really $250 million large? Bigger at the bank than Shaq or Kobe or A-Rod?
The world's most recognizable soccer player agreed Thursday to a five-year contract with the Los Angeles Galaxy that Anschutz Entertainment Group, the company that runs the team, touted as being worth $250 million over its five-year term.
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The deal will make Beckham the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer, but reaching the headline-making figure will hinge a lot more on Beckham's prowess as pitchman than as a player.
His Galaxy contract is a small slice of the deal -- the really big money comes in expected commercial opportunities. Translation: There's no guarantee he'll get the $50-million-a-year average described in the announcement.
Although the 31-year-old tabloid darling isn't a household name in the United States, marketing experts agree he's better positioned than most star athletes to cash in off the field. Still, some doubt he'll lure such a windfall in just five years.
"It's overinflated," said Ryan Schinman of Platinum Rye Entertainment, an entertainment consulting company. "I just don't see it."
According to Forbes Magazine, in the year ending June 2006 the only active athlete in the United States to earn more than $50 million in salary and endorsements was Tiger Woods. Next in line: Phil Mickelson ($47 million), Kobe Bryant ($31 million), Shaquille O'Neal ($30 million), Alex Rodriguez and Tom Brady (each $29 million).
Beckham was estimated to have earned $27 million from his salary at Spain's Real Madrid club and his deals with Adidas, Gillette and others, according to Forbes.
Beckham's Galaxy salary will come to under $100 million, an official with knowledge of the negotiations said Friday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the figure was not announced. One player agent even speculated the figure could be as low as $50 million.
Neither the Galaxy nor Denver-based Anschutz Entertainment Group replied Friday to requests for details on the deal's structure.
David Carter, executive director of the University of Southern California Sports Business Institute, was skeptical about the $250 million estimate.
"It sounds like a great number to use in the media -- one likely that is both cumulative, based on many of his relationships, as well one that includes incentives for milestones reached," Carter said.
There's no question the signing created a buzz. Within hours of the announcement, the Galaxy said it sold 2,000 new season tickets. Their season begins April 8.
The team averages 22,000 to 24,000 fans in its 27,000-seat stadium in suburban Carson, although attendance was down last season, when the Galaxy missed the playoffs.
"He's one of the most marketable and highly identifiable sports figures in the world," said Kathleen Hessert, president of sports marketing consultant Sports Media Challenge.
Hessert saw evidence of Beckham's appeal all over the Internet -- the agency has tracked heavy interest in the soccer star, particularly among women, in blogs and chatrooms.
"If his signing with the Galaxy gets more women to buy tickets, that's going to create a huge surge, because where women go, they usually bring their families, as well," Hessert said.
That easily could make Beckham a sought-after pitchman for companies marketing to soccer moms and their daughters, Carter said.
"He can be used to sell traditional consumer goods linked to sports, such as footwear and apparel, as well as be compelling force to sell Happy Meals to families on their way (to) a MLS game," Carter said.
Beckham also should be able to parlay his celebrity status into a showbiz career. It doesn't hurt that his wife, Victoria, became a celebrity in her own right as pop star Posh Spice.
Beckham is represented by arguably the most powerful Hollywood talent agency -- Creative Artists Agency -- and has ties to "American Idol" creator Simon Fuller, who managed the Spice Girls. AEG owner Philip Anschutz also owns Walden Media, a film production unit specializing in family-oriented fare such as the "The Chronicles of Narnia" films.
"There could be a lot of interesting crossover opportunities that might get him closer to that ($250 million) number that you might not see typically with other athletes," said Derek Aframe, vice president with the Octagon sports marketing agency based in Norwalk, Conn. "Time will tell."
Toss in Beckham's established Hollywood connections, such as actor Tom Cruise, and his prospects brighten -- especially given that endorsement dollars tagged to a film can reach into the tens of millions of dollars.
Still, it's unlikely any film or television deals would fetch Beckham seven figures or supplant his primary source of income as a soccer player, Schinman suggests.
"He's not Denzel Washington making $25 million a movie," Schinman said. "He's not even going to make $7 million in a film."
On Friday, Philip Anschutz announced that he had entered into a contract to sell 43 million shares in Qwest Communications for $297.27 million.
"It's not a matter of saying, go out and sell something in order to do this," Anschutz spokesman Jim Monaghan said. "The Anschutz Co. is a very broad and diversified investment organization. There are at any given time a number of transactions. These don't bear relationships to one and other."
Associated Press Writer Jacob Adelman and AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum in New York contributed to this report.
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| 1 | Motley Crue
Dude
ID: 439372011
Sat, Jan 13, 2007, 10:31
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David who?
This may be a first step towards raising soccer's popularity, but it isn't going to be a revolution in itself. Let's face it: people here are not very interested in the sport. It's not like they think MLS doesn't have a lot of star power. It's that they find the sport uninteresting. Maybe glitzy Eurostars with stickfigure wives can help change that, but I doubt it.
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| 2 | Davetkuk
ID: 470571316
Sat, Jan 13, 2007, 17:58
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Beckham moving to LA is very big news in Europe, the move may not have a huge impact on the popularity of football in the US directly (although arguably there would not be another player capable of having the same all around impact), but i would imagine it will certainly raise awareness and interest in MLS across Europe and probably countries such as Japan where Beckham is incredibly popular, which in turn will create more marketing posibilities for MLS worldwide and at home.
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| 3 | The Beezer
Leader
ID: 191202817
Sun, Jan 14, 2007, 22:56
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Agreed, Dave. The impact isn't necessarily from Beckham himself, but that legitimate stars will now be able to come over without as much of a perception that they're copping out on playing at an elite level.
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| 4 | Motley Crue
Dude
ID: 439372011
Sun, Jan 14, 2007, 23:26
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Yeah, at least once they hit 33 or so.
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| 5 | Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Mon, Jan 22, 2007, 02:21
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I agree with #2 and #3. MLS might be an option for other elite or near elite European players moving forward.
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| 6 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Tue, Apr 17, 2007, 22:57
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Angel is still a very strong player. And to jump from the EPL to MLS.....well, Claudio Reyna did it, but he's an American. This is a little different.........
Angel delighted with MLS switch
Angel delighted with MLS switch
AFP
April 17, 2007
BIRMINGHAM, England (AFP) - Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel expressed his delight Tuesday after securing a move from Aston Villa to the American Major League Soccer.
The 31-year-old agreed a deal with New York Red Bulls to bring an end to his six-year spell in the English Premiership.
He will now join the likes of David Beckham in the MLS, which is rapidly foraging a reputation for being able to attract some top class players.
Angel cost Villa a club record 9.5 million pounds (19 million dollars) when he signed from Argentines River Plate in January 2001 but his days have looked numbered since the arrival of Norwegian John Carew and Ashley Young during the January transfer window.
"It was a big decision for me but I'm so excited about what lies ahead. It's going to be a new chapter in my career," said Angel.
"I am very excited about being part of trying to make the league take off and become big in America.
"The Red Bulls coach Bruce Arena is the most successful manager in American soccer history and there are four or five other international players at the club."
Angel has enjoyed mixed fortunes at Villa with his best season in 2003-04 when he netted 23 times as the club just missed out on a UEFA Cup spot on goal difference to Newcastle.
He started this season in the side and netted seven goals before Christmas but has failed to make the substitutes bench in eight of Villa's last nine games.
"We started the season very well but the performances of the team in general dropped in December and the manager was looking for changes.
"Once January came and people arrived, I knew opportunities would be more limited but Martin O'Neill was always very straightforward with me.
"I wanted to play regular football and that wasn't going to be guaranteed here so I decided to move on to this marvellous new challenge.
"The big disappointment is that we never won a trophy. I will always have great memories of Villa but the fact is people will remember you if you win things and that is the sad part of this period."
Angel wishes that the revolution at Villa involving O'Neill and new owner Randy Lerner had taken place earlier in his career.
"I wish these changes had happened three or four years ago but the fact it is happening now is exciting for everyone," he added.
"It needed some changes and I'm sure the manager and the owner will do everything possible to make the club successful and take it to where they want it to belong."
Angel initially struggled to make an impact at Villa but 16 goals in his second season established him as a hero on the Holte End.
It was David O'Leary who brought the best out of him during his first season in charge at Villa with the 23-goal return, including 16 in the Premiership.
But Angel has struggled to reproduce that form in the past two seasons until the arrival of O'Neill briefly reignited that form.
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| 7 | Perm Dude
ID: 58318178
Tue, Apr 17, 2007, 23:04
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The MLS seems like a nice place to retire to...
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| 8 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Tue, Apr 17, 2007, 23:10
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It's in my plans.
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| 9 | Ref
Donor
ID: 539581218
Thu, Apr 19, 2007, 23:14
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And Zizou too!!!
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| 10 | Mike D
Leader
ID: 041831612
Sat, Jul 21, 2007, 20:42
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Beckham to debut tonight, won't start due to the ankle, but should play some.......v. Chelsea at that. ESPN is milking the sh*t out it. Kinda funny.
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| 11 | Great One
Sustainer
ID: 053272014
Wed, Jul 25, 2007, 08:51
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I enjoyed it and will make a point to watch future Galaxy matches.
Also working on tickets for when they come play the Red Bulls. If you buy tickets for this event, you get free tickets for another Red Bull game which is a pretty good deal.
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Post a reply to this message: (But first, how about checking out this sponsor?)
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