I can't recall, since the venerable "grey lady", The New York Times went to color several years back, a full page color ad in the sports section. Yet, on this morning's read, there it was--page D2, inviting me to "Be a Part of History, Summer 2007, when "Beckham comes to America".

Right, for a cool million a week (including endorsements, we don't actually know his team salary, according to the second front page feature in The Times, The New York Post reports his actual salary at $10M a year); with his "co-brand" Posh in tow (who apparently has hopes of launching an acting career).

So, it is fundamentally a marketing bet, made by those who have nothing to do with football (er, "soccer"). As for Becks himself, he claims his motivation is to bring soccer to the same level of prominence as other sports among American kids--right again, the million a week has nothing whatever to do with it

First impact? His new team, the LA Galaxy sold 1000 new season ticket subscriptions yesterday. Not bad. With a top ticket price of $3000, he needs only 2000 more tickets to offset the salary (after all, the Galaxy doesn't pay his endorsements). So, potentially a better deal than Real Madrid (his former team), who paid him $8M a year, and sat him for most of this season (Real also retained 50% of his "image rights"; the Galaxy get none of this). When his previous team Manchester United, of the English Premier League unloaded him to Madrid, they sold his contract in its last year. Madrid got nothing for the transfer to the States. For you fans of the world's most popular sport, you may recall his less than stellar perfomance in last year's World Cup (won by Italy), with his subsequent forfeiture of the captanship of the side; followed by his unceremonious dismissal from the English team roster.

So much for the math. Here's the sport/business/marketing crux of the issue--at 32, can Becks still play? (Or, as I expect he is thinking, can he shine against the decidedly second tier talent of the Major League Soccer?). If so, The Galaxy, MLS, and the sponsors presumably win--if not, a big gamble costs lots of people lots of money for little return.  Think about it this way--Michael Jordan, in his prime, was as big a bankroll as Becks. Past his prime? When I last looked, Michael does hot dogs and tee-shirts, and Nike's Air Jordan range is nowhere near the on-fire brand it once was.

Past the momentary buzz, past the glare of the paparrazi, and their near ADD attention spans, the proof of this deal will be on the pitch--can Becks still "bend it"?

 

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