MEP315 SPORT, MEDIA AND CELEBRITY

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MEP315 SPORT, MEDIA AND CELEBRITY

• 7. CASE STUDY I BECKHAM

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Context for Beckhams fame

• BSkyBs deal with Premier League
• Bosman case and player power
• Marriage to Posh Spice Girl
• Increasingly important role of agents (first SFX
  Sports Group, then 19 Entertainment) and
  lawyers to negotiate contracts, capitalise on PR
  opportunities, oversee crisis management

3
Career trajectory

• ACCLAIM Wonder kid aged 21 he scores goal
  from his own half
• PUNISHMENT Villain sent off for retaliation
  in the 1998 World Cup Finals
• REDEMPTION Hero helps Man Utd win the
  treble in season 1998/99
• CELEBRATION Golden Balls England captain
  and father of 3, etc.

4
Beckhams image rights

• In 2001/02 his 90K a week Man Utd contract
  includes approx 20K for use of his image
• 2002 MS launch highly lucrative Beckham brand
  of boys clothes with logo DB 07
• 2002 Bend It Like Beckham released
• 2003 Beckham moves to Real Madrid, 8,000
  Beckham 23 shirts sold in 1st day, Real shirt
  sales end 350 up on previous year
• 2004 - 40 million Gillette endorsement deal
• 2007 LA Galaxy 5-year deal worth 128m

5
Beckham and the fear of emasculation (Whannel
2002)

• Beckham does unmasculine things pictured in a
  sarong, attends fashion shows, narcissistic, his
  wife Victoria wears the trousers
• Beckham as family man contradicts soccer lad
  stereotype (e.g. Best, Gazza)
• Postmodern new lad compared to Fowler
  (w-class, macho, homophobic old lad), Beckham
  has style, surface appearance, performative
  talent (along with Victoria), is a polysemic
  figure

6
Beckham as global celebrity

• Football is perhaps most globalised sport
• Continues to be the face of leading global
  brands (e.g. Pepsi and adidas)
• Strong brand presence in Japan, China, Thailand,
  Malaysia, Indonesia (powerful Chinese and SE
  Asian economies)
• Seen as religious icon in Buddhist, Hindu and
  Christian monuments