Transcript beckham

MEP315 SPORT, MEDIA
AND CELEBRITY
7. CASE STUDY I: BECKHAM
Context for Beckham’s fame
BSkyB’s 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
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.
Beckham’s image rights
In 2001/02 his 90K a week Man Utd contract
includes approx 20K for use of his image
2002 – M&S 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
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 (wclass, macho, homophobic ‘old lad’), Beckham
has style, surface appearance, performative
talent (along with Victoria), is a polysemic figure
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