David Beckham's move to the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer last summer was a big score for U.S. soccer and an even bigger one for Beckham, the former captain of England's national team.
The Galaxy's attendance for the five matches he played (he missed much of the season due to injury) averaged 37,659, 57% more than the team's previous record. Per game attendance for MLS as a whole rose 50% after Beck's debut, and ratings for ESPN2, one of MLS's national television partners, were up 25%.
Beckham posted huge wins off the pitch as well. Of the $49 million he made in 2007 to make him the highest-paid soccer player in the world, $12 million was salary from the Galaxy and Real Madrid, and $37 million was from image rights, including a portion of the proceeds from 300,000 Beckham Galaxy jerseys sold, and endorsements from the likes of Adidas (other-otc: ADDDY.PK - news - people ), Pepsi (nyse: PEP - news - people ) and Coty.
The superstar further fueled his hype by signing a three-year Armani underwear contract last November, worth upwards of $20 million. The deal launched with a series of ads showing Beck proactively posed in only the designer's drawers. Soccer moms have no excuse for not noticing him now.
source forbes.com
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