David Beckham has already earned Los Angeles Galaxy nearly
£7million - before he has even kicked a ball for the Major League
Soccer team.
The Real Madrid midfielder will join the Galaxy in July after his
contract with the Spanish club ends.
Galaxy have sold an additional 7,000 season tickets on the back of
Beckham`s arrival, which translates into around £2.5million. They
have also increased the price of premium seats by 48% and are
expecting revenue to double this coming season to around
£5million.
To add to the coffers Herbalife Ltd, who sell nutritional and
weight-loss products, have signed a five-year £10million agreement
to have their names on club shirts. That equates to another £2m a
year.
In all, Beckham`s arrival should bring in an additional £7million
in his first season - around £4.5million more than his annual
playing contract with the club.
Tim Leiweke, chief executive officer of the Anschutz Entertainment
Group, the Los Angeles-based company that owns Galaxy, said: 'We
were never worried about our financial commitment. We`ve already
made our money back.'
Beckham`s contract with Madrid ends on June 30 and the former
England captain is expected to join the club in July after a break
with his family.