UK soccer star Raheem Sterling close to signing six-figure Apple endorsement deal

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
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A winger with U.K. soccer club Manchester City, Raheem Sterling, is nearing a lucrative deal to endorse Apple devices, a report said on Thursday.




Sterling would be paid approximately ?250,000 ($353,725) per year for his cooperation, the immediate goal being to build Apple's campaign for the 2016 European Championship finals, according to The Sun. That plan is allegedly dependent, however, on Sterling recovering from a groin injury on March 20, which may have knocked him out of play for up to eight weeks.

The footballer would be the first U.K. athlete to push Apple products. Other marketing ambassadors from sports include Americans Serena Williams (tennis) and Steph Curry (basketball), along with Brazilian-born soccer star Neymar.

Although Apple has long flirted with celebrity endorsements, that strategy has intensified in the past year or so. On Monday alone the company premiered seven new Apple Watch ads, featuring people like Nick Jonas, Alice Cooper, and Chlo? Sevigny.

The Sun didn't say what product or products Sterling might be selling, but some candidates might include the Apple Watch and/or Beats headphones, given their strong associations with sports.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 19
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,093member
    At least it's not like Samsung paying athletes to use their garbage phones, only to not have it go their way...

    http://www.techtimes.com/articles/4413/20140316/lebron-james-samsung-endorsement-blunder-and-three-other-celebrities-who-put-samsung-to-shame.htm

    http://www.buzzfeed.com/hunterschwarz/11-times-jay-z-used-a-phone-that-wasnt-a-samsung-galaxy#.xrJrxq33pr


    edited April 2016
  • Reply 2 of 19
    baconstangbaconstang Posts: 1,105member
    I guess that will help with foreign markets.   In the U.S., not so much.
  • Reply 3 of 19
    sirlance99sirlance99 Posts: 1,293member
    sog35 said:
    Apple needs to sign up Steph Curry. He already did an iPhone commercial.

    In the next 5 years he will be the biggest sports star on the planet.

    Why?

    1. He will be the biggest star in USA and China sports (China loves basketball). That's where the money's at for Apple products.
    2. His family values reflect Apple's 
    3. Kids love him. Kids are trend setters. Kids love him because he relatable. He isn't a 6'9" 270lb giant like Lebron James or a Prima Donna like Ronaldo. He's a guy with slightly above average height and a normal frame.  But he worked hard as hell to be the best in the world.

    I'd say pay him $5 million a year.
    Nike probably wouldn't like that too much.
  • Reply 4 of 19
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    This is fine I guess, for building UK consumer awareness, but if there's any lesson to be learned from athletes such as Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods, or Pete Rose (to name just a few), when you get involved with athletes of any kind, expect the inevitable downside and controversy.

    IMO, sponsoring events or event advertising would be money better spent. Why tie yourself to a single athlete?
    edited April 2016
  • Reply 5 of 19
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member
    sog35 said:
    Apple needs to sign up Steph Curry. He already did an iPhone commercial.

    In the next 5 years he will be the biggest sports star on the planet.

    Why?

    1. He will be the biggest star in USA and China sports (China loves basketball). That's where the money's at for Apple products.
    2. His family values reflect Apple's 
    3. Kids love him. Kids are trend setters. Kids love him because he relatable. He isn't a 6'9" 270lb giant like Lebron James or a Prima Donna like Ronaldo. He's a guy with slightly above average height and a normal frame.  But he worked hard as hell to be the best in the world.

    I'd say pay him $5 million a year.
    Steph Curry would be a good candidate for an Apple endorsement deal. No way would he ever become the biggest sports star on the planet. Outside of the USA, China, and a few small countries, the NBA really isn't that popular. The only sport that has huge global stars is soccer. That's why this Raheem Sterling deal is a good one for Apple. Sterling is an emerging star. Soccer is way bigger in China than basketball. All the big English clubs like Man City are huge in China. China is making a huge push to have a good soccer league. Amazingly, the soccer league in China spend almost half a billion on new players in the past transfer window. They even outspent the Premier League in England, which is huge. 
    diplicationaaronj
  • Reply 6 of 19
    michael_cmichael_c Posts: 164member
    sirlance99 said:
    sog35 said:
    Apple needs to sign up Steph Curry. He already did an iPhone commercial.

    In the next 5 years he will be the biggest sports star on the planet.

    Why?

    1. He will be the biggest star in USA and China sports (China loves basketball). That's where the money's at for Apple products.
    2. His family values reflect Apple's 
    3. Kids love him. Kids are trend setters. Kids love him because he relatable. He isn't a 6'9" 270lb giant like Lebron James or a Prima Donna like Ronaldo. He's a guy with slightly above average height and a normal frame.  But he worked hard as hell to be the best in the world.

    I'd say pay him $5 million a year.
    Nike probably wouldn't like that too much.
    Apple and Nike have a strong partnership - don't see Curry's deal with Under Armor as a stopper. Tim Cook is on Nike's board of directors, so would most likely know if this would be an issue.
    aaronj
  • Reply 7 of 19
    boltsfan17boltsfan17 Posts: 2,294member

    SpamSandwich said:
    This is fine I guess, for building UK consumer awareness, but if there's any lesson to be learned from athletes such as Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods, or Pete Rose (to name just a few), when you get involved with athletes of any kind, expect the inevitable downside and controversy.

    IMO, sponsoring events or event advertising would be money better spent. Why tie yourself to a single athlete?
    This deal goes far beyond the UK. Man City is one of the biggest soccer clubs in the world. They have a huge following all over the world. This deal will be great promotion for Apple all over Europe, Asia, Africa, and even here in North America. I wish Apple would sponsor big sporting events such as the Champions League. 
  • Reply 8 of 19
    elijahgelijahg Posts: 2,759member
    Steph Curry would be a good candidate for an Apple endorsement deal. No way would he ever become the biggest sports star on the planet. Outside of the USA, China, and a few small countries, the NBA really isn't that popular. The only sport that has huge global stars is soccer. That's why this Raheem Sterling deal is a good one for Apple. Sterling is an emerging star. Soccer is way bigger in China than basketball. All the big English clubs like Man City are huge in China. China is making a huge push to have a good soccer league. Amazingly, the soccer league in China spend almost half a billion on new players in the past transfer window. They even outspent the Premier League in England, which is huge. 
    Think you'll find it's football. :P

    Edit: Apparently along with the rest of this crap forum software that doesn't work, emojis don't work here either. And I had to add this twice, as it lost [i]half[/i] of it the first time around...

    Edit 3: Oh no BBCode support either, wtf. /offtopic
    edited April 2016
  • Reply 9 of 19
    kevtkevt Posts: 195member
    SpamSandwich said:
    This is fine I guess, for building UK consumer awareness, but if there's any lesson to be learned from athletes such as Magic Johnson, Tiger Woods, or Pete Rose (to name just a few), when you get involved with athletes of any kind, expect the inevitable downside and controversy.

    IMO, sponsoring events or event advertising would be money better spent. Why tie yourself to a single athlete?
    He's not the best footballer for UK promotion. He's not shone this season for Man City. He's likely to make the England squad for the Euro 16 tournament, but unlikely to make the starting 11. But more to the point his reputation is poor amongst football fans in the UK (apart from partisan Man City supporters) for the manner in which he left his previous club Liverpool. Petulant, arrogant, lacking in loyalty - not cool. 

  • Reply 10 of 19
    boopthesnootboopthesnoot Posts: 73member
    Not a chance this rumor is true.  Apple never has and never will pay for a celebrity to endorse their products.  It's not in their DNA.
  • Reply 11 of 19
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    boopthesnoot said:
    Not a chance this rumor is true.  Apple never has and never will pay for a celebrity to endorse their products.  It's not in their DNA.
    Say what? Have you not seen any of the recent Apple Watch ads? Each filled with celebrities.
  • Reply 12 of 19
    diplicationdiplication Posts: 609member
    With this season's performances, Jamie Vardy, Harry Kane, or Dele Alli would seem to all have been better choices if they were looking to sign an British footballer that was going to be at this summer's Euros.
  • Reply 13 of 19
    diplicationdiplication Posts: 609member
    sog35 said:

    Maybe soccer has more fans in gross number but not gross dollars.

    Last year Lebron James made $44 million in endorsements.
    Kevin Durant another basketball player made $35 million.
    The highest paid soccer star Ronaldo 'only' made $27 million.
    Thats the same as the highest cricket player in the world who also made $27 million.
    Even Kobe Bryant who is retired made $26 million.

    But that all pales to Michael Jordan who made $100 million in endorsements. He has been retired for over a decade.

    The real money is in basketball.  That is where the big money is because it has such a powerful demographic and disposable income. Thats why I want Apple to go after Curry.  In a few years he will be bigger than any soccer star.


    That's funny because Forbes has Ronaldo listed at #10 among top paid  celebrities in 2015 with salary and endorsements totaling 79.5 million dollars.  The only athletes higher on the list are Floyd Mayweather at #1 with 300 million, and Manny Pacquiao at #2 with 160 million. The next athlete on the list is Messi at #13 with 74 million.  Lebron doesn't make the list until #18 with 65 million. Maybe Lebron makes more money with endorsements, but Ronaldo is paid a ridiculously huge amount just to do his day job, and I guess you couldn't write that huge paycheck without having "a powerful demographic and disposable income".

    I'm not saying football is a better sport, I'm just saying football is the world's sport.
    singularityaaronjchia
  • Reply 14 of 19
    [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    boltsfan17 said:
    sog35 said:
    Apple needs to sign up Steph Curry. He already did an iPhone commercial.

    In the next 5 years he will be the biggest sports star on the planet.

    Why?

    1. He will be the biggest star in USA and China sports (China loves basketball). That's where the money's at for Apple products.
    2. His family values reflect Apple's 
    3. Kids love him. Kids are trend setters. Kids love him because he relatable. He isn't a 6'9" 270lb giant like Lebron James or a Prima Donna like Ronaldo. He's a guy with slightly above average height and a normal frame.  But he worked hard as hell to be the best in the world.

    I'd say pay him $5 million a year.
    Steph Curry would be a good candidate for an Apple endorsement deal. No way would he ever become the biggest sports star on the planet. Outside of the USA, China, and a few small countries, the NBA really isn't that popular. The only sport that has huge global stars is soccer. That's why this Raheem Sterling deal is a good one for Apple. Sterling is an emerging star. Soccer is way bigger in China than basketball. All the big English clubs like Man City are huge in China. China is making a huge push to have a good soccer league. Amazingly, the soccer league in China spend almost half a billion on new players in the past transfer window. They even outspent the Premier League in England, which is huge. 
    I was gonna say, I'm from Scotland and have never heard of Steph Curry. But I could name you a football (soccer) star from pretty much any country around the world - it really is a worldwide sport unlike NBA, NFL, baseball etc. As for picking Raheem Sterling, I'm not sure - while he was with Liverpool FC he was generally loved by all as a young talented down-to-earth guy. After his protracted transfer to Citeh, his reputation dived. He's known now as a snake who follows the money and has an inflated self-ego beyond his abilities. There are many many other young English players who would be better suited to Apple imho.
  • Reply 15 of 19
    jbyrne90jbyrne90 Posts: 1member
    Proof that America know nothing about football and don't follow it. Sterling is among the most hated players in the PL right now after being a snake and jumping ship from Liverpool to city. Causing 'Boos' from every club when he gets the ball...
    Hardly great publicity. Should go for likeable characters who people aspire to... Clueless.
  • Reply 16 of 19
    tallest skiltallest skil Posts: 43,388member
    jbyrne90 said:
    ...after being a snake and jumping ship from Liverpool to city.

    dasanman69
  • Reply 17 of 19
    dasanman69dasanman69 Posts: 13,002member
    Messi would've been a much better choice. 
  • Reply 18 of 19
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    dasanman69 said:
    Messi would've been a much better choice. 
    Apple get enough flack for their tax affairs as it is.
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