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

AppleInsider · April 14, 2016 7:42PM

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.

sflocal · April 14, 2016 7:48PM

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

baconstang · April 14, 2016 7:57PM

I guess that will help with foreign markets. In the U.S., not so much.

sirlance99 · April 14, 2016 8:44PM

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.

spamsandwich · April 14, 2016 8:47PM

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

boltsfan17 · April 14, 2016 9:29PM

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.

michael_c · April 14, 2016 9:32PM

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.

boltsfan17 · April 14, 2016 9:33PM

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.

elijahg · April 14, 2016 10:36PM

boltsfan17 said:
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

kevt · April 14, 2016 10:56PM

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.

boopthesnoot · April 14, 2016 11:49PM

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.

spamsandwich · April 15, 2016 12:21AM

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.

diplication · April 15, 2016 1:43AM

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.

diplication · April 15, 2016 2:26AM

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.

[deleted user] · April 15, 2016 8:12AM

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.

jbyrne90 · April 16, 2016 8:39AM

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.

tallest skil · April 16, 2016 11:49PM

jbyrne90 said:

...after being a snake and jumping ship from Liverpool to city.

dasanman69 · April 17, 2016 1:22AM

Messi would've been a much better choice.

crowley · April 17, 2016 7:33AM

dasanman69 said:

Messi would've been a much better choice.

Apple get enough flack for their tax affairs as it is.

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

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