18 June 2009
The sports world has been buzzing with the news that Manchester United has accepted an incredible £80m bid from Real Madrid for footballer Cristiano Ronaldo.
Personally, I couldn’t give two hoots how much they pay him, or where in Europe he hangs his boots, but such a huge amount of money made even my football-hating ears prick up. This isn’t so much about Ronaldo’s value as a player, but his value as a marketing tool.
Many sports fans are furious about the deal, “No one is worth this much money,” says one football blogger. “It’s a farce,” comments another. The general consensus in the sporting world seems to be that Real Madrid is carrying out an OTT publicity stunt. So, is anyone worth this amount of dosh?
Well, yes – at least economically. It’s in sponsorship terms that Ronaldo could actually be worth every penny. Real Madrid isn’t being foolish, its president, Florentino Pérez, knows the value of high-profile players: David Beckham was bought in 2003 by Real Madrid for $41m but was apparently worth $600m in sales of shirts when he left in 2007.
Ultimately, it’s not just ticket sales that Real Madrid will be cashing in on, but promotional goods and potentially huge sponsorship deals. Raising the profile of the club with big money deals is no doubt a nice side benefit but what Pérez is banking on is that football is not just about the game, but about watching the stars: Roman gladiator-style. And punters will not only pay a lot to see that, but also buy the t-shirt.
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