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

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 Â£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 ChloÃ« 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.

19 Comments

sflocal 6136 comments · 16 Years

About 8 years ago

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

baconstang 1155 comments · 10 Years

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

sirlance99 1301 comments · 11 Years

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 32917 comments · 19 Years

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?

boltsfan17 2294 comments · 12 Years

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.