Basketball player, FSG promote him or something, they gave him a share in Liverpool in order to increase his reputation around the world. Just like not606 really, me adding you at the bottom of each post in order for people to find a post from you and give you some postive rep
Indeed. It's pretty much the same. I forgot he has become a minor shareholder. If he helps us i'm happy. Basketball I don't care for though.
Well he increases our reputation around America aswell I guess. Although I reckon its nothing compared to the increased revenue in America we must have got from the FSG takeover. Not to mention kicking out the muppets H&G
Now all he has to do is persuade all his high-profile friends to support Liverpool and we'll have the whole of the USA supporting us.
He's a very very high profile basketball player and one of the worlds most famous sports personalities.
Whenever he wears our shirt our club will earn money. It's quite a big deal in my opinion. He wore our shirt (andy carroll shirt) at a play-off press conference a few weeks back and the journalists asked what hs shirt was not realising that they were watching a very clever advert for lfc that would have cost a few mill at prime time.
Look him up and read this.... Lebron Jamesâ value to Liverpool? Up to $1m per minute in US TV advert spend By Jeremiah Tittle In New York 3 May 2011 Lebron Jamesâ partial ownership of Liverpool and his related commercial tie-in is already paying dividends for the Merseyside team â boosting their brand with effective TV advertising time that could be worth $1m per minute Stateside. On May Day, millions of basketball fans world-wide watched as the NBAâs prime-time favorites, the Miami Heat, won the first game of the Eastern Conference semi-finals over the Boston Celtics. The series is a dream match-up for the NBA â the two teams attracted record viewership for the 2010-2011 season opener. This followed the summer of the âgreat migrationâ spawned by a ratings success in its own right, âThe Decisionâ. Jamesâ polarizing ESPN TV special announcing his move to Miami, greeted by an uproarious crowd response of boos and cheers alike. But it wasnât the Heatâs home win to open this second-round play-off series that caught the attention of Scousers the world over. It was the unique post-game garb Lebron donned following the win. Shedding his typical preppy casual appearance, he filled out an Adidasâfree Andy Carroll kit (Nike is one of Jamesâ primary sponsors) sitting at the press conference table fielding questions from the media on the Heatâs solid start. When an American reporter questioned Jamesâ choice of outfit, he showed pride in his teamâs win over Newcastle on Sunday. âI am following them from a distance,â he said. âHopefully I can get out there and catch a game, but right now, this is the only game Iâm thinking about.â His humble affection for the Reds showed a glare of charm, but the smirk on Jamesâ face told a different story. The realization gradually dawned on America that it had just witnessed an advertisement - integrated marketing at its finest â with a brilliant set-up by the reporter playing the pawn. Showing public support for King Kennyâs men, King James decision to wear No9 - the jersey of the most prominent player acquisition for the club at the death of this yearâs transfer deadline â wouldâve raised more eyebrows if it werenât for last monthâs announcement that the two-time NBA MVP had purchased a share of Liverpool FC. LFC owner John Henryâs decision to bring James on board as a minority owner was far from an ill-advised decision because the commercial has only just begun. The exposure a brand such as Liverpool FC received during this press conference and the subsequent replays on sports networks, media channels, and across the football-loving blogosphere is difficult to estimate accurately. Twelve minutes of national television coverage during the play-offs doesnât come cheap, but just imagine the worth of this type of endorsement if the Heat make it into the NBA finals. Thirty seconds of NBA finals airtime cost advertisers $400,000 in 2010. Add in the endorsement from a current player of Jamesâ stature, and the value logically exceeds half a million dollars for 30 seconds, $1m per minute. That in a nutshell is the value to Liverpool of Lebronâs association: potentially $1m of ad TV advertising time exposure for a club that might (would) otherwise struggle to make an impact on the US sporting public. Itâs clear that Henryâs return on investment depends on Jamesâ ability to navigate conflicting interests, and there was no better motivator than bringing James on as an investor. Jamesâ stake in the eighth most lucrative football franchise in the world was a key concession in this landmark marketing partnership in which Fenway Sports Group owners John Henry and Tom Werner broke from their business tradition of inking marketing deals for the organizations they own such as the Red Sox to sign a deal with an individual person. Not just any individual person, but a 26 year-old athletic phenom who is fast becoming more brand than man. Following the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, Lebron holds court as the 2nd most popular athlete in the billion-customer country of China (2nd only to Kobe Bryant). In fact, the value of Jamesâ play on the court â siphoning $15.8 million a year from the Heat â stands at roughly half of his value in sponsorships estimated at $30 million a year. Since the Reds happen to be the most popular club in this highly-coveted market, Lebronâs investment in Liverpool is another way to gain market share in China while preparing for the next epic commercial event, the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Could we see a repeat of Michael Jordanâs âdream teamâ fiasco? MJ stood on the gold medal stand at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona draped in the American flag not as a symbol of patriotic fervor, but rather catalyzed by the need to serve the brand. He covered the Reebok logo to keep the Nike execs content. After James cashed in on Englandâs Bank Holiday to promote a club more than 5,000 miles away, expectations are set higher for him, although clearly not in terms of ethical fortitude. Rather, it will be interesting to see how he approaches the next 15 months in preparation for a golden opportunity to grow the Liverpool brand. While in residence on British soil?Could the summer of London become the summer of Lebron?
Interesting read, I remember some manu wum on either bbc 606 or here trying to claim that this was somehow a bad thing for us and lebron was just using us.
Woahhh!! He seems more than popular, seems quiet the guy. Like redconn said, similair to Ronaldo - Ronaldo is more 'flashy' than Messi (Brands etc.) Ronaldo is 2nd best player in his sport (Messi is first ) Good decision from FSG then. I think them owning different sports groups helps too, for example, us scousers might check up on Red Socks news etc. Increasing their popularity etc.
Yep. Thanks for letting us know who he is. I thought it was FSG using shares as a deal sweetner. Glad to see we really are getting some benefit!
