David Beckham first signed as a brand ambassador for Guild Esports back in 2020. It was an agreement that linked up Guild and Beckham’s ‘image rights’ company, Footwork Productions, and it came with a minimum price tag of £15.25 million, made payable over a five-year period. Now, two years into the five-year deal, Guild Esports has renegotiated terms with Beckham, reducing the financial obligations by a total of £7.5 million.
While sizeable payments have already been made, and another is yet to be made in 2022 to bring the yearly total to £3m, changes will now take place. As the deal moves into its fourth and fifth (and final) year, a complete renegotiation means that previously owed payments will no longer be delivered. Now, as part of the refreshed agreement, Footwork Productions will receive a 20% portion of Guild Esports’ sponsorship and merchandising revenue.
This renegotiation comes mere days after the announcement of a massive partnership between Guild Esports and Sky UK.
Brand It Like Beckham
On the 26th of September, Guild Esports announced an extremely valuable partnership between itself and Sky Broadband. As a premier partnership deal, this brings key benefits to both parties. Firstly, the Guild London HQ will be rebranded, assuming the moniker, ‘Sky Guild Gaming Centre’. This deal will also place Sky’s branding in the limelight on the Guild jersey, and Sky Broadband will become the official provider of all networking facilities for the organisation.
This is a three-year partnership, and reportedly, it’s worth a massive £2 million a year, making it one of the most valuable esports sponsorships ever seen in the European region. David Beckham, ongoing brand ambassador for Guild Esports, spoke highly of the deal:
‘It’s great that Guild Esports has as fantastic new partner in Sky and I’m pleased to welcome them to the Guild family.’
It’s the first deal of its kind that Sky UK has ever signed, proving its intent to both enter and make waves in the esports industry. As the renegotiation between David Beckham’s Footwork Productions and Guild includes sponsorship revenue, the ex-professional football superstar will also benefit from this deal.
In recent years, more footballing stars have expressed an interest in the esports industry. Recently, we reported on Mesut Ozil’s potential desire to become an esports athlete following his retirement from professional football. In 2020, Welsh national Gareth Bale signed as the co-owner of Elleven Esports, and Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo became a popular (and cracked) Warzone competitor.
As esports viewership figures challenge those of traditional sports, it makes sense that these personalities are jumping on board the very powerful and momentum-ridden train. There’s no doubt that the David Beckham x Guild Esports deal will continue to blossom post-negotiation, and the Sky UK partnership should certainly pay off well for all involved.
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