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David Beckham is set for another multimillion-dollar windfall after his media and marketing group paid out more than $80mn in dividends on the back of lucrative brand tie-ups.
DRJB Holdings, the umbrella company that manages the David Beckham brand and TV studio business, has become his main business since retiring from professional sport in 2013.
Authentic Brands, the US sports and entertainment branding group, acquired a 55 per cent stake in the company in 2022, with Beckham’s business holding the remainder.
He has carefully managed his brand since retiring, striking big budget marketing deals with companies including Boss, Stella Artois and Safilo eyewear. Beckham’s company has also struck new deals recently with brands such as US telecoms group Verizon in the build-up to the 2026 Fifa World Cup.
The ex-footballer has managed to stay relevant with younger generations who would not have seen him play for Manchester United or England, with many of his 160mn social media followers aged 18 to 25. Beckham is a co-founder and co-owner of Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami.
DRJB is also the holding company for Studio 99, which made the Beckham documentary for Netflix and produces marketing campaigns for brand partners. It is making a new series for the streaming platform about his wife, the fashion designer Victoria Beckham.
According to accounts for 2024 filed on Wednesday, pre-tax profit rose to $45mn, from $36.2mn the year before, while revenues ticked up 1 per cent to $92.3mn.
As a result, DRJB paid out an initial $52.5mn in dividends in the year to shareholders, with the accounts showing that a further $23.2mn was allocated after the end of the financial year. About $5.6mn was also paid out against preference shares held by Authentic during the year.
In 2023, the company paid out $28.5mn in dividends as well as $38.9mn against preference shares, for a total of $67.4mn.
Authentic has been an aggressive acquirer of brands globally, recently buying a majority stake in fashion label Guess as well as Dockers from Levi Strauss. It owns more than 50 brands including Ted Baker, Reebok, Hunter and Champion.
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