Beckham’s next steps to expand $865m empire

From lucrative deals to a new TV series, David Beckham’s brand power is hotter than ever as the soccer legend prepares to turn 50.

When David Beckham arrives at his lavish 50th birthday bash on May 2, he will no doubt take a moment to marvel at the incredible empire he and wife Victoria have built after decades in the spotlight.

The soccer superstar, according to British media reports, is hiring out the three-Michelin star Core restaurant in London for his milestone celebration, with the ritzy eatery’s chef preparing a tailor-made menu for the event.

David Beckham in Miami earlier this month in his role as co-owner of Inter Miami CF. Picture: Getty Images

As the party guests tuck into their jellied eels — a nod to Beckham’s beloved East End heritage — the sporting legend will be buoyed by the fact that as he enters his sixth decade, his brand power and marketability show no sign of letting up.

David Beckham kicked off his 50th birthday celebrations last month with a gathering in Miami ahead of his London bash. Picture: davidbeckham/Instagram

Not many middle-aged dads could have pulled off Beckham’s recent Boss One underwear shoot, in which the heavily inked star gazed suggestively at the camera with legs sprawled while showing off a rippling six-pack.

David Beckham wowed fans with his raunchy underwear campaign for Boss One. Picture: Supplied

But Beckham, who has always managed to retain his down-to-earth chirpiness and stay close to his working-class roots despite he and Victoria’s combined wealth of $865 million, makes it look easy.

In a recent interview for The Sunday Times, the star wowed the editor of British Men’s Health by stripping down and doing pull-ups and bicep curls, with Beckham relating how he now feels fitter aged 50 than he did in his playing days

Between them, he and Victoria, the former Spice Girl turned fashion and make-up mogul, are, as British brand and culture expert Nick Ede describes it, an “unstoppable” force.

Brand Beckham is bigger than ever, say experts. Picture: AFP

“I think they are more marketable, I think they have put their stamp on the Beckham brand” he said. 

From Adidas, Armani and Nespresso to Tudor Watches, Hugo Boss and the air fryer firm SharkNinja, Beckham’s list of endorsements just keeps growing. 

He has also inked a lucrative two-year deal with Paramount+ to host a new talk show, Beckham and Friends Live.

The “watch party” series, which launched in early May, will have Beckham and his celebrity pals commenting on all the upcoming action from the UEFA Champions League.

The star’s other latest venture, fittingly, is as co-founding partner of IM8, a range of supplemental drinks.

Ever the man of the people, David Beckham, pictured at Wimbledon, is always gracious with fans. Picture: Getty Images

“It feels like there’s no stopping them,” Mr Ede said. “It’s giving people who are middle-aged the opportunity to realise that actually they don’t need to stop and give up on their looks and their health or their lifestyle, they can still look and feel fabulous at any age.

“And I think that’s really empowering and I think that will stand them (in good stead) even further.”

The Beckhams famously met in 1997 when Victoria was at the height of her Posh Spice pop powers and David was a baby-faced Manchester United soccer player with crooked teeth and a dodgy haircut.

Posh and Becks on the day of their engagement in 1998.

When they tied the knot in 1999 and two became one, to quote the Spice Girls song, the duo were savvy enough to tap into their incredible marketability, ultimately leading to a wealth of endorsements and the building of Brand Beckham.

The couple on their wedding day, which was a lavish star-studded event held at an Irish castle.

As a young player, Beckham had the wisdom to know that his sublime footballing skills, which ultimately had him pull on the boots for Real Madrid, AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, would only take him so far and that he needed to focus on building a brand.

David Beckham during his days playing for Real Madrid.

It was a move that angered the famously cantankerous former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson — referred to by Beckham as The Boss — who had no time for his player’s increasingly glitzy lifestyle, as was revealed in the 2023 Netflix documentary series, Beckham.

Even as a young Manchester United player, David Beckham knew he had to prepare for a life beyond football.

The Netflix series was a global smash-hit, giving fans an insight into Beckham’s marriage with Victoria, a topic of long-held fascination for celebrity watchers due to allegations of infidelity on his part.

For the first time, Victoria spoke candidly about claims of David’s highly publicised affair during his days playing for Real Madrid in 2003, describing it as “the hardest period” of their marriage. 

David and Victoria Beckham in 2003, when their marriage was in crisis. Picture: Getty Images)

It was a PR masterstroke, making the pair more relatable with the inference that even the rich and beautiful can be flawed and not all marriages are perfect.

Nicole Reaney, PR and CEO of InsideOut PR in Sydney, said the documentary was successful for the Beckhams’ brand, bringing viewers closer into the pair’s relationship, family and upbringing.

The pair won the hearts of fans with the Netflix series Beckham. Picture: Netflix

“Together, their brand is powerful,” Ms Reaney said. “Where Victoria is serious and stand-offish, David’s banter towards her makes them much more relatable and attainable, knocking the barrier she tends to put up,” she said.

“They have stood by each other through every issue and tend to not get drawn into a media frenzy – which has certainly worked in their favour. A celebrity marriage of 25 years is certainly rare.”

The devoted parents with eldest son Brooklyn as a toddler.

Brand expert Mr Ede agrees, saying: “They’re a couple who have been very open, honest and they’ve matured with their fans so it feels like we’ve all been on that journey with them.

“We’ve grown up with them, whether you’re a fan of the Spice Girls or him playing for Manchester United, we’ve grown up with them to where they are today as fashion icons and brand ambassadors and as parents.”

Mr Ede said the pair’s authenticity and the fact that both are “very good at their jobs” has contributed to their staying power.

Eldest son Brooklyn was noticeably absent from David Beckham’s early 50th birthday celebrations in Miami last month. Picture: davidbeckham/Instagram

The Beckhams with their children at Victoria’s 50th birthday bash last year. Picture: Instagram

“As Victoria has matured, her career has matured and she’s become one of the biggest fashion designers in the world and a make-up mogul,” he said.

“The same with David, he’s put his talent where he should put it, whether that is lifestyle, fashion, football, having his own, everything he has done he has done correctly and he’s done it because there’s no fakery around them, they are very credible.”

For the Beckhams, their children Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper, have always been the centre of their world — a fact that would make the current alleged tensions with their eldest son unbearable.

The pair with King Charles at a recent gathering at Highgrove House. Picture: AFO

Relations with Brooklyn, who will be attending his father’s 50th bash amid his alleged feud with younger brother Romeo over Romeo’s choice of girlfriend, have allegedly been strained since the elder son married American billionaire heiress Nicola Peltz in 2022.

As he approaches 50, one issue that continually irks Beckham is his lack of a knighthood, an effort that was famously hampered in 2017 when expletive-filled emails in which he raged about not being knighted by the Queen were leaked.

Time will tell, but in the meantime, he and Victoria, according to Mr Ede, remain “fantastic advocates” for the UK.

“They are an international brand that doesn’t seem to be stopping,” he said.

Originally published as Beckham’s next steps to expand $865m empire