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David Beckham’s branded businesses paid about $124 million in dividends, according to accounts filed this week, boosted by profits for endorsements, digital content and new consumer product launches.
DRJB Holdings’ set of accounts highlights the ongoing popularity of the Beckham brand more than a decade after he retired from professional football.
DRJB Holdings includes David Beckham Ventures Limited, which owns most of its brand portfolio and earns licensing revenue from companies such as Boss, Stella Artois and Paramount. It is the holding company for Studio 99, which developed Beckham Produces documentaries for Netflix and marketing campaigns for brand partners.
Beckham and his team have been active in promoting his public image — most recently through the popular Netflix documentary — and turning it into a lucrative revenue stream through marketing tie-ups with brands interested in being associated with him.
Beckham is the co-founder and co-owner of Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami.
DRJB Holdings is owned by US retail and entertainment group Authentic Brands Group, which bought the business in 2022 and has since overseen its global brand operations.
According to accounts filed on Monday, DRJB Holdings paid its shareholders a $28.5mn ordinary dividend as well as a $38.9mn preference share payout in 2023.
The accounts also show that after the end of 2023, a final dividend of $5.6mn was paid against preference shares in the first quarter of 2024, while ordinary dividends of $51mn were paid to the company’s shareholders.
The dividends were split between Authentic Brands, which owns 55 percent of the business, and Footwork Productions, the Beckham company that owns the rest, a person familiar with the details said.
However, Authentic Brands was paid all of its dividends on preference shares, the person added, meaning the footballer would have earned about $36 million from his stake in the company.
Authentic Brands, which owns retailers including Forever 21 and Barneys New York, as well as brand rights to stars such as Shaquille O’Neal, paid around $269mn for a 55 per cent stake in the group in 2022.
According to estimates, DRJB Holdings’ pre-tax profit rose to $36.2 million in 2023, from $16.2 million in 2022. Revenue rose to $91.2 million, from $89.7 million a year earlier.
