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David Beckham’s branded businesses paid out about $124mn in dividends, according to accounts filed this week, with profits surging thanks to endorsements, digital content and launches of new consumer products.
The set of accounts for DRJB Holdings highlight 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 the majority of his brand portfolio and earns licensing revenues from companies such as Boss, Stella Artois and Paramount. It is also the holding company for Studio 99, which made the Beckham documentary for Netflix and produces marketing campaigns for brand partners.
Beckham and his team remain active in promoting his public image — most recently with the popular Netflix documentary — and turning that into a lucrative revenue stream through marketing tie-ups with brands keen to be associated with the star.
Beckham is also a co-founder and co-owner of Major League Soccer franchise Inter Miami.
DRJB Holdings is majority owned by US retail and entertainment group Authentic Brands Group, which bought into the business in 2022 and has since overseen its global brand operations.
According to the accounts, which were filed on Monday, DRJB Holdings paid its shareholders ordinary dividends of $28.5mn in 2023 as well as $38.9mn in preference share payouts.
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.
A person familiar with the details, said the dividends were split between Authentic Brands, which owns 55 per cent of the business, and Footwork Productions, the Beckham company that owns the remainder.
However, Authentic Brands was paid all of its dividends on the preference shares, the person added, meaning the footballer would have earned about $36mn from his stake in the company.
Authentic Brands, which owns retailers including Forever 21 and Barneys New York, as well as the brand rights for stars such as Shaquille O’Neal, paid about $269mn for a 55 per cent stake in the group in 2022.
According to the accounts, pre-tax profits for DRJB Holdings rose to $36.2mn in 2023, from $16.2mn in 2022. Revenue increased to $91.2mn, from $89.7mn the year before.
