When David Beckham arrives in Los Angeles today he will have a lot more to worry about than the accuracy of his free kicks. Instead, he will find himself being judged by something rather more familiar to the average American: TV ratings.
The first test of Beckham’s stateside popularity – analysed by the ratings-tracking company Nielsen Media Research – will come on July 21 when the sports channel ESPN broadcasts Beckham’s first match for Los Angeles Galaxy: a friendly against Chelsea at the Galaxy’s home ground (capacity 27,000).
ESPN is sparing no expense: 19 cameras will surround the pitch, including a “sky-cam”, two robotic goal cams, and a special “Beckham-cam” that will track the player’s every last pick of his nostril.
The game is being promoted with a TV advertising campaign featuring a remake of the Beatles’Hello, Goodbye, suggesting that his arrival is similar to the coming of the Fab Four. This is accompanied by a Sports Illustrated cover story, advertising in USA Today and a one-hour documentary, David Beckham: New Beginnings.
Beckham’s crack team of advisors are doing everything in their power to keep his brand on maximum exposure: he will also appear with the National Football League star Reggie Bush in an advertising campaign for adidas, as well as a Motorola campaign designed to compete with Apple’s iPhone ads. But the odds are stacked against the player, in spite of his $250 million (£125 million) deal with Galaxy, which was greeted with bafflement in a country where “soccer” is mainly a sport for young girls. And now the question is being asked: will anyone tune in?
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“American TV is an advertising-based model,” explained one Los Angeles TV executive, who did not want to be named. “All the revenues are based entirely on viewership figures. It’s all about the ratings.”
Men as mighty as Donald Trump fear the Neilsen-scan, and the pressure is on. Could Beckham survive an underwhelming opening?
When he played for Real Madrid in the Uefa Champions League, Beckham could expect to be watched by up to 80 million people. Viewing figures for Major League Soccer (MLS) – America’s main domestic football league – are almost impossible to find, because the audiences are so small they barely register. “Competitive hotdog eating typically gets more ratings than soccer,” said the TV executive. “But at least when you’ve got a zero rating, the only way is up.”
Another advantage for Beckham, he said, is that sports TV deals are negotiated per season, so the ratings-performance of a single match – while admittedly creating negative press – might not be an immediate financial disaster.
The MLS is attempting to strengthen its position via a partnership with the Bundesliga, Germany’s football league, and a deal with the Mexican Primera Divisi?n to create a new North American tournament, the SuperLiga.
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But Americans are still worried about the lack of goals in the world’s favourite sport.
John Eggerton, a columnist for Broadcasting & Cable, wrote this week: “I love soccer, but I wonder if they will have to do something to jazz up the game to hook the nonimmigrant US crowd.Those 0-0 games may be strategic gems, but it will be hard to capture any random TV surfers without regular waves of offence.”
Another concern is the “Robbie Williams scenario” – when Americans are turned off by the arrival of an arrogant foreigner who has not been seen to earn his vast wealth domestically. Beckham’s media presence, and his purchase of a $22 million home in Beverly Hills, have caused some to worry – although, unlike Williams, Beckham has an established fanbase in America’s massive Hispanic population, which totals about 45 million.
Sunil Gulati, head of the US Soccer Federation, hopes that Beckham can succeed where Pel? failed in the 1970s. “Pel? took us up but we couldn’t sustain it,” he said. “If there’s one player that can give you that boost, [Beckham] is it.”
Victoria Beckham, meanwhile, will face her own trial-by-ratings on Monday when NBC broadcasts Victoria Beckham: Coming to America, which is being promoted as an hour-long reality TV special. The show has already been drastically cut back from the planned six-part series – although strong ratings could result in more material being commissioned.
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In Los Angeles, TV executives are sceptical. “In England, you’d at least have millions of people watching,” said one. “In America, that’s not going to happen. But who knows? Maybe they’ll think Posh is a member of the aristocracy.”