The AP's Rob Harris reported David Beckham's income from personal sponsorship deals "dropped by around" 10% in '13, the year he retired from soccer. Data from Footwork Productions, the company that collects Beckham's endorsement income, showed "revenue dropped" to US$24M from $27M in '12. Beckham has deals to "promote a host of companies" including adidas, H&M and British broadcaster BSkyB (AP, 10/2).
REIGN DELAY: Nike on Wednesday announced that the launch of the new LeBron 12 basketball shoes -- which were "scheduled to go on sale in China on Oct. 1 and world-wide on Oct. 11 -- would be delayed indefinitely due to a small cosmetic issue it didn't identify." Nike wrote on its website that "updated information would be provided in due course" (WSJ.com 10/1).
JERSEY STORE: In Chicago, Phil Thompson cited data from Dick's Sporting Goods as showing that the Bears have the "second best selling jersey through three weeks of the NFL season, and the team's jersey also was the top mover since Sept. 25." The Browns' jersey is the "No. 1 seller this season," followed by the Bears, Panthers, Broncos and Steelers (CHICAGOTRIBUNE.com, 10/2).
TOUCH OF GREY: The CP's Lauren La Rose reported the CFL is "partnering with homegrown online retailer eLUXE on the #MyGreyCup collection." Canadian fashion bloggers and "style mavens have been enlisted to create and promote their own Grey Cup-specific designs that will be sold on eLUXE leading up to the CFL championship game next month." The collection will "consist of between six and eight designs on items to be produced in North America such as T-shirts, sweatshirts, totes, ponchos and silver jewelry" (CP, 10/2).
