5pm update: The value of brand Beckham was supposedly on the slide as he quits Real Madrid and heads for minnow LA Galaxy, yet a cunningly struck deal - which is thought to involve a profit share from the club - looks set to make him worth around $275m over five years.
Brand Beckham is represented by Simon Fuller, the man that made American Idol a mega-media brand, and he seems to have pulled off something of a coup on this one. So how is it worth possibly $275m?
Existing sponsorship deals - valued at around $20m a year - are thought to be likely to be bumped up to around $25m a year following the shift to the US in August.
Income from merchandising - shirts and the like - is valued at around $10m a year, as is Beck's salary.
According to sponsorship sources such a deal is likely to have to have involved a share of LA Galaxy's profits equivalent to, with Beckham as a drawcard, possibly worth some $10m a year.
And there you have it - five years in the US for around $275m.
The hype is huge, US footballing body Major League Soccer is even understood to be launching a nationwide TV and print campaign announcing the move.
Adidas is over the moon - today upping the plans they already have in place to put Beckham at the heart of a £50m global campaign later this Summer.
Put simply, Beckham's brand equity has built to such a point over his career that - playing or not, Captain of England or not - he is a one of the few truly internationally viable sports properties, with appeal to to both male and female.
A move to Los Angeles seems to have affirmed that.
Back to original post: "Even if Beckham isn't on the field he is extremely valuable to sponsors. His appeal is much wider than that," said Iain Sheldon, head of consulting at sports consultancy SBI.
Gillette's three-year deal with Beckham draws to a close this June and depite reports last year he was being ditched, a spokesman for the company said that it definitely intended to re-open negotiations for another contract period.
Beckham is currently appearing in Gillette's biggest-ever ad campaign for its new uber-razor Fusion.
Perhaps the move to the US will enhance negotiation options
Mr Sheldon points out that Beckham's on-field form has suffered since he left Manchester United several years ago and this has not dented Adidas' long-term relationship with the footballer. His appeal was not harmed, either, by his alleged involvement with PA Rebecca Loos.
While the loss of his contract with Police sunglasses last year is often cited as an example of his brand value decline, he replaced it with a three-year contract global contract to be the face of Motorola in 2006.
There is certain to be a loss of some sponsorship value with certain brands as a footballer ages, however BBDO Consulting, while pointing this out, also notes that Beckham is still the world's most popular footballer.
If it does all go wrong, Becks reportedly moved to insure himself last year for £100m.
But there are some stars whose lustre is too bright to be dimmed by merely leaving the stage - after all Zinedine Zidane cost his nation the World Cup and yet continues to be France's favourite son.
