King James Liverpool Deal Led to Marketing Gig with Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robins in 2012

Jan 13, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) watches from the bench against the Utah Jazz during the fourth quarter at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James is one of the wealthiest athletes and the only active NBA player to become a billionaire. The Los Angeles Lakers forward made many savvy business decisions to reach this position that ultimately paid off for him. One such decision was acquiring a 2% stake in the English Premier League soccer club, Liverpool FC, the fourth most valuable soccer club worth around $4.45 billion at the moment, as part of the Fenway Sports Group in 2011.

In 2021, James converted his ownership stake in Liverpool to an estimated 1% stake in the Fenway Sports Group. Given that FSG’s sports empire was worth around $10 billion in 2023 with their ownership of the Boston Red Sox and the Pittsburgh Penguins, James’ ownership stake in the company should be valued at least $100 million at this moment.

ESPN analyst Brian Windhorst wrote in his book LeBron Inc.: The Making of Billion-Dollar Athlete on how James could leverage a seven-figure international deal with Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins because of his deal with FSG.

Since FSG also handled the international marketing of these two F&B giants, the deal lined up for James to promote Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins in the emerging markets of China, Taiwan, South Korea, and India. Here is an excerpt from Windhorst’s book detailing how LeBron earned a valuable endorsement deal thanks to his association with FSG.

“In 2012, FSG made a deal with LeBron and Dunkin’ Donuts. This was also a bit of an in-house collaboration as FSG handled Dunkin’s international marketing. The deal lined up LeBron to pitch Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins ice cream in China, Taiwan, South Korea, and India. It was the type of connection both parties liked: Dunkin’ leveraged LeBron’s popularity in Asia, and LeBron found a seven-figure international deal.”

In 2012, LeBron James had the number one selling basketball jersey and basketball show in China, which explains his immense popularity in Asian countries. Dunkin’ Brands was trying to penetrate deeper into the Asian markets, opening shops of their Dunkin Donuts and Baskin Robbins in then-emerging markets such as India and Vietnam.

The deal was a win-win for both parties, with the brand able to leverage James’ popularity for both advantages. Thanks to Fenway, James was also able to sign deals with major brands such as Samsung and Progressive Insurance later in his career.

LeBron James’ partnership with FSG landed him an endorsement deal with Audemars Piguet

LeBron James’ partnership with the Fenway Sports Group came to benefit him in the best ways possible. Shortly after partnering with FSG, one of LeBron’s first marketing deals was with the Swiss luxury watchmaker Audemars Piguet. Though the deal for James was small and worth less than $1 million, the status and the symbol surrounding this international marketing pact was exactly what the former Miami Heat player was looking for after his partnership with FSG.

Audemars Piguet has had Hollywood superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger market their high-end watches for the longest time since 1998. Getting a marketing deal alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger was a huge honor and prestige for the 4x NBA champion.

In 2013, AP released a special edition watch with LeBron James’ name on it and retailed the same for $51,500. Only 600 of these watches were made, making it a rare collector’s edition. Not just basketball, but King James is an MVP even when it comes to endorsements.