Super Bowl Domination

Chapter 257 Behind the Scenes Game
In one word, a heavy blow.

Edwards believes Nike is ready.

Nike is aware of the Asian market represented by Levi, and is also aware of the key role Levi plays in the league's ambitious plan to expand into the global market.

So, Nike is ready to seize the opportunity——

It's not just about grabbing Levi, but also about seizing the opportunity to expand the NFL.

however.

Now it seems that Nike was short-sighted this time.

Edwards looked at Donald again, interest in his eyes.

Here, there is a key point.

Brady's personal jersey sponsor is not Nike, but Under Armour.

In the rugby field, Nike's biggest competitor is not Adidas, but Under Armour. Because the founder of Under Armour is a former professional rugby player, the brand's professional image is deeply rooted in the rugby field, easily sweeping a large number of players and frantically grabbing the market.

Edwards believed that if Under Armour showed enough sincerity, Donald would easily be able to secure an eye-catching contract for Levi.

In 2010, Nike was not very active in vying for Brady's contract because the market value of football players does need to be carefully considered. Whether it is jerseys or shoes, including quick-drying clothes worn during training, there are many interfering factors that affect sales figures.

In addition, Brady is a "veteran" and his market value is relatively fixed, so there is limited room for further expansion.

Under Armour, which was in a period of overall growth at the time, showed its determination and signed Brady in football and Curry in basketball, which immediately opened up the situation.

Times have changed, and the competition between Nike and Under Armour in the football field has entered a new stage.

Now, the situation is completely different.

First of all, Levi is young.

Secondly, the Chinese label.

Third, the alliance’s ambitions.

With all these factors coming together, Nike realized that this opportunity was rare and they needed to seize it, which is why Edwards personally took action.

Otherwise, imagine a running back who has just played two games in his career?

Not to mention Edwards personally taking part, Nike may not even have a strong desire to sign him.

But here comes Edwards.

Then, Edwards found that the situation was slightly different from his expectations. He never thought that he would get himself into a storm by casually mentioning Federer.

Perhaps Nike’s greatest advantage right now is Donald’s ambition.

This is a bad thing and a good thing.

After all, if Donald has confidence in the Levi's brand, then Nike is the best choice. Compared with Under Armour, Nike's marketing, brand planning and marketing strategies are all ahead.

It was just a brief exchange of words, but it sparked many sparks and a lot of thoughts.

Edwards looked at Donald and smiled.

"It seems that we have reached a consensus."

"Nike believes that Levi is the future of the NFL and he will be the face of the league for the next decade. We hope to build a new personal brand around Levi."

"Young. Youthful. Fashionable. Trendy."

"Not only in the football field, the Levi's series can also be used in daily life, just like 'Air-Jordan' and 'RF'. We plan to make Levi's a new brand label, and let its philosophy, value and image penetrate into the young people."

"Rugby is more than just the stereotypes on the field."

Half true, half false, some were originally planned, and some were improvised.

Edwards is indeed a person at the top of the pyramid. He changed his strategy immediately, took control of the situation at the first time, and drew up a grand blueprint -

As to whether it can be achieved, we will talk about it later.

Anyway, it’s just negotiations now.

“In Levi, we saw the possibility.”

Edwards looked at Levi again and smiled. "Personally, I like Levi's outfit very much. I would like to wear this hoodie and this pair of classic Air Force Ones."

Today, Levi was wearing his own private clothes.

Because they need to meet LeBron James later, Donald told Levi not to make it too grand or gorgeous, as that would seem like too much effort; but also not to appear too casual or simple, it is okay to be casual and have your own style, and it is okay to be a little bold.

then.

A mint green hoodie paired with light blue denim shorts and white Air Force Ones, and finally a denim jacket to prepare for the strong winds that would come as night fell.

The seemingly casual outfit shows the perfect proportions and lines. It is completely different from the image on the court, and looks like a young and sunny college student.

Donald nodded slightly in agreement. "Levi is worth paying attention to in normal times. Obviously, he has his own fashion philosophy, but it is not as exaggerated as Beckham's."

Beckham, three questionable defeats.

Donald then turned to Edwards and said, "We understand Nike's blueprint. So, how sincere is Nike going to be to achieve it?"

A number, what Donald needed was a number.

Edwards was not surprised. After all, that was the topic of today's meeting. He took out a folded check from his pocket and handed it to Levi.

"Our legal department has prepared the contract. Once you sign it, the check will be yours immediately."

Levi didn't even look at it and handed it to Donald directly -

Anyway, no matter what the number is, it is definitely a number Levi has never seen in his previous life.

In the first half of the year, Levi just signed a rookie contract, but Levi did not see the check directly. His salary was transferred to his bank account on time every week.

It is calculated on a per-game basis. Some players also have performance clauses, so the weekly salary figures are different. If there is a league fine that week, the team will directly deduct the fine before making the transfer.

The weekly figures don't seem so shocking.

The check in front of you is naturally of different weight.

From here on, it's Donald's specialty.

Donald glanced at the check, expressionless and calm, "Years?"

Edwards, "Five years. We hope to establish a stable and long-term cooperative relationship with Levi."

Five years is indeed a very long time.

For reference, rookie contracts are only four years long.

Therefore, brand sponsorship contracts for rookie players are often three or four years long, with both parties observing the situation and waiting to renew the contract in the future.

From this perspective, Nike has indeed demonstrated its sincerity.

However, Donald was not satisfied with the number. “If this number is a three-year contract, we can sit down and discuss it.”

——Seven and a half million U.S. dollars.

This is the number on the check.

In other words, Nike offered a contract worth $1.5 million per year for a total of five years.

To make a horizontal comparison, the contract Odell Beckham signed with Nike in his rookie season was $1.5 million per year for a total of four years.

Nike, in one go, is comparing Levi to David Beckham Jr.

The point is that Beckham Jr. is a wide receiver. In his rookie season, there was a video of him catching the ball with one hand that went viral on the Internet, and he is clearly a leader of the new generation.

Levi is a running back, but relying on his Chinese identity, he is barely on par with Beckham Jr., which is a reasonable offer.

At least that's how Nike sees it.

However, Donald doesn't think so. Beckham's contract was three years ago, and there is no comparison between Beckham and Levi.

Two and a half million dollars per year for three years.

Donald thought this was reasonable.

(End of this chapter)