Sportspeople love Twitter because it allows them to communicate directly with their fans. But in the case of LeBron James, Kobe Bryant or Floyd Mayweather, it could also be a way to make some spare cash.
Every single kid who finish my program will go to college for FREE! #Tryingtomakeadifference @LJFamFoundation— LeBron James (@KingJames)
August 13, 2015
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One tweet from James endorsing a sponsor's product could yield the basketball king US$140,000 ($190,000), according to sports marketing company Opendorse. It's also a good deal for the company paying the athlete, as they could reach James's 23.2 million followers for considerably less cost than through television advertising.
The five most valuable athletes on Twitter, Opendorse claimed, were James, Kevin Durant ($90,500 per tweet), Bryant ($57,500), Mayweather ($47,500) and Dwight Howard ($46,500). The most valuable female athlete on Twitter was Serena Williams, who could earn $41,000 with a single post.
"The big guys are looking for a fully integrated endorsement deal that includes social media," Opendorse chief executive Blake Lawrence told ESPN. "But there are only so many athletes that can get that type of home run."
James recently scored another kind of home run, announcing his plans to pay the university fees of 1,100 young people at the University of Akron in Ohio through his LeBron James Family Foundation. James said he would meet the tuition costs for every student who completed his I PROMISE program, which supports disadvantaged pupils to graduate from high school and pass various testing and community service criteria.
"If I can put 1,100 kids into college free, that means I'll have done something and it's great to give back," James said in an interview with Today in the US.
Estimates put the cost of the commitment by the four-time MVP and two-time NBA champion at around $50 million. The university has since said it will rename its College of Education to the LeBron James Family Foundation College of Education as a mark of gratitude to the sportsman's move.
smh.com.au
