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David Beckham's signing is a great deal for both the Los Angeles Galaxy and MLS. Just the announcement of the deal brought more media attention to the league than it normally receives over the course of an entire season. This media exposure is exactly what the league needs, but there are several reasons why Beckham's signing was a great deal.

First, the league has never seen a player of David Beckham's caliber. While he has his detractors, Beckham's quality is apparent as he continues to perform well against the highest quality opponents. During limited action with Real Madrid this season Beckham has been successful in aiding his team to victory. With his quality of play Beckham began drawing interest from several Premiership teams including Manchester City and Newcastle before announcing a deal with LA. Even Real Madrid was interested in extending Beckham's current contract. Obviously these teams were interested because Beckham is a quality player.

In addition to his quality of play, the Beckham signing was a great deal for LA and MLS because they were able to avoid paying a significant transfer fee. Unlike other American sports a soccer franchise may offer another soccer franchise an unspecified sum of money for the right to sign a player. For example, if LA wanted to sign Beckham last season (when he was still under contract with Real Madrid) they would have needed to offer a transfer fee to Real Madrid. These transfer fees can become expensive often totaling in the tens of millions of dollars. By waiting until Beckham's contract with Real Madrid expired LA was able to avoid paying an exorbitant transfer fee.

Also, by signing Beckham the league has opened several new streams of revenue. Galaxy season ticket sales have already spiked and that is only the beginning. With one of the world's most recognizable and popular soccer stars the league will be able to command a higher rate for their television contract and league merchandise sales will soar. While domestic TV revenue may not grow significantly the opportunity to increase sales overseas, especially in Asia, is promising. It is common for Asian soccer fans to follow a favorite player as opposed to following a favorite team. As fanatic as Manchester United fans are about their team, Asian soccer fans are fanatic about their favorite player and Beckham is the most popular player in Asia. This is an untapped market that MLS should be able to exploit and reap some significant rewards.

Finally, signing David Beckham completely legitimizes the league. Within days of his signing several other European stars began negotiating with MLS including Tottenham midfielder Edgar Davids and Liverpool's legendary striker Robbie Fowler. Rumors even surfaces regarding MLS's interest in English striker Michael Owen. Even if the MLS is unable to sign additional European stars for this upcoming season, the Beckham signing has opened the door for years to come.

Signing David Beckham was a great move by LA and this is the defining moment in the new era of MLS.

Learn more about this author, Logan Andrear.
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