AliousFinance expert Stefan Borson suggests that West Ham United may be considering a strategy similar to Wrexham’s recent brand-building success, following reports of talks with basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal about potentially investing in the club.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, Borson speculates that West Ham might be interested in leveraging O’Neal’s celebrity status to enhance their profile in North America, much like Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have done for Wrexham.
The Welsh club has seen significant growth in its online presence and achieved two promotions since the Hollywood stars took ownership in early 2021.
However, Borson questions whether such success could be replicated at a larger club like West Ham.
He points out that the impact of celebrity involvement on foreign fan bases can be difficult to quantify, citing Tom Brady’s involvement with Birmingham City as an example where the actual effect may not be dramatic.
Borson emphasizes that Wrexham’s success has been largely due to Reynolds and McElhenney’s expertise in driving social media content and their deal with Disney+ for the “Welcome to Wrexham” documentary.
He notes that it’s unclear whether Wrexham has significantly monetized their expanded fan base yet.
Regarding O’Neal’s potential involvement with West Ham, Borson suggests that if the former NBA star is willing to be the face of the club in North America and is properly engaged, it could potentially “move the dial” for the Premier League side. However, he cautions that success is not guaranteed.
Borson concludes by noting that West Ham’s interest in O’Neal is likely more about branding than financial investment, stating, “They don’t need his money, it’s about branding.”
Currently, West Ham’s ownership is divided among David Sullivan (38.8%), Daniel Kretinsky (27%), and Vanessa Gold (25.1%).
The potential involvement of O’Neal could add a new dimension to the club’s ownership and marketing strategy.
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