Abstract
Using the LeBron James brand as a case study, this article adds insight into the phenomenon of self-branding by demonstrating that sports fans play an essential role in building the value of athletes’ personal brands. Drawing on Hearn’s theory of self-branding and Arvidsson’s concept of ‘ethical surplus’, it argues that audience members participated in the immaterial labour required to build (and re-build) the value of the LeBron James and Nike brands. By considering this immaterial labour within the neo-liberal context in which it occurs, this article highlights a central tension between the individual and the group that lies at the heart of athletes’ self-branding practices.
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