What Will Happen to Houston Texan Arian Foster's IPO After His Back Injury?
Houston Texan Arian Foster was set to have the first IPO of an athlete's brand.
Nov. 4, 2013 — -- After NFL running back Arian Foster left last night's Texans-Colts game with a back injury, the effect on his initial public offering with Fantex is unclear.
Fantex Holdings, a new company based in San Francisco, announced last month that it registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission its first tracking stock linked to the "value and performance of the brand" of the Houston Texans' Pro Bowl running back.
Fantex previously had said it hoped its first initial public offering for Foster, 27, would take place by late November. Foster was paid $10 million for a 20 percent stake in his future earnings. Just last week, Fantex announced that it is planning for a similar tracking stock for 49ers tight end Vernon Davis, 29. Fantex said it is paying Davis $4 million to acquire a 10 percent minority interest in Davis' "brand income."
A spokesman for the Houston Texans said there were no other updates about Foster besides that he left yesterday's losing game with a back injury.
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Fantex Holdings, which did not respond to a request for comment, is the parent company to Fantex Inc., the brand-building arm of the business. One of the things the company has done to build Foster's brand is create a two and a half minute "brand video" featuring Foster talking and working out to dramatic music.
Matt Dzamba, director of sports marketing at Zambezi, a full-service creative agency specializing in sports and entertainment brands, said injuries in the NFL are so commonplace that the "value" of any football player will most likely take into account the player's injury history and potential for more.
"Running backs and other high-impact positions will most likely be affected more than positions like wide receivers and quarterbacks, who aren't as prone to 'depreciation' and severe injuries as commonly as running backs, like Arian," Dzamba said.
Financial advisors interviewed by ABC News have expressed reservations, calling the investment a risky bet.
Read More: Buying NFL Player Arian Foster's 'Stock' More Gamble Than Investment, Financial Advisors Say
Dzamba said that it's hard to tell the exact impact of Foster's injury on Fantex given the lack of information.
"Obviously if the injury is season-ending and requires surgery and/or rehab, the inaugural IPO could be affected, but just like a stock that has a bad quarter, some may see it as an opportunity to invest in Arian's comeback -- buy low," Dzamba said.
"The market will ultimately determine the elasticity of the 'stocks' based on all contributing forces both on and off the field," Dzamba said, such as injuries, losses, high-profile commercials, and Twitter snafus.
Davis re-signed for a second year to be a spokesman for Vita Coco, but the coconut water maker dropped him last month after he tweeted about competing drink BodyArmor.
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