A summary of the most exciting news in soccer marketing. If you’re trying to keep up, consider this your one-stop shop.
Conmebol has officially rejected US Soccer’s proposal regarding a new intercontinental tournament in 2020, which consisted of a16-team tournament featuring ten South American nations and six from the northern region. The offer included a share of nearly US$200 million to the entrants of the one-off tournament, with US$50 million going to each regional body. The reason given by Conmebol president Alejandro Dominguez was that its national teams wanted to maintain the primacy of their own continental championship, the Copa America.
- According to a new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), La Liga contributed US$17.9 billion to Spain’s economy during the 2016/17 season, this represents 1.37% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) that year, with the soccer industry generating as many as 185,000 jobs.
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- MLS is launching a new app to offer fans with highlights, tickets, merchandise and fantasy information ahead of the new season. Users will also be able to buy tickets via Ticketmaster and SeatGeek and hosts the MLS store to enable fans to purchase official merchandise. They will also find a fully integrated fantasy platform into the app.
According to Nielsen, 24, 47% of adults in the U.S. say they are interested in MLS. “The U.S. soccer market continues to develop at both a talent and commercial level, which is driving increased attention with consumers, media and advertisers locally and nationally,” said Jon Stainer, Managing Director, Nielsen Sports Americas
- In the broadcast subject, ESPN has become the official MLS rights holder in Latin America and the Caribbean, replacing Fox Sports. The agreement will include all US professional soccer league’s 408 regular-season matches, as well as the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, the MLS All-Star Game, and the MLS Cup. The deal will run through 2022.
“This agreement with MLS reflects our steadfast commitment to deliver world-class soccer content to fans across Latin America and the Caribbean,” said Michael Walters, ESPN’s vice president for programming and acquisitions.
Join us at PORTADA LOS ANGELES on March 15, 2019 at the Loews Beach Hotel Santa Monica, where we will dive deep into sports and soccer marketing’s preeminent topics. Felix Palau, VP Marketing, Heineken will discuss “How to measure ROI and transfer best practices between sports marketing platforms”. Other speaking engagements include Tiago Pinto, Global Marketing Director, Gatorade who will provide answers to the question: “Will Corporate America jump on the soccer opportunity?”Attendees will also be able to benefit from Portada’s meet-up service of three-eight-minute meetings with top brand executives!
- Andrés Iniesta has become DAZN’s new ambassador in Spain and Japan. The Vissel Kobe player will join a vast ambassador’s program which includes Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, as well as Fernando Torres.
Deodorant brand Secret announced a partnership with the US Women’s National Soccer Team, which will include the Women’s World Cup. As part of the launch of the alliance, Secret has debuted “Cheer for Each Other,” the newest video in its “All Strength, No Sweat” line-up.
- Ascension Seton, one of the region’s largest employers, is partnering up with Austin Bold FC as an official sponsor. As part of the agreement Ascension Seton athletic trainers and medical staffers will be lending services to the team and will be in place at games with first aid stations and amenities. Financial terms of the sponsorship were not disclosed.
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The media joint venture formed last year between Spain’s top soccer league and sports marketing firm Relevent, LaLiga North America, is building a whole new US media business, including a new event property: LaLiga Zone. This represents the first time the Spanish league creates a large-scale immersive activation on the west coast of the US. The organization will start generating daily video programming for social platforms, long-form productions to license to streaming platforms and TV networks, live fan events, support for local soccer communities across the U.S. and, eventually, even a regular-season La Liga game held in the U.S.
“We want to help grow La Liga in the U.S.,” said Boris Gartner, CEO of LaLiga North America. “It’s the biggest market for La Liga outside of Spain already, and there is room for growth, especially leading into the World Cup in 2026.”
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