Is soccer catching on in the US?

Soccer (or football as it is called by most of the world) is obviously an enigma in the US.  It is ubiquitous in US schools and communities - even more so than such "American" sports as Football and Baseball.  The sport has even helped define an important segment of our population, "The Soccer Mom" - so attractive to both marketers and politicians.  The term describes a young, upscale mother on the go with kids heavily committed to activities the key one being, yes, soccer.

Yet soccer has not gotten off the ground as an entertainment franchise.  Or has it?  Hard to beat those numbers on Hispanic television.  And if those ratings are a fact, then hidden within the historically generic English language ratings in the US are big spikes against almost any ethnic community with its roots outside the US.  Can their enthusiasm spill over to the rest of the still large uncommitted fan base?  Is soccer at the tipping point in the US?  Finally?

Here are the things that caught my attention:

• Rights Fees and Holders.  ESPN and Univision have committed $470 million for future World Cup Events
• Based on their investment ABC/ESPN made the 2006 World Cup a top 3 corporate initiative for 2006
• US Team Prospects - They are a contender
• Diverse cultural appeal which is a long term winner

Rights Fees

If rights fees are any indication of the value of a sports franchise, World Cup just had a big vote of confidence.  Earlier this year ESPN and Univision committed $470 million for English and Hispanic language North American rights for 2010-2014.  That is a 250% increase from the expiring deal held by Soccer United and Univision.  This also makes the US the highest valued television market globally for FIFA.

Marketing Support

As a result of the commitment, ABC/ESPN has identified the '06 FIFA World Cup as one of its top 3 corporate initiatives to support both on and off channel.  This includes a dedicated high visibility campaign from Wieden and Kennedy.  Marketing support for a sport event such as World Cup is obviously a key variable in the ultimate success of the event.  The ABC/ESPN commitment is a huge change from the 2002 World Cup.  In particular, promotion is the key to bringing in casual fans especially for late stage games and the more modest support levels of the past probably hurt the Cup in this regard.

US Team Prospects

While soccer touches a huge number of people in the US, it is very decentralized except when it comes to a focused global event that includes the US.  The US has qualified for the 5th consecutive tournament since 1990.  They made the quarter finals for the first time in 2002.  The US is currently ranked 6th in FIFA World Cup rankings which means that if not a favorite they are a significant contender.

Cultural Reach

Can't think of a more diverse cultural event.  While Univision has the Spanish Language rights, I would guess that for many other nationalities the default coverage will be English language.

Committing to a Side

I remember watching my friends play soccer in college (I confess to have played "American Football").  The games were exciting, fun and fast moving.  When my kids were in high school, I watched their friends play and found myself equally engaged.  If as fans - even casual fans - we find appealing reasons to commit to a team, an athlete or a country, the game changes.  If ESPN and Soccer United can pull us in at that level, maybe we can join the rest of the world in this great sport.

Alec Gerster, Global CEO, Initiative

Comments

[Bob Roth]

I'd say that it would catch on in the US quicker if the games weren't during work hours (this year), in the middle of the night (4 years ago), and if we declared each day our team plays as a national holiday, like many other countries! So, if you're stuck like I am trying to find a feed on the web, at least set up text message alerts for each goal. Text "world cup" or "usa" to 44636 (4INFO).

Learn more about the service at http://www.4info.net/worldcup.

[Hez Perso]

Good Luck to the US team against Italy this weekend.

[chino]

USA ranked 6th place? foo when did u write this article? USA is ranked 28 place.