American interest in soccer has been steadily increasing for years now. Since the U.S. hosted the 1994 FIFA World Cup, many Americans started to appreciate that soccer, rather than being a passing spectacle every four years, was actually worth following throughout the year, every year. Figures show that the rise of the MLS has resulted in the league amassing more and more fans across the country with each season.
Alongside this, social media networks have changed the way we watch matches since the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Technology has made it easier to connect with friends and like-minded fans around the world to share opinions, experiences and to follow favorite teams and players. The availability of these technologies has enabled the soccer fan base in the United States to develop even more. Here are some examples as to how technology has helped soccer to grow in the United States.
Social Media
Social media is everything right now. If a team is not ‘online’ (I’m looking at you, Getafe) then it is unfortunately living in the dark ages. Social media is the way for teams to push out content and communicate to their fans. It is free, it is easy to use and it is connected to everything.
Along with official accounts from teams are the fan-operated accounts. These profiles dish out rumors, scores, news, blog posts, pictures and video clips. Some have even established relationships with the clubs and publish exclusive content for their fans. Twitter and Facebook are the standard networks used by almost all teams and leagues. Marketers have also seen the opportunity of growth in the United States and have aggressively pitched their products for the ever-growing audience. Brands like Nike and Adidas, who battled on social media, specifically YouTube, during Brazil 2014, have gone above and beyond in their efforts to tap that passion. Nike, an American brand, has seen the results of their social efforts through new customers who have also been converted into new soccer fans.
Podcasts
Podcasts are the backbone of soccer culture in the United States. Even before the boom of social media outlets, a great number of podcasts about local and international soccer had seen popularity. Almost every major team in the top three leagues in the U.S. (MLS, NASL, USL) has a podcast, whether it’s affiliated to the club or not. The beauty of the podcast is that it is easy, mostly free and panders to the passion of the listeners. This makes it easy for the common fan to keep up-to-date with the latest news and rumors on their favorite team, regardless of whether it is stateside or abroad, from the comfort of their smartphone.
One of the most renowned podcasts is Men In Blazers, who were recently hired by NBC Sports to conduct a weekly show, as well as other pieces. The Men in Blazers cover mainly MLS and Premier League and were a part of ESPN’s coverage of Brazil 2014.
Television
TV has had a major impact in how soccer is seen in the States. Massive investments to acquire TV rights and bring matches to the American audience have been seen recently, which only helps to grow the visibility of the game. Some examples of the biggest recent TV deals include:
- Last year’s $250 million three-year contract from NBC to cover the Premier League matches
- FOX’s $425 million deal for the next four World Cups (this includes the next two Women’s World Cups)
- Telemundo’s $600 million for Spanish rights for the next two World Cups
- MLS and U.S. Soccer’s $90 million per season deal with ESPN, FOX and Univisión Deportes that includes MLS, USMNT and USWNT matches
Of course, there are also the sports networks dedicated mainly to soccer that most major TV service providers carry. Gol TV, Fox Soccer Channel, ESPN and NBC Sports all have rights to different tournaments around the world, from World Cup Qualifiers, to the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and UEFA Champions League, to the Argentinian Primera División. But the leader of these sports networks pack is beIN Sports. The Qatari owned network boasts the rights in the USA for two of the ten best leagues in the world; Serie A and La Liga, as well as Ligue 1 and Spanish Copa del Rey matches. Rights for matches are accompanied by in-studio preview and review shows, newscasts, weekly recaps and debate shows. All these networks provide the fan with different styles, ambiance and even different points of views from pundits across the world, resulting in growth of knowledge and interest.
These examples have shown us how the game is being brought to the masses via technology. However, how has this affected the number of people who attend matches in person? We know the 2014 FIFA World Cup was a huge success in the United States. It could be argued that the national team advancing out of the group stage against all odds versus nemesis Ghana and powerhouses like Portugal and eventual champions Germany hooked even the casual observer, but the practicality of the late morning and midday kickoff times were also a major factor.
The real growth of interest can be measured through the friendly matches which European teams participated in against MLS teams. The European preseason fit perfectly with the MLS season at full strength, giving foreign clubs a chance to play competitive preseason matches against teams which had already found their rhythm. One look at the packed stands showed how much the sport had engaged Americans. They might have come for the novelty of watching a big European team the first time round, but they came back the next weekend because they fell in love with their local team.
Technology allows fans to be as close to their favorite Spanish team, for example, as they are to their local MLS team. Fortunately, clubs have seen this opportunity and every day offer more and more content to keep fans happy both home and abroad.