{"id":29047,"date":"2024-07-17T16:39:39","date_gmt":"2024-07-17T15:39:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/?post_type=press-release&#038;p=29047"},"modified":"2024-07-17T17:20:31","modified_gmt":"2024-07-17T16:20:31","slug":"a-new-era-for-us-soccer","status":"publish","type":"press-release","link":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/press-releases\/a-new-era-for-us-soccer","title":{"rendered":"A New Era for US Soccer?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong><em>New data from Brand Finance reveals that US soccer fans are more likely to attend live matches in stadiums compared to American fans of all other major sports, highlighting the growing trend in the sport\u2019s popularity<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Brand Finance\u2019s newly released <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/brandirectory.com\/football\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Football 50 Report<\/strong><\/a><strong> currently features no US soccer brands.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technological advancements are enhancing fan experiences, driving higher engagement and attendance, while MLS's digital presence and social media following see substantial growth.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Inter Miami CF, Los Angeles FC and LA Galaxy are the country\u2019s top 3 strongest soccer brands.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Real Madrid reclaims title of world\u2019s most valuable and strongest soccer club brand, with Manchester City FC in 2<sup>nd<\/sup>.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>English Premier League has the most clubs of any league in the top 50 ranking.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>DALLAS, July 17, 2024<\/strong> \u2013 Brand Finance, the world\u2019s leading brand valuation consultancy, reveals that once again no US soccer brands feature in the <a href=\"https:\/\/brandirectory.com\/football\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">latest ranking<\/a> of the world\u2019s top 50 most valuable and strongest soccer brands, despite growing popularity of the sport among Americans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the 2026 FIFA World Cup, held across Mexico, the US, and Canada, is expected to deliver a significant uplift in the value of soccer brands across North America, as the world\u2019s most popular sporting event takes center stage. Major League Soccer has been steadily building its presence throughout the nation, following some key player signings, including globally recognized sporting talent Lionel Messi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brand Finance's research shows that US soccer fans are more likely to attend live stadium matches compared to fans of NFL football, NBA basketball, MLB baseball, and NHL ice hockey. This contrasts with 2023 data that showed that football and the NFL were consistently identified as the nation's most popular sport, favored in nearly every state except five. Soccer, which displayed varying levels of interest last year ranging from 3% to 32% of individuals naming it as their favorite sport, has witnessed a rise in attendance and fan interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"602\" height=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/USA-football-image.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-29048\" srcset=\"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/USA-football-image.png 602w, https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/USA-football-image-450x261.png 450w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Technological advancements have significantly enhanced the fan experience in MLS stadiums, featuring augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies, interactive apps, and intensifying social media engagement. These innovations foster deeper connections between fans, teams, and the sport itself, resulting in increased engagement and attendance levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Moreover, MLS is expanding its robust digital presence through strategic use of social media platforms to effectively reach younger audiences with exclusive content and interactive experiences. The league's social media following grew by 25% in 2023, accompanied by an 18% increase in engagement rates. While MLS broadcast deals remain smaller compared to the NBA and NFL, partnerships like the exclusive arrangement with Apple TV in 2023 have bolstered visibility globally, marking a pioneering move in sports streaming services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p><em>\u201cThe forthcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to amplify opportunities for soccer brands across North America, reflecting the sport's growing appeal and economic significance. With global football sponsorship forecasted to reach nearly USD 59 billion within the next decade, soccer clubs are increasingly focusing on enhancing their brand strength and value. This strategic investment aims to capitalize on the lucrative and expanding market. While no US soccer brands currently feature in the top 50 globally, the trajectory suggests promising potential on the horizon.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n<cite><strong>Laurence Newell, Managing Director, Brand Finance North America<\/strong><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Inter Miami CF<\/strong>, <strong>Los<\/strong> <strong>Angeles<\/strong> <strong>FC<\/strong> and <strong>LA<\/strong> <strong>Galaxy<\/strong> are the country\u2019s top three strongest soccer brands. Reaping the rewards of the Messi effect and outperforming all US clubs in Brand Finance\u2019s research for having \"a lot of star players\u201d, Miami has the highest Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of all US soccer teams. The Florida team has been going from strength to strength since David Beckham \u2013 who is arguably more famous for his work off the pitch than on it now - founded the team in 2018 alongside others. The <strong>Vancouver Whitecaps<\/strong> and <strong>Toronto FC<\/strong> round off the top 5 for brand strength in the MLS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Outside of the US, <strong>Real Madrid<\/strong> (brand value up 16%) is once again the world\u2019s most valuable soccer club brand, surpassing 2023\u2019s winner <strong>Manchester City FC<\/strong>, (brand value up 7%). Real Madrid is also the world\u2019s strongest soccer club, The club\u2019s exceptional brand strength derives from its perfect scores across several metrics in Brand Finance\u2019s research, including squad investment, stadia, and sponsorships. Real Madrid\u2019s strategic investments in star players like Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and Jude Bellingham are expected to further boost record-breaking revenue through increased matchday and merchandise sales, while enhancing global visibility and fan engagement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The English Premier League has the most clubs (17) featured in the Top 50 ranking, as well as by far the highest value of any league. Six of these clubs feature in the top 10, with <strong>Manchester United FC<\/strong> and <strong>Liverpool FC<\/strong> <strong>FC<\/strong> retaining 4<sup>th<\/sup> and 5<sup>th<\/sup> positions respectively. <strong>Arsenal FC<\/strong>, <strong>Tottenham Hotspur FC<\/strong>, and <strong>Chelsea FC <\/strong>retain 8<sup>th<\/sup>, 9<sup>th<\/sup>, and 10<sup>th<\/sup> ranks, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Note to Editors<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Every year, leading brand valuation consultancy <a href=\"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/\">Brand Finance<\/a> tests 5,000 of the biggest brands and publishes over 100 reports, ranking brands across all sectors and countries. The <a href=\"https:\/\/brandirectory.com\/rankings\/football\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brand Finance Football 50 2024 ranking<\/a> includes the world\u2019s top 50 most valuable and strongest football club brands.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brand value is understood as the net economic benefit that a brand owner would achieve by licensing the brand in the open market. Brand strength is the efficacy of a brand\u2019s performance on intangible measures relative to its competitors.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/brandirectory.com\/rankings\/football\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brand Finance Football 50 2024 report<\/a> includes the full ranking, additional insights, charts, more information about the methodology, and definitions of key terms. &nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>New data from Brand Finance reveals that US soccer fans are more likely to attend live matches in stadiums compared to American fans of all other major sports, highlighting the growing trend in the sport\u2019s popularity DALLAS, July 17, 2024 \u2013 Brand Finance, the world\u2019s leading brand valuation consultancy, reveals that once again no US [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":4452,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","tags":[56,29],"class_list":["post-29047","press-release","type-press-release","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-football","tag-usa"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/29047","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/press-release"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29047"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/29047\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29068,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/press-release\/29047\/revisions\/29068"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4452"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29047"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/brandfinance.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29047"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}