The world's team: just as they have done in Asia and Europe, Manchester United are aggressively aiming to capture the hearts of American soccer fans - and money

Soccer Digest, August-Sept, 2003 by Marc Connolly

OFFICIALLY, THE CLUB'S NAME is Manchester United. Call them Man U if you like. The Red Devils moniker works fine, as well. Or, as the English prefer, it's simply Man United. No matter which term you use to speak of the English Premier League juggernaut, its recognized all around the world. Think the New York Yankees--only bigger. When it comes to brand awareness, Man U is second to none in the sports world.

ChampionsWorld CEO Charlie Stillitano, who is responsible for bringing Manchester United to the States this summer for a four-city tour, puts it this way: "All around the world people wear Yankees caps. You'll find them in Florence, Hong Kong, and Tokyo. But there's just as much of a chance that someone wearing a Yankees cap will also own a Manchester United jersey."

It's true. As powerful and renowned as the Yankees franchise has become, it does not surpass the reach of Manchester United, a club which has a market value of $960 million and an estimated international fan base of 50 million. According to New York-based consulting firm FutureBrand, Man U is currently slotted between two NFL franchises--the Dallas Cowboys and the Washington Redskins--as the second most valuable sports brand in the world. (The Yankees are fourth; the next two-highest soccer clubs are Spanish power Real Madrid at six and Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga at seven.)

What's scary is that Man U has only scratched the surface when it comes to reaching the American soccer public, which surveys have concluded to be 70 million strong--including 18 million who actually play the game. So don't think for a second that Man United's U.S. tour is one of goodwill or a way for their players to get in shape for the preseason. It's business.

"The main reason that Manchester United and other clubs are now coming to the U.S. to promote their brand is that there is a market already in place that they're hoping to access," MLS deputy commissioner Ivan Gazidis told The Times of London. "That makes a lot of sense."

This summer, the Red Devils will hit Seattle (where they will play Celtic, Scotland), Los Angeles (Club America, Mexico), East Rutherford, N.J., (Juventus, Italy), and Philadelphia (Barcelona, Spain). ChampionsWorld--which has been organizing summer exhibitions in the U.S. for the past three years--laid the groundwork and Man U carefully helped select in which the games will be held. It's no surprise that they're playing popular clubs from four different leagues around file world, and in strategically selected venues.

Taking on Mexico's top team, Club America, at the LA. Coliseum is practically a sure thing, due to the city' large Hispanic population. The more paid off. First-day ticket sales broke the Coliseum's all-time record for a soccer event. Similar success was seen in each city. The Seattle match sold out in a little more than two hours, while in Philadelphia it took only one hour. By comparison, tickets for a Bruce Springsteen concert in Philadelphia went on sale the same day and failed to sell out.

More than 77,000 fans will see Man U play Juventus at Giants Stadium (July 31), which is more than four times what the MetroStars attract for one of their matches--on a good night.

Much of this tour's success can be credited to Man U CEO Peter Kenyon, who personally made several trips to Champions World's home in Moonachie, N.J., for meetings. Stillitano estimates that there were approximately 50 face-to-face meetings between the two companies since 2000. "They know how to develop relationships, and they make you feel right at home," says the former MetroStars general manager. "They're impressive from Kenyon all the way down, and do everything on a very professional level."

Knowing several years ago that his club would be making an on-field marketing effort in the U.S. Kenyon saw to it that they'd be just as triumphant off of the field. In the time since the tour has been discussed, Man U has made sponsorship deals with North American staples such as Lycos, Budweiser, Nike, and Pepsi. They've also aligned themselves with the Yankees in a joint venture that calls for each franchise to help the other develop strategies to break into their respective markets. For Man U, that includes having their games shown in the Northeast on the subscription-only YES network.

No deal, however, is as important to Man U as the one made with Nike last year for the startling total of $430 million over 13 years. Wearing the famed swoosh on its jerseys has allowed the club to break into the 130 countries that Nike reaches. That includes nations such as Australia, where Nike is organizing Manchester United soccer clinics to broaden its reach to an otherwise untapped soccer market. Already, Man U has become a tour de force for the Oregon-based company, as well as its top seller of soccer merchandise, which is exactly what was expected.

Nike global brand director of soccer Don Remlinger says the joining of the two superpowers makes sense considering the power each brand brings to the table. "The Manchester United/Nike partnership is a union of two global brands that share a common vision in their respective fields," he says. "Man United is arguably be world's most successful soccer club, and Nike is the largest athletic footwear and apparel company. This is yet another signal of Nike's commitment to becoming the best soccer brand in the world."