Gaining a Foothold

After many years of anticipation, soccer finally seems to be reaching a tipping point at U.S. retail. As a result, a number of leading global football clubs have retained U.S. licensing agents within the past year to assist them in expanding their presence in North America.

Most are working with one of three agents that have made foreign football clubs a specialty:

• Fermata Partners. Fermata’s goal is to become a one-stop shop for English Premier League licensing. It has assembled a roster of 10 clubs to date, including Liverpool FC, Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham FC, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Manchester City, Queens Park Rangers, and Swansea.
• Edge Americas Sports. This L.A.-based sports agency counts Real Madrid, Paris St. Germain, and Juventus of Turin, Italy, among the clubs it represents for licensing in the U.S., Canada, and Latin America. Co-founder Alessandro Del Piero is a former member of Juventus.
• One Entertainment. In addition to Copa America, a pan-American football competition that it began working with earlier this year, brand-management agency One Entertainment touts its representation of FC Barcelona and Manchester United, among other clubs and national teams.

Many of these properties have had a limited presence in the U.S. prior to these deals, mainly through their master footwear and kit licensees (Adidas, Nike, or Puma), which sell some football club gear in stores such as Dick’s. In addition, they have a presence online through ecommerce companies such as Fanatics or Soccer.com.

It is expected that the U.S.-based agents will not only expand the clubs’ North American retail footprint but also extend their brands into additional categories, from collectibles to home goods.

It is too soon to say if U.S. consumers are ready to purchase foreign football goods in a big way. But factors such as wider TV exposure for international and U.S. matches, the fact that more U.S. kids and families are playing and watching soccer, and recent sales growth for Major League Soccer gear all seem to be signs that point toward potential success.