Kraft stumping for London team (say it ain't so, Bob)

[Tunescribe]

I agree that it's highly unlikely (to the point of virtual impossibility) that soccer would ever be more popular than american football in the US, but the popularity gap is shrinking.

What, among 6-year-olds? I see no competition between kickball and football on this side of the ocean. It's just the opposite in England/Europe. Some Brits and Europeans like NFL football and that's fine. But I think recent lip-service by the owners re. London is prospective force-feeding vs. addressing genuine demand.

Fans in the U.S. are overwhelmingly opposed to putting a team in London for many reasons, especially with markets currently untapped in this hemisphere. As much as I love Bob Kraft for all he's done for us, I think he's REALLY losing touch and needs to wake up.

 

[dales804]

Unless they are planning on bringing back the Concorde so the trip can be done in 3 hours, it's really not feasible. Furthermore, I just don't believe that there is really enough interest to sell out 8 games a year. They sell out the one game because it's a novelty, in my honest opinion.

I'm curious if they sold out the three games they're playing in London this year (weeks 4, 8, 10).

EDIT: Found this link and none are sold out yet, apparently. Who wants to go!?

 

[moosekill]

For 12-to-24-year-olds, soccer is the second-most-popular professional sport, behind only football and above basketball, baseball and hockey.

 

[unoriginal]

Furthermore, I just don't believe that there is really enough interest to sell out 8 games a year. They sell out the one game because it's a novelty, in my honest opinion.

I'm curious if they sold out the three games they're playing in London this year (weeks 4, 8, 10).

EDIT: Found this link and none are sold out yet, apparently. Who wants to go!?

According to theguardian the games sold out eight months in advance. These seem to be tickets originally reserved by the teams for their own fans (which Jax does not have) now being offered through a third party licensed exchange.

I would call that pretty good interest in three random, not-very-compelling matchups.

 

[DaBruinz]

In 50 years, the league has went from a dot on the map to crushing America's pasttime. Is it that farfetched in the distant future that the NFL could have 8 teams in Europe, a couple teams in Canada, etc?

fnordcircle makes a good point that a London franchise would be a big step to globalizing the sport.

Logistically it's a mess though. Also, could this London team compete? What free agent is going to go sign and play in London? What about draftees holding out?

The NFL has made two unsuccessful attempts at entire LEAGUE in Europe. Both attempts failed miserably. I think it's questionable that they could even find enough talent to effectively put together 8 teams and pay the players what they pay them here.

People say "oh no.. soccer is growing". Umm.. so what. There is no soccer league where they fly 11 hours to play another team except at the National level. in fact, most soccer leagues in Europe are in so close proximity that it's probably out of the norm to have to board a plane to get to your next game, never mind travel 3 hours by plane..

 

[dales804]

According to theguardian the games sold out eight months in advance. These seem to be tickets originally reserved by the teams for their own fans (which Jax does not have) now being offered through a third party licensed exchange.

I would call that pretty good interest in three random, not-very-compelling matchups.

Thanks for the information. But how can a game be counted as "sold out" if the tickets haven't all been sold? Just because a team was holding them for their fans doesn't mean they're sold. They were unavailable to some but not yet sold.

 

[DaBruinz]

According to theguardian the games sold out eight months in advance. These seem to be tickets originally reserved by the teams for their own fans (which Jax does not have) now being offered through a third party licensed exchange.

I would call that pretty good interest in three random, not-very-compelling matchups.

I wouldn't. Not when you consider how quickly the "World Cup" with the hodge podge teams they put together sold out. And by hodge podge, I mean players who were teammates in leagues such as the Premier, Bundesliga, et al, playing against one another ala the Olympics.

Maybe the popularity has grown enough since the World League and NFL Europe, but I just don't see it. And, I don't see the players agreeing to it in the long term. Not until there is better/faster travel.

 

[DaBruinz]

You either grow or you die. The NFL feels that they must be approaching the limit of popularity and growth in the US. They have looked at expanding the season, and my guess is that will eventually happen. Canada, Mexico, and other US cities? People are already watching football there, does the true growth come from the stadium and the home games, or the TV revenue and getting new people to watch the games. I think it comes from TV.

Europe is the untapped market. A single team to start the ball rolling, games on at the right times. Interest in the sport, kids starting to play, people following it, huge populations. Let's face it, football is successfull because it is the perfect tv game, if you can give Europeans a reason to start watching it, the NFL will succeed there, they just need to take that leap.

The Bundesliga, Premier League, and others would like you to do some homework on them in regards to growing popularity and whether or not expansion is needed to "grow". They'd beg to differ with you.

 

[moosekill]

DaBruinz, come on that was a just plain stupid comment.

 

[moosekill]

The World Cup for the soccer world is like the Superbowl, except country vs country only held once every 4 years.

 

[moosekill]

As announced in October, NBC Universal will air 380 Premier League matches across all platforms and devices in the United States. A source with knowledge of the negotiations told SI.com that NBC Universal's winning bid was $250 million for a three-year agreement, a sum more than triple the $23 million per year that Fox currently pays for its deal.

Kind of looks like they are expanding, into a new market huh?

 

[Tunescribe]

For 12-to-24-year-olds, soccer is the second-most-popular professional sport, behind only football and above basketball, baseball and hockey.

In other words, MLS is more popular among those 24-under than MLB, NHL and NBA. I have trouble believing that. Can you quote a source on this or provide a link?

 

[DaBruinz]

I think this article about how The University of Michigan has hurt itself with its student body is apropos for this conversation as well.. Particularly when it comes to greed and finances..

http://www2.thepostgame.com/blog/ro...um-students-business-tv-ncaa-michigan-tickets

 

[DaBruinz]

As announced in October, NBC Universal will air 380 Premier League matches across all platforms and devices in the United States. A source with knowledge of the negotiations told SI.com that NBC Universal's winning bid was $250 million for a three-year agreement, a sum more than triple the $23 million per year that Fox currently pays for its deal.

Kind of looks like they are expanding, into a new market huh?

Viewing yes. Putting teams here, No. BIG DIFFERENCE.

 

[Ivan]

ALL businesses must grow or die.

So what happens when they run out of weeks? Do they go to 2 a week or die?

 

[unoriginal]

Thanks for the information. But how can a game be counted as "sold out" if the tickets haven't all been sold? Just because a team was holding them for their fans doesn't mean they're sold. They were unavailable to some but not yet sold.

This is like when Sony counts PS4s as sold when they sell them to Toys'R'Us et al., not when the consumer finally buys them. From someone's perspective, the tickets are "sold" when resellers buy or claim them from the league/stadium selling them. I don't know how the ticket selling works in London exactly but that could be it, and one party or the other overestimated how many tickets they would need, so now they are being offered to others. Tickets being scalped or on StubHub don't count against sellouts either for example.

I wouldn't. Not when you consider how quickly the "World Cup" with the hodge podge teams they put together sold out. And by hodge podge, I mean players who were teammates in leagues such as the Premier, Bundesliga, et al, playing against one another ala the Olympics.

Maybe the popularity has grown enough since the World League and NFL Europe, but I just don't see it. And, I don't see the players agreeing to it in the long term. Not until there is better/faster travel.

Just a weird comment. The World Cup is one of the premier world-wide sports draws. I wouldn't be surprised if the Super Bowl sold out if it was hosted in Dubai. Because its a premier event. Miami v. Jacksonville, or whatever the schedule is, isn't.

 

[DaBruinz]

Popularity[edit]
As of 2006, over 24 million Americans play soccer. There are 4.2 million players (2.5 million men and 1.7 million women) registered with U.S. Soccer.[19] Thirty percent of American households contain someone playing soccer, a figure second only to baseball.[20] Increasing numbers of Americans, having played the game in their youth, are now avid spectators. A 2011 ESPN sports poll ranked soccer as the fourth most popular team sport in the United States, with 8.2% of Americans ranking soccer as their favorite sport (compared to 3.8% for hockey).[21] A 2011 ESPN sports poll ranked soccer as the second most popular sport in the country for 12-24-year-olds.[22] In 2013,Lionel Messi became the first soccer player ever to rank among the Top 10 most popular athletes in the U.S.[23]

It would help if you actually posted the link to where you got this from.. As is required by the Terms and conditions of this website.. So that Ian doesn't get in trouble for having copy-righted material on his page..

 

[DaBruinz]

Just a weird comment. The World Cup is one of the premier world-wide sports draws. I wouldn't be surprised if the Super Bowl sold out if it was hosted in Dubai. Because its a premier event. Miami v. Jacksonville, or whatever the schedule is, isn't.

It's a PREMIER even for them because it's not the norm. That is what you are having trouble grasping. And the World Cup ain't all that. If it was, then countries wouldn't be losing boatloads of money hosting it..

 

[moosekill]

Luker is the scientist behind a few ESPN studies — one of which concluded that soccer is America's second-most popular sport among 12-24 year olds, and another that found Lionel Messi was the 16th most popular athlete in the US

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/soccer-popularity-2012-9#ixzz37qZcFvRR

 

[moosekill]

It would help if you actually posted the link to where you got this from.. As is required by the Terms and conditions of this website.. So that Ian doesn't get in trouble for having copy-righted material on his page..[/QUOTE

It would help if you actually posted the link to where you got this from.. As is required by the Terms and conditions of this website.. So that Ian doesn't get in trouble for having copy-righted material on his page..

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