Don’t Kick Soccer Just Yet

 I love soccer. I love soccer during the World Cup the most. Fútbol has always been a part of my life – en las buenas y en las malas.

I’m not alone. Millions of U.S. Spanish-speaking Hispanics love soccer, too. The Gold Cup final this past Sunday drew record numbers of viewership. Yesterday, @UnivisionCorp tweeted “more than five million total viewers tune-in to 2009 Gold Cup Final On Univision.” Multichannel.com reported the cup “topped Nielsen charts in large markets in its time period in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Houston, Dallas, Phoenix, San Francisco and Sacramento.”

I think this is great for two reasons, out of many more. The first being the obvious, which showcases, yet again, the power of the Hispanic community. It further validates Spanish language TV. It makes a case that if Spanish language content exists, it will be consumed.

The second reason I think this is great is for the continuous, if not, growing popularity of the sport. Did you know that the Confederations Cup Final with Brazil and the U.S.A. was the most-viewed non-World Cup game for ESPN?

As marketers, we may be growing tired of tying in soccer focused programs to our Hispanic outreach efforts.  But, don’t call it a game just yet… if ever. The audience is there, and with the continuation of the MLS, the upcoming World Cup next year and the possibility that the U.S.A could host World Cup 2018 or 2022, soccer may just remain as important as ever, if not more, in creating a connection with Hispanic audiences.

Share | July 29th, 2009 1 Comment »
Tags: Public Relations/Mktg. · Sports