Major League Soccer has seen a major increase in prominence since the arrival of Lionel Messi. Many news fans of the league have emerged purely due to their loyalty to the exceptional Argentinian.
Messi’s arrival at Inter Miami has seen huge ticket rises for the club’s games and a massive increase in viewership of the fixtures. Similar impacts have been seen in the past as the MLS has regularly sought some of Europe’s greatest players in the twilight of their careers.
Signing hugely marketable stars is one way of creating interest in the United States’ top football league. However, there are several ways that the MLS could grow its brand further besides superstar acquisitions.
MLS-themed casino gaming
Online casino gaming has risen to global popularity over recent years. It allows people to play traditional games from the comfort of their own homes. There have even been branded games, for example, games based around the classic board game Monopoly are available at MrQ, which is an established online casino site that offers games in relation to all kinds of themes.
The sites that offer themed games have tapped into what was once mainly a physical market and improved it further. The ease of access is unmatched with a mobile phone, allowing people to access casino games. In-person, casino games are simple and perhaps lack character, but online casino gaming offers an endless range of themes attached to traditional card and slot games.
The MLS could enter the casino gaming market with their own niche, in which they could feature games themed with stars such as Messi and Lorenzo Insigne.
Messi could of course remain at the forefront of the imagery that could be used in MLS-themed games. However, many of the league’s players from other teams could be featured. This way teams besides Inter Miami could grow their international fanbases.
Worldwide merchandise availability
All around the globe, fans buy football shirts from their favourite teams. But outside of the US, MLS kit availability is spontaneous. In Europe, fans may be able to find kits of some clubs from past seasons, but there is not often a wide range of kits available from each and every club ahead of the new season.
Football kits play a huge part in fan culture and the widespread availability of major club kits helps to grow fanbases in all corners of the world. The MLS could benefit massively from improving the distribution of replica kits and other forms of merchandise.
When superstars join the league, people all over the world want to don the new club colours of their favourite players. The MLS clubs would certainly reap financial rewards from expanding their merchandise reach, but also they could gain new fans. In ensuring their club’s strip is on display in stores all over the globe, their brand is constantly advertised to potential new supporters.
Major global sports stores stock the biggest club kits in abundance. The more widely stocked a team’s merchandise is, the more areas of the planet their club crest reaches. Simply making kits available in the biggest footballing countries could have huge long-term impacts on the MLS’ global reach.
Overall, the MLS markets itself incredibly well upon acquiring superstar signings to the league. However, online gaming would be an excellent area to utilise in order to attract fans to support a wider range of clubs and learn more about the extensive range of players in the league.
Expanding to a worldwide range of merchandise availability would also allow the league to reach a level of physical marketing that could rival the biggest clubs on the planet. In addition to casino games spreading the league’s brand digitally, more physical locations all over the world could display MLS club kits.
Be sure not to miss out on the latest news about Lionel Messi
Download our brand new App and follow your favorite players, clubs, and much more
