January 20 – Major League Soccer has unveiled giant retailer Target as a new sponsor in a multi-year deal that begins this season. This is the first football (soccer) sponsorship for Target who also announced they would become MLS expansion side Minnesota United’s shirt sponsor.
This is the first football sponsorship for the Minnesota-headquartered business who already hold naming rights to Minnesota sports facilities Target Field and Target Center – home of baseball’s Minnesota Twins and basketball’s Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx teams.
No figure was announced for either deal which will include brand integration across broadcast and digital platforms as well as in-stadium and on-site activation at MLS events. The Minnesota United sponsorship includes on-field branding and in-stadium activation rights as well as the team shirt.
“There are so many things that drew us to soccer – it’s multicultural, watched and played by families and is growing immensely in popularity,” Rick Gomez, Target senior vice president of marketing said in a statement.
Target has recorded three consecutive quarters of reduced sales from its retail outlets and will hiring the investment in football will help arrest this decline. “Soccer is incredibly popular with Hispanics and Hispanics represent a key demographic for Target,” Gomez told Fortune magazine.
Football (soccer) related merchandise sales grew by 15% last year and were Target’s fastest-growing sub-category within its sporting goods business. The company sold more than 1 million footballs.
US grassroots participation in football saw more than 15 million play the game over the past 12 months. Target will also be the official retailer of US Youth Soccer.
Minnesota United will play Portland Timbers in the opening match of the 2017 MLS regular season on Friday, March 3.
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