March 16 – LaLiga says it is building a real business in North America and to say that it is just about getting a regular top tier match played in the US to stimulate revenues “is not a fair assessment” of their activity.
“We have a mandate to build a sustainable business. This is not just a marketing effort,” said LaLiga CEO for North America Boris Gartner.
So far LaLiga, that has based its North American office in New York, has generated about $10 million of local sponsorship revenues a year over the last four years for its north American (primarily US and Mexico) activities.
The league recently moved its broadcast deal from beIN Sport in the US to a much deeper reaching ESPN platform which is already increasing exposure for LaLiga, its teams and stars.
At the core of the marketing push in North America has been creating local content and LaLiga has opened a production studio in Mexico that produces in English and Spanish and taps into the local connections – in particular Mexican players in LaLiga – to create programming.
“It is a content centric approach,” said Gartner, speaking to insideworldfootball at the Sportel Rendez-vous. “What we are doing is building community here. The trick is creating content that people want.”
The audience for that content to date has been skewed 70:30 to the Hispanic demographic with a profile that is younger and more mobile than traditional football consumers.
It is the belief in a need to build community that differentiates LaLiga from the other boig European leagues who have targeted North America.
Garnter talks about building hubs, like making the restaurant of famous Spanish chef Jose Andres a partner, and where in New York it is building a reputation as the home of LaLiga where you will get Spanish food and football.
LaLiga is also active at grassroots coaching level and has opened training academies in Miami, New York and Arlington, Texas. The academies don’t run teams in leagues but offer coaching and do operate as talent identification.
“These acadamies are just training. Our commitment is to grow football and we are taking a long term view,” said Gartner.
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