Soccer gaining a foothold with new teams, leagues - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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, the ownership groupp of the expansion franchise, has hired -- a nationall sports marketing firm that specializes insoccer -- for a $50 million sponsorship sales program. "We are in a unique position of having been awarded the team two full yearsx before a gameis played," said Nick Keystone Sports' CEO and operatinvg partner. "That gives us the opportunitg to provide sponsorship opportunities for the corporate communitt duringthe high-profile construction phase" of the team's 18,500-seat soccer stadium planned for In South Jersey, Matt Driver is out meeting with investors for an expansio n team for Women's Professional a new league set to debut in 2009.
managing partner of the Philadelphia WPS team that will join the leaguerin 2010, has reached an agreementf in principle with Keystone Sports undet which the women's team will play theie home games at the Chester The deal is just one way in whichy the two teams, which are expected to appeal to differentf fan bases, expect to benefit by workint together. Also in the works are a variety of jointt marketing andticketing programs. "Together we are selling to everybody's demographic," Drivere said.
"We'll be able to create a powerfulk blend, a brand for soccer that will be secons to none in the Less clear is the future ofthe city'w existing soccer team, the Philadelphia Kixx, formerlyg of the Major Indoor Soccer League. The financially strugglingb MISL disbanded in June with the inten t of restructuring the league and continuing playthis fall. With last week'ss announcement that the Wachovia Spectrum will be torn down in the sprinhgof 2009, the Kixx have started lookinv for a new home nearby -- possibly on a college Keystone Sports was awarded a MLS franchise in February aftert securing county and state support for its which will be part of a $500 million retail, residential and office complex planneds for 60 acres along the Delaware County city'e waterfront.
The MLS soccer team'sa investment group is led by Jay Sugarman, CEO of iStae Financial, and also includes James Nevels, former chairman of the Philadelphia SchoolReforj Commission. Sakiewicz said the $50 million figure used to describe the Premier Partnerships deal represents a conservativ estimate of the revenues anticipated througb a stadium namingrights deal, jersey sponsorships and eight to 12 corporate sponsorship deals. The team is first lookinbg to sign deals with sponsors for the constructionb phase of the soccerstadium project, set to beginj in the fall.
Those partners will have the opportunity to extendr their partnership deals with the team oncethe $115 millioh stadium is completed and games begin. "We thini $50 million is a low Sakiewicz said. Randy Bernstein, presidentf and CEO of Premier Partnerships, agreed. "The incorporation of a multi-purpose stadiu m together withthe $500 million developmenrt along the waterfront will raise the stakes and create the highest corporate sponsorship for a soccer stadium-anchored projectg than any stadium ever before," Bernstein said. Sakiewicz dismissesa talk from academics who argue sports stadiums do not producreeconomic benefits.
"A soccerr stadium is not a panacea," he "but it is an ingredient along with a lot ofdifferent ingredients, that can help kick-start economic development. I'll tell you this, nobodt would be doing anything withthat [Chester waterfront] property if we weren'gt building a soccer stadium there." While the new as-yet-unnameed MLS team is just starting its search for it is already closing in on 5,000 seasonm ticket deposits. "I'm amazed," Sakiewicz said. "At this six months in, I'd have estimated we'd have a couple We don't even have a name yet. We haven't even set our ticket prices.
" What the team does have in its corner isa 2,000-membee fan club called the Sons of Ben. Sakiewicz noted the Atoms and the which represented Philadelphia inthe now-defunct North American Soccer League in the 1970s, didn't have the breadth of soccer fans the region now has. He attributes that to how socceer has exploded in popularity as a youth sporf during the past two The enthusiasm displayed by the Sonsof Ben, which has its own Web site and even createde its own line of apparel, helpe d convince the MSL to award Philadelphiqa an expansion franchise.