Here are some of the top soccer industry stories from around the world last week…
Men in Blazers: Soccer’s Outlier Sportscasters (Wall Street Journal)
The two hosts of “Men in Blazers,” a scrappy soccer-analysis show on the NBC Sports Network, wave handmade signs on the air and broadcast from a room so cramped that guests have to sit behind the duo like children in the back seat of their parents’ car. But behind all the low-tech trappings, the Men in Blazers are a valuable brand. The TV show and podcast have emerged as a conduit for soccer’s top teams, corporate sponsors and the sport’s growing legion of American fans, much to the exuberance of the show’s England-born, New York-based hosts and creators, Roger Bennett and Michael Davies.
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St. Paul Advances Pro Soccer Plan (Star Tribune)
St. Paul’s bid for a Major League Soccer stadium moved ahead Wednesday, as the City Council conditionally backed the project and the Port Authority said it is working on a plan to make the proposed site available for stadium construction.
Platini Avoids FIFA Talk, Says in Last Term as UEFA Chief (Reuters)
Michel Platini is in his final term as UEFA president regardless of whether he wins next year’s FIFA election, the Frenchman said on Friday.
Platini declined to talk about his bid for the FIFA presidency in his first news conference since announcing a month ago that he would stand as a candidate to replace Sepp Blatter.
“Yes, I’m stopping there,” said Platini when asked if his current term, his third as UEFA president, would be his last.
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Wanda Waves its Chinese Magic Forming Mega Sports Group (Inside World Football)
Dalian Wanda Group, the Chinese conglomerate which this year bought 20% of Atlético Madrid, claims to have become the world’s largest sports operating company after acquiring a US-based triathlon business for $650 million.
The World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), headquartered in Florida, is the world’s biggest operator of Ironman events, claiming a 91% global market share of long-distance triathlon competitions. WTC, whose current management is expected to remain with the company, operates at least 250 events a year worldwide.
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Amstel Returns to European Soccer Sponsorship After Decade Out (Bloomberg)
Dutch beer brand Amstel has resumed its sponsorship of European soccer after a decade away.
Amstel will sponsor the second-tier UEFA Europa League for three years starting this season. It had endorsed UEFA’s Champions League from 1994 to 2005, before Heineken took over sponsorship of Europe’s richest league.
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Sepp Blatter: FIFA Chief Says ‘He is Clean’ Amid Corruption Inquiry (BBC)
Outgoing Fifa president Sepp Blatter has told the BBC he is “clean” and “there is no corruption in football” amid criminal investigations at world football’s governing body.
Blatter, president since 1998, will step down in February amid an inquiry into allegations of systematic bribery.
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US Deal Confirmed for Arsenal FC (Soccerex)
Premier League side Arsenal have renewed a deal with One World Sports that will see the American sports broadcaster remain as the exclusive licensee of Arsenal TV in the region.
The multi-year deal, financial details for which have not been released, covers multiple media platforms, and both the US and Canada.
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Lindner Explains Why He Bought a Pro Soccer Franchise (Cincinnati Business Courier)
Carl Lindner III has spent his entire career in the insurance and finance business. He grew up watching his dad run American Financial Group (NYSE: AFG), and he and his brother Craig have run the company for nearly two decades.
So what got Lindner into the business of owning the first high-level outdoor professional soccer franchise in Cincinnati?
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Barclays Premier League Week 3 Posts One Sellout and Averages 37,559 (Business of Soccer)
Gameweek 3 of the Barclays Premier League wrapped up this past Monday with a goalkeeper clinic at The Emirates stadium between Arsenal’s Petr Cech and Liverpool’s Simon Mignolet. While the heavyweight matchup proved a stalemate, across the rest of the league in the realm of attendance, there were most certainly winners and losers.
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Football Is Much More Than Just a Game (FC Business)
Football has long remained one of the most popular sports that is viewed and played across the world, with millions of people of all ages and genders immersing themselves in the drama, excitement and tension that epitomises the beautiful game.
It is considered much more than just a game by the most ardent of supporters, and as the sport continues to evolve from a business perspective off the pitch, the amount of money that is involved in football has reached astronomical levels.
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This article originally appeared on Business of Soccer. To learn more about BOS you can follow them on Twitter or Facebook.
