We are in 2024 – only 2 years away from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held across the North American continent. Regardless of how the US Men’s National Team performs, this tournament will almost surely flip a switch inside the minds of millions of American sports fans, and open their eyes to the beauty of the Beautiful Game. The way I see it, 2026 is the year football, or ‘soccer’, finally overtakes both baseball and hockey to become the third most watched sport in the country, and the year that the merciless hunt for the new and exciting American soccer market will officially begin.
There is not a single club that would not want more fans, because fans bring in merchandise revenue, viewership numbers, online engagement, and many other perks. When the American sports fans inevitably turn their heads to football, almost all of the big European teams will be at their doorstep trying to ‘convert’ them and secure their loyalty. And with so many clubs to choose from, Americans will most likely go for something familiar, something that they have seen before, or, in other words, they will pick the clubs that already have a strong presence in their country. Many will think of Real Madrid or Barcelona, maybe some English teams like Chelsea will do, but there is one club that people tend to forget and overlook in this fight for America: AC Milan.
According to a recent Nielsen study, AC Milan is the most followed Italian team in the United States, as well as the most popular football brand. The name ‘AC Milan’, while certainly not on par with ‘Los Angeles Lakers’, already holds a certain weight in the US – it rings a bell for quite a few people. Slowly but surely, and without arousing too much suspicion, AC Milan has actually been building the foundations for its imminent assault on the American market, from which ownership really wants to capitalize. But how exactly is this being done?
THE PULISIC CASE
The obvious answer to this question is made up of two words, or rather, a name and a surname: Christian Pulisic. The face of American soccer, any and every one of his moves in the world of football is heavily documented by American media, and thus, seen by American fans. His pull for American engagement is so heavy that upon his arrival to Milan, he was hailed as a pure marketing ploy. And why wouldn’t he? In the days following his contract signing, AC Milan 46 million impressions and 17 million views across all social media platforms, as well as a 266% increase in product sales to American customers. And while Americans used to make up about 9% of all AC Milan customers, that number skyrocketed to 43% straight after Pulisic joined. Simply sensational.
And now, even better, Pulisic is actually playing exceptionally well. Not only is that good for AC Milan in terms of on-field performance, but it also attracts even more American viewers, as an American doing well in Europe is still quite unusual.
INVOLVING AMERICAN ATHLETES AND ENTERTAINERS
The absolute frenzy created by such a high profile American at Milan has only emboldened management to seek further US-based collaborations, inviting figures such as TikToker Noah Beck and NFL star JuJu Smith-Schuster to attend the recent game against Roma and appear on Milan’s social media platforms. This is, in my opinion, even more interesting than Pulisic’s arrival, as it marks a departure from ‘soccer’, and an all-out assault on other types of consumers. Clearly, AC Milan wants to enhance its visibility in all aspects of American entertainment, be it social media or American football, and this is something that sets the Rossoneri apart from most other European clubs at the moment. Think about how much the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs are profiting off of Taylor Swift’s presence at their games – MarketWatch reported that the pop singer had boosted the NFL’s brand value by around $122 million in October. Swift’s pull as one of the world’s leading female pop stars has helped the NFL expose its product to consumers that are normally not interested, such women or teenage girls. I cannot help but draw parallels between this case and Milan’s strategy of working with American stars from outside the world of football, as the club seeks out consumers that are seldom exposed to its brand.
CLUB EFFORTS
Speaking of brand exposure in the US, AC Milan has also taken serious steps to ensure that American fans could actually watch their games and fall in love with the sport, the club, and even individual players. A deal with New York-based regional network Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network (YES Network) was signed back in September 2022, which granted AC Milan the right to air different types of content across the New York area. This signals savviness on Milan’s part, as they chose to invest into a the US’ #1 TV market, which coincidentally contains a large population of Italian-Americans that the Rossoneri club can exploit. Other initiatives such as the brand-new AC Milan Academy in Virginia will keep elevating Milan’s brand image across the Washington DC Metropolitan Area and the USA as a whole, with thousands of kids and parents exposed to the club’s values and impressive history. This way, Milan can build grassroot and organic support even from another continent, and this new generation of fans will be at the forefront of the football explosion we will likely witness in the USA after the 2026 World Cup.
Indeed, with these efforts, AC Milan aims to place itself in a favorable position come the anticipated tournament. The club is sowing the seeds for success now rather than later, recognizing the upward trajectory of football popularity in the US. Serie A itself has been doubling down on its presence on the North American continent, opening up a NYC office back in 2021, alongside an Instagram page targeted at US & Canada users. Milan can further use this to their advantage in their American growth strategy, and keep acquiring new fans across the United States.
FINAL NOTE – WHAT SHOULD AC MILAN DO TO KEEP PUSHING ITS BRAND IN THE US?
While the aforementioned efforts have already been very effective, Milan obviously can and should do more. On their strategy of bringing in high-profile celebrities from the US, AC Milan is doing the right thing by venturing into the world of influencers with Noah Beck, but a much better bet would probably be influencer iShowSpeed. “Speed” – as his fans call him – is himself a not-so-small factor in the recent spike of football popularity in the US, and getting him involved with the Milan world could do wonders for their brand reputation. Famous for his adoration of Cristiano Ronaldo, Speed can boast around 22.5 million subscribers on YouTube and 15 million followers on Instagram, and his football-related content has driven many young Americans to start following the sport in the past 2 years. His influence on the young masses is extremely high, and if Milan got him on his side, it could help the club become even more popular among the next generation of American football fans. This collaboration makes even more sense when you consider that Speed has actually produced content with Milan star Rafael Leão in the past. The two share amicable relations, and this dynamic could be extremely beneficial for Milan’s US strategy in the long-term.
Another recent trend in the world of sports is docu-series. As Netflix’s Drive to Survive has had a massive impact on US viewership of Formula 1, many other leagues, teams, and athletes have now jumped on the trend, realizing that audiences crave to know what goes on behind the scenes in sports. Welcome to Wrexham and Beckham are two recent and great examples from football that showcase how potentially profitable a quality docu-series could be for AC Milan. It may be daunting and somewhat scary for American fans to get into a new sport, have to choose a league and a team, and understand how the system works. A simple, entertaining series could fill the action-craving Americans without them needing to go through the ‘painful’ part of learning the rules and norms of the game, while they gradually get used to the system and ultimately become full-fledged Milan fans.
And lastly, I believe AC Milan should keep leveraging its privileged position in one of the world’s fashion capitals. With football and fashion being closer than ever before, Milan has the potential to land on American fans’ radars for various fashion initiatives, just like Venezia FC has done in recent years. The collection made with Off-White was a great move, and more like this have to come. Additionally, it is imperative that Milan build on the fact that sports jerseys are considered fashion items in the US, and they have been for a very long time now. Supplying various artists or athletes with jerseys to wear on special occasions could greatly enhance the visibility of the Milan brand across the US, and the return on investment could be through the roof.
The potential is all there, and management is taking all the right steps. Now, it’s all about following through effectively.