There is still plenty of skepticism about how well Miami will work in MLS. South Florida isn’t the best area for professional sports, and soccer can be a hard sell even in the most fertile markets. So, that’s two strikes going in.
But here’s the thing as Major League Soccer and David Beckham continue to push for that franchise in Miami: if anyone can make it work, it’s Beckham.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but if the MLS brand is ever going to catch fire in South Florida, this is its best shot.
That’s not because Beckham has cracked the code on how to sell the spot here, although he’s a clever fellow, and certainly one who knows how to align himself with other smarties. Rather, it’s because of the forces Beckham can muster.
For instance, today we see news that musical chart toppers Jay-Z and his wife ¬Beyoncé have been recruited for the effort. The story out of England says namey name musician and actors are in line to be among the club’s limited investors.
If Beckham and friends can truly make their stadium the place to be, creating something like what the Lakers have going out in Los Angeles, it gives the operation lots of momentum right from the start. Having figures such as Labron James and Tom Cruise – they’re already friends or potential business partners or both – and musical luminaries Tweeting out the team’s message and bringing their image power will help make the team immediately relevant in the local culture.
No franchise can survive on star power alone, of course. They have to win at some point (right, Toronto FC?) and they have to make the right marketing moves. But having the star power that Beckham and Simon Fuller can import certainly helps create the opportunities.
Think of them as charcoal that makes starting the fire so, so much easier.