The NHL in Mexico, Ligue 1 in the US and a Blockbuster Partnership for Women’s Collegiate Athletics

Each week, we sift through a ton of content and then debate it ad nauseam at FEVO HQ. And since good content, like the mind, is a terrible thing to waste, we are also sharing it here with you, our fans, in the form of this weekly blog post on e-commerce, media and life on the internet.

Front Office Sports: Ligue 1 matches may end up in US to bolster media deal
The growth of pro soccer in the U.S. goes well beyond MLS’s Lionel Messi-powered Boom Days. The biggest clubs in Europe going on preseason tours in the U.S. has become its own annual cottage industry, and NBC is currently on year two of a nearly-$3B deal to broadcast Premier League matches through 2028. One thing that is yet to happen, though, is for an actual in-season competitive match to be played on US soil, despite overtures (and heavy fan opposition) from Spain’s La Liga. Now it looks like France might beat them to the punch, as the CEO of the company that sells Ligue 1’s media rights has stated that “bringing meaningful games to the U.S.'' is a top priority for his company. With the popularity of the World’s Game spiking on this side of the pond, there figures to be huge opportunity for American teams, stadiums and rights holders to capitalize on these foreign-exchange games via lucrative partnerships with clubs and leagues.

ESPN: Mexico City on short list for future international game
And heading in the opposite direction of the highly lucrative business of exporting pro sports, we have news this week that Mexico City could soon add an NHL game to its impressive roster of in-market games from American leagues. The NBA and NFL have been hosting regular-season games in Mexico City for years, and MLB kicked off its new Mexico City Series earlier this year. Now, with the NHL looking to stage more games abroad after relaunching its “Global Series” tour in 2017, the Mexican capital could make it a perfect 4-for-4 with America’s biggest pro leagues. As the Latino population in the US surges (Latinos will make up nearly 30% of the US population by 2060), it behooves every brand to redouble its marketing efforts with this critical demographic — and that includes courting Latino populations abroad, the biggest and most important of which lies just across the southern border.

Big 12: Allstate to launch largest women’s sports partnership in conference history
Speaking with FEVO CEO Ari Daie about the investment potential of women’s sports at FEVO Fest in 2022, Reddit Founder Alexis Ohanian pointed out that the most followed NCAA athletes on social media were not men’s players, but women’s (a statistic that has held up since). The growth of women’s sports is creating huge sponsorship opportunities as well, and now the Big 12 and Allstate have announced a groundbreaking extension of their men’s partnership that will pour more resources into women’s programs. Investment at all levels — facilities, youth participation, education, broadcasting, sponsorships — is ultimately the force that is needed to give young women athletes the same opportunities that are afforded to men, and seeing a corporation that has long been a key partner for men’s sports do the same for their women’s counterparts is a big step in the right direction.

And a few more nuggets of assorted internet internet wisdom:

Shaq, Allen Iverson join Reebok management team (WWD)

NBA can shift the balance of power with its next rights deal (CNBC)

Prada to design NASA’s new next-gen spacesuits (ABC News)

World Cup 2030 an opportunity for sponsors to build reach, say experts (Reuters)

Supermarkets are more than stores: the everyday wonder of food shopping (The Atlantic)

Walmart experimenting with generative AI that can help you plan a party (TechCrunch)

Ozempic for weight loss is disrupting companies’ business models (Bloomberg)