Emulating the US leagues is one of the proposals being analyzed in Liga MX to increase the income of the teams. Centralized sale of assets such as uniforms is a first step
In Liga MX a ‘shock plan’ is being built against the COVID-19 pandemic. Looking to mitigate the effects of the economic crisis hitting the teams due to the Coronavirus, they will not only seek to sell the television rights of all teams in the Mexican tournament together, but also plan the marketing of the uniforms of all clubs, among other assets, to a single brand, as happens in NBA, MLB and NFL level matches.
“We have to prove that the market pays more when the competition negotiates this. If you’re Pumas and you earn five pesos for selling rights to your uniform, you’re not going to release it to me if I don’t credit you for making more than five. You won’t even see controversy, we’ll ask the market what they think about the uniform of one of the three main leagues in the continent, we’ll see what the market tells us. I have proof and I am sure that the market will give us more than we have, ” said Mikel Arriola, executive president of Liga MX. ESPN Digital.
The initiative is part of a shock plan against the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which the clubs are bringing to light during meetings they have with the chairman of the league. It doesn’t just look at marketing uniforms, billboards and spaces on social networks.
“There are assets that we can market better if we centralize them. If we centralize something that is negotiated by many parties, you need to generate economies of scale and receive more than what each of the participants receives, we see what assets we can put in that basket. Uniforms, fences, because there is an urgent need to give back the flow of money to teams to invest in talent, that’s what is being invested, in addition to the basic resources, and this to best deliver the public, ” added Mikel. Arriola.
The project’s methodology starts with an evaluation of the value of all the uniforms of the Liga MX teams, billboards and even social networks. After that, public competitions will be held so that interested parties can bid and a single brand can keep the concession, as in the US leagues (NBA, MLB, MLS, NFL).
“First we will know how much we are worth, through an evaluation, and enter a private but public competition, ask the market and let the market compete for the good, eliminating individual bargaining with less money,” he explained from.
América, Chivas, Cruz Azul, Pumas, FC Juárez, Tigres, Monterrey and all teams could be dressed by the same brand, looking for a better income and mitigating the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
“So with other assets that we are using, integrating and also marketing new spaces, both from teams and from Liga MX itself, the spaces on social networks, those spaces need to be strengthened with our brand and go out to market them” , said the tournament president.