Team captain Wayne Rooney leads Manchester United onto the field in
four U.S. cities later this month for a series of exhibition matches
against American and international competition. Over the past 60 years,
the Red Devils have undertaken countless excursions like this, which
rank among the iconic English Premier League team's most successful and
frequently copied promotional strategies.
Man U "pioneered international tours over the summer, particularly in
Asia and markets such as South Africa," growing its fan base outside
England and broadening the team's appeal for potential sponsors, Sue
Bridgewater, professor of sports management and marketing at the
University of Liverpool Management School, points out.
These days, Man U isn't the only club playing friendly matches in
distant lands. Squads from U.S.-based Major League Soccer started doing
so about a decade ago, when David Beckham, then the game's biggest draw,
joined the Los Angeles Galaxy. "Signing him gave us international
credibility," says Galaxy president Chris Klein, "and we took a lesson
from Man U" on how to establish a global footprint.
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