NFL seeks Hispanic demographic as sport grows in Mexico
By Kent Somers, The Arizona Republic
The NFL is the monolith of professional sports leagues, so powerful in its hold over fans and sponsors that it’s hard to imagine that it could grow in popularity.
Yet that’s the plan, and a chief target is Mexico and the Hispanic market in the United States.
The NFL sees those markets as vital to continuing the phenomenal growth the league has enjoyed over the past 50 years. That’s why NFL officials view the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the 49ers in Mexico City on Sunday as so important.
“Traditionally, I don’t think we’ve put the focus on it (the Hispanic market),” said Roger Goodell, the league’s executive vice president and chief operating officer. “Our popularity is soaring there (Mexico). There is a great deal of interest in American football.”
It will be the first regular-season game played outside the United States, and in many ways, it’s a grand experiment for the NFL. If this works, the league could place future games in Tokyo or Europe.
There are several questions to be answered first, according to Goodell.
“What was the reaction in Mexico?” he asked. “What kind of excitement can we generate? What kind of reaction did we get from the clubs from an operational standpoint and from the fans in those markets? Has it been a helpful tool in reaching the Hispanic market in the United States?”
That last question is central to the NFL’s efforts in Mexico. By playing in Mexico City, it not only wants to attract new fans there but also in the United States. The Hispanic market in the United States hasn’t been ignored, but the league and many of its teams have not paid serious attention to it.
Numbers indicate why the NFL is selling itself in Mexico. The NFL estimates there are 20 million football fans there, more than any country other than the United States. And there are nearly 25 million Americans of Mexican heritage. Maybe some of them will think it’s neat that the league is playing in Mexico.
It remains to be seen, however, how much this game will mean to many of them. To them, Mexico City is as foreign as Tokyo. To others, however, this game is intriguing.
“It’s good because in Mexico, American football is not that much,” said Larry Balderas, a Phoenix landscaper who was born in the United States but visits relatives in Mexico about once a year. “As soon as people start seeing this game, they will be excited.”
More: usatoday.com
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The NFL is the monolith of professional sports leagues, so powerful in its hold over fans and sponsors that it's hard to imagine that it could grow in popularity.
Yet that's the plan, and a chief target is Mexico and the burgeoning Hispanic market in the United States.
Like most large, powerful entities, the NFL isn't the most nimble of organizations. It admittedly has been a bit slow off the ball in selling itself to Mexico and Hispanic markets.
The NFL sees those markets as vital to continuing the phenomenal growth the league has enjoyed over the
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