Beckham pays $25M to get soccer in Miami

[Tacachale]

I'm with those who don't see Miami as a very surefire investment for soccer. In Miami, any sports team, but especially one in a niche sport, are competing for entertainment dollars with 4 major league teams, college sports including UM, and any number of minor league teams. And that's besides the beach, the nightlife and the incomparable cultural calendar.

In soccer specifically, a large chunk of potential fans just aren't going to go for MLS over their favorites in Europe or Latin America. And there's no way any city down there is going to build a new soccer stadium. Building one himself would somewhat negate the cheap franchise fee that made this worthwhile for Beckham in the first place. That leaves playing in a football stadium or up in Fort Lauderdale. Those options haven't done too well for soccer teams in Miami, including the MLS team they already had before.

Orlando, on the other hand, is doing everything right. They've got an ownership group that knows what they're doing, a smashingly successful lower level team, and buy in from the city to build a stadium. Call me a skeptic, but this seems like the least solid of the several potential MLS expansions.

[CityLife]

I agree that Miami is a terrible sports town...but one thing it has going for it in a big way is that it is a glamorous city. Especially for Europeans and South Americans. There are tons of wealthy Brazilians and Europeans buying condos there and oh by the way Brazil is far and away the biggest producer of elite talent. I think it will be far easier to convince aging Dani Alves, Marcelo, Kaka type players to play there, than say NYC, Chicago, or LA. Not to mention British, German, Spanish, French, and Italian players.

The glitz and glamour of LA is what brought Beckham to the states in the first place. I think Miami may have an even greater effect on international stars that like the media spotlight here...but you're right, it could definitely be a bust given Miami's poor support of teams.

[Tacachale]

^I think the "glamor" thing may work against them too. For people looking for that Miami vibe, I doubt that a drive out to Fort Lauderdale or the Florida International University football stadium to see journeyman soccer will be all that appealing, even if the team gets good (or popular) players.

[Ajax]

I'm really curious to see how this works out in Miami.  If it's going to be a retirement home for old European and South American players, then I hope it will fail miserably.  But if they can take the Beckham brand and turn MLS games into a place to see and be seen (NOT if it's in Fort Lauderdale or at FIU), then I could see them selling some sponsorships and some club suites and making it a profitable venture.  Ticket holders might not go to every game, and it won't have the genuine atmosphere of Portland or Seattle, but nobody would expect that in Miami anyway. 

And if enough 'regular' people in and around Miami decide to make the MLS team their second-favorite team, I think they'll be ok.  It shouldn't be too much trouble for them to get sponsors who want to be aligned with Beckham, so if they can make enough money off of that and get a local TV deal, they might even be able to make it work with lower attendance numbers.  Everyone will see empty seats and say "that's Miami", but I don't think Beckham and Claure (or whoever he teams up with) are going to lose money.   

[ProjectMaximus]

Looks like Orlando is indeed confirmed. Wonder if that eliminates the potential for Jax even a decade from now?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-mls-awards-orlando-franchise-20131106,0,4972653.story

[pierre]

Looks like Orlando is indeed confirmed. Wonder if that eliminates the potential for Jax even a decade from now?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-mls-awards-orlando-franchise-20131106,0,4972653.story

I'm happy we at least have a team within a day's drive. Will be nice to drive down to Orlando and watch an MLS game. Lets also wait and see how the NASL team does here. I think it will be a success.

[tufsu1]

I think this leaves room for only 1more expansion MLS team to meet the league's plans for the next 5 years....but obviously plans can change

[Tacachale]

Orlando was essentially already a given, it's the real slam dunk among the most serious options. Jacksonville's not on the radar now, but don't rule anything out down the road, especially if the NASL team is a success.