Liga MX' Club América has partnered with marketing firm Primetime Sports to launch an annual U.S. tour as part of a new strategy to expand its presence in the country. Under the banner "Tour Aguila," the club will play three games in each of its next two offseasons in the U.S., starting with a match on July 3 in Chicago at Toyota Park against fellow Mexican club Leon. Club América Int'l Dir Patty Marchak noted the team has previously played mostly one-off matches in the U.S., and has participated in the Int'l Champions Cup, but a more planned tour will allow the club to tailor the look and feel of the event, as well as plan ancillary events around the matches. The tour is a large part of the club’s larger growth plan that is unveiling this year, its 100th year in existence. Marchak: "We’ve spent a lot of time looking at the future and how to continue to take the club forward from a business perspective. The last few years, we been trying to figure out what direction we want to go in regards to the events within the U.S., and now we’re honed in.”
SPREADING THE LOVE: The tour will look to come to major U.S. cities during the club's preseason and FIFA calendar breaks, with matches against teams from Liga MX, MLS and European leagues. Around the tour, the club will plan a number of events to coincide with the matches, including mascot visits, opportunities to interact with former players and the club’s trophies and pregame fan celebrations. Primetime Sports also will represent the club's IP rights in the U.S. during the two-year partnership, with the club holding options to further extend that deal. Marchak said that the club, alongside Primetime Sports, are in discussions with potential sponsors to be part of the tour as well as with existing team partners, such as Coca Cola, Corona, Huawei and Nike. The club is finalizing a broadcast deal in the U.S., according to Marchak, who said a deal should be announced in the coming days. Primetime also is producing Tour Aguila and handling sponsorships and broadcast rights, in addition to annual brand partnerships.
