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Flynn, ex-Marlins execs bring local savvy to Miami FC

Editor's note: This story is revised from the print edition.

With the NASL’s Miami FC beginning to find traction in its inaugural season, MP & Silva co-founder and President Riccardo Silva has tapped a pro sports executive with local roots to continue that growth.

FLYNN
Sean Flynn, formerly the Miami Marlins’ senior vice president of marketing, has been named the club’s CEO. Antonio Barreto, an investor in the club alongside Silva, had been serving as temporary CEO.

Flynn has brought on former colleagues from the Marlins to fill open front office roles, including Matt Britten as vice president of marketing and Anthony Tome as vice president of corporate partnerships, both of whom filled similar roles with the baseball team.

“When I sat down with Riccardo, I wanted to know what his vision for the club was, as there have been a lot of efforts down here in South Florida that didn’t get off the ground,” Flynn said. “It is a tough place to do business in sports, but at the same time I haven’t found one that attacked it with the proper business strategy, acumen and resources and executed on that plan. I believe that’s what we’re doing here.”

Flynn said his focus has been on increasing civic engagement, as well as trying to create destination programming for every home match. After drawing more than 10,000 fans for its first match, which included a concert, the club averaged just 2,166 a game across five home matches in the NASL spring schedule. Since Flynn’s hire earlier this month and the start of the league’s fall season, the club has averaged 5,093 a game through four matches, up 17 percent (another was scheduled for last Saturday). All of those matches have featured different pre-match and halftime activations as well as giveaways.

Flynn said the club will continue with enhanced entertainment and theme nights through the end of the season.
“Miami is an event-going town, and we know with a new product, we have to give people a reason to come out,” Flynn said.

The club will also add higher-end hospitality options, including seats on the field with all-inclusive packages and a party zone behind the goal.

Miami FC co-owner Riccardo Silva (center), Fort Lauderdale Strikers co-owner Ronaldo (left) and Miami coach Alessandro Nesta
Photo by: MIAMI FC
The club has a three-year rental agreement with Florida International University to play matches at its 23,500-seat stadium.

The club is also looking to further bolster its front office. Flynn says it is working with Turnkey Sports to identify a chief financial officer and a head of ticket sales, who will also oversee a staff of about 16 salespeople.

Silva, who lives part of the year in Miami, declined to comment on the level of specific financial investment that he has made in the club thus far, but noted that because the NASL has much lower expansion fees and startup costs compared with MLS, he thinks that the club’s break-even point is not far away, perhaps even in a few years.

“We chose to be in the NASL because while the investment may be small upfront, it also has a great potential to grow,” he said.

He also is rooting for the long-awaited return of MLS to South Florida under an ownership group led by David Beckham.

“We are fans of that project for one simple reason — anything that raises awareness and passion for soccer in Miami is good for us, and if that happens, we will be successful too,” he said.

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