WPS Approves Philadelphia As Eighth Franchise, Set To Begin In '10
Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), which starts its inaugural season next week, has awarded its eighth franchise to a Philadelphia ownership group led by David Halstead, who founded a business-consulting firm, and Matthew Driver, a former assistant coach of the MLS Revolution. The team will begin play in '10. WPS franchise fees cost $1.25M. Halstead is a former partner at a finance and accounting services firm that catered to the government called the Bradson Corporation. He is a longtime fan of soccer who said he felt compelled to make the investment after meeting Driver, who will run the soccer side of the business. The team will play at the stadium being developed by MLS's Philadelphia franchise in Chester, Pennsylvania. Halstead said he anticipates a broad partnership between Philadelphia's MLS and WPS clubs in which the teams work together and collaborate on ticket and sponsorship sales. Halstead: "Philadelphia has a great tradition with sport and embraces its passion in sports. If a team embraces the city and gets involved in the city and has lots of fan-first programs, the city will reciprocate by buying tickets" (Tripp Mickle, SportsBusiness Journal). In Philadelphia, Marc Narducci notes WPS is "hoping to expand from seven to 10 franchises for the 2010 season," and Atlanta is "one of the leading contenders to receive a franchise." But "until the expansion plans are firm, the allocation of players for the Philadelphia franchise won't be finalized." The Philadelphia franchise "has yet to choose a name for the team but hopes to within the next few months" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 3/17).
SURVEY SAYS: An independent study of MLS's expansion to Philadelphia by Wharton Sports Business Initiative determined the market has the right mix to succeed. A survey of 500 area sports fans determined that 59% of Philadelphia area residents consider themselves soccer fans and 26% identify themselves as avid soccer fans. Soccer and general sports fans indicated a willingness to pay more than $30-35 a ticket for an MLS game. Some 23% of those surveyed said they had been to an MLS game before even though the closest market is 100 miles away in DC (Mickle).
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