The Brazilian national soccer team will play Mexico
this evening at Miami's Orange Bowl, and the N.Y. TIMES'
Richard Sandomir writes "this 'friendly' match with no
consequences matters primarily to Nike, which is staging the
game as a crucial element of its 10-year, $200 million
sponsorship of the Brazilian team through 2006." Nike will
produce five exhibitions annually starring the Brazilian
team called, "The Brasil World Tour presented by Nike Sports
Entertainment." Nike aims to make good on its $20M annual
fee through gate receipts, TV rights and sponsorships.
Sandomir: "But the big payoff -- and there is one -- would
come from spreading the well-spread Nike gospel into still
more retail outlets internationally." Nike Dir of PR Jim
Small: "Soccer is the No. 1 priority in this company."
Sportstyle Editor Michael Jacobsen calls the approach "by
far the most obvious example of Nike buying its way into a
market. It's the equivalent of the Nike sponsoring the
[NFL]." Asked by Sandomir if the arranged exhibitions could
be seen as "contrived," Small says, "It would be contrived
if the matches were not authentic, or the rules were changed
in some way." Tonight's game will be seen on ESPN2 in the
U.S., and Nike made international deals with Brazilian and
Mexican TV and other global carriers.
HEADS UP? Sandomir reports that soccer currently
accounts for 1% of Nike's footwear sales, and companies like
adidas, Umbro, Puma, Lanzera, Reebok, Diadora and Mitre are
"ahead of Nike in soccer merchandising and prestige." But
Brazil "was central to Nike's soccer-happy corporate
strategy. To Nike, the Brazilian team is, well, the Nike of
soccer: the dominant brand" (N.Y. TIMES, 4/30).
CORNER KICK: Nike has devoted its Web site at
www.nike.com to the soccer match with the tagline, "What's
it like to eat, drink and breathe ... Futebol" (THE DAILY).
