Phil Anschutz's five Major League Soccer teams will benefit in 2002 from marketing tie-ins with the telecommunications billionaire's other businesses, which include movie theaters nationwide and Los Angeles area sports properties.
Anschutz Entertainment Group executives said the teams are discussing promotions that could put them in front of movie-goers at hundreds of movie theaters and hockey fans at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the coming season.
AEG's Regal Entertainment Group is a consortium of Regal Cinemas, United Artists Theatre and Edwards Theatres, and controls nearly 6,000 screens in 561 theaters in the United States. Anschutz is the principal owner of Staples and the NHL Los Angeles Kings.
"Our five teams are working closely with United Artists," said Kevin Payne, managing director of soccer for AEG. The promotion "could end up being a trailer, could be signage in the lobbies or cross-promotion of tickets."
The company's Los Angeles Galaxy also is hoping to use AEG's clout to offer advance screenings of films to ticket buyers.
"We want to reward our customers," said Doug Hamilton, vice president and general manager of the team.
For the first time, the Galaxy and Kings will market tickets together. Fans will be able to buy a package of four Galaxy games and four Kings games at a discount. Both teams will promote the pact on their Web sites and in radio and print ads.
"It helps specifically here because AEG is an established name in the Southern California market," Hamilton said. "It opens doors before we go in and pitch deals."
In 2003, the Galaxy will be one of only two MLS teams playing in soccer-specific stadiums. AEG is spending its own money — about $125 million — to build a soccer/tennis complex in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson that includes a 27,000-seat soccer arena.
Once it's built, the Galaxy will control its own scheduling, which should mean bigger crowds. That, in turn, should attract more sponsors and media coverage.
"[The Galaxy] go from losing money [on its present deal with the Rose Bowl] to break-even the day they start," said AEG President Tim Leiweke, referring to the rent the Galaxy must pay the Rose Bowl and the limited revenue opportunities there.
It remains to be seen whether AEG can convert the size and breadth of its MLS holdings into an attractive entity for marketers and networks. Moneymakers such as one all-encompassing television and radio deal are probably years away.
"It could work in the future," Payne said. "AEG has a very good relationship with Fox. But we can't go to them now and say, 'Broadcast our five teams nationally.'"
But no one said they expected to see the teams become a marketing juggernaut.
