Coined as the Hudson River Derby, the rivalry between the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC has quickly become one of MLS’s most heated matchups. For the Red Bulls’ front office, it also makes for one of its busiest days of the season. SportsBusiness Journal staff writer Ian Thomas followed along with Red Bulls executives late last month to see how they prepared for NYCFC’s lone visit to Red Bull Arena this season and a Sunday afternoon tilt. It’s a matchup between one of MLS’s inaugural franchises (the Red Bulls) and a 2015 expansion club (NYCFC).
— Photos by Ian Thomas
10 a.m.
About three hours prior to kickoff, Red Bulls executives Joe Stetson (vice president, marketing and communications), Marc de Grandpre (general manager), Amy Scheer (chief commercial officer) and Shaun Oliver (vice president, operations) gather to discuss the day’s events.
10:30 a.m.
Spotting a pair of apparently lost tickets on the ground, de Grandpre makes a call to the box office to reach out to the seat holder.
10:35 a.m.
Back in the stadium roughly 30 minutes before the gates open, de Grandpre begins his rounds inside the venue, making sure all stands are ready to accommodate the incoming sellout crowd of more than 25,000 fans.
10:45 a.m.
De Grandpre stops to speak with Joe Di Cocco, director of security and guest services, about the preparation for both the large crowd and the more than 500 NYCFC supporter group fans who are slated to attend the match, prompting the Red Bulls to bring on additional security staffers.
10:50 a.m.
De Grandpre checks in on one of the various stadium merchandise shops to ensure that all products are well-stocked for purchase by the incoming fans. (By the end of the day, sales will have been such that they brought the team 25 percent more in revenue than comes from a typical regular-season match.)
11 a.m.
In the stadium’s control room, Paul Hawkins, senior director of multimedia and broadcasting, meets with his staff, breaking down what is scheduled for the stadium’s various media boards as well as the impact of the on-site Fox broadcast.
12:30 p.m.
Following warm-ups, the team’s senior director of communications, Jason Baum, prepares striker Bradley Wright-Phillips for a live interview with the on-site Fox broadcast team.
12:45 p.m.
Scheer greets Audi executives in their midfield suite. The company, which became a club sponsor in October 2015, is presenting sponsor of the match and has sent a large contingent of executives.
12:55 p.m.
Moments before kickoff, de Grandpre joins Michael Newman (vice president, business affairs at ESPN) and Oliver Mintzlaff (Red Bull head of global soccer) along with other club executives in a box to take in the match — a game that ultimately concludes as a 4-1 win for the Red Bulls.
