The American Market

[TottenhamLegend]

NBC Sports are currently running a poll on their website asking Americans which PL club they will be supporting this year.

The top 4 are currently:

1. Spurs (21%)
2. Arsenal (12%)
3. Man Utd (11%)
4. Liverpool (9%)

I'm sure that if this poll was done 10 years ago, we wouldn't be anywhere near the top 4, let alone top.

So why the rise?

- Is it the Dempsey effect? After all, he is their greatest ever footballer (not my words). Him, along with Freidel, and to a lesser extent Kasey Keller back in the day, may have contributed to this.

- Is it Bale? It's the first time in the modern, international era, that we've had a worldwide superstar in our team.

- The club's official supporters' clubs. The club have made a massive attempt to introduce "official" Supporters' Clubs all over the world, but particularly in America. Is this helping to spread the word.

Any Americans on here who would be able to give a more informed opinion on how and why we've become so big Stateside?

 

[atlSPURSfan]

A few things, coming from my experiences in Atlanta

• That poll was posted on Spurs FB page, so that might have given us a nice bump. Regardless, I do think we are near the top.
• Dempsey only played here for one year, and there were a few new fans but it wasn't overly significant. He's also not the best American as it's widely believed Donovan has had a much more successful career for the US team.
• Spurs play an attractive, attacking style and aren't one of the big four. You get a sense that they are, in a way, very American with how Levy operates in the transfer market.
• My goal with the Atlanta Supporters Club is to "unite and grow". It's been amazing that in just a few months, we already have over 100 members. How everyone became a fan is varied, from some expats who grew up in North London to new guys who started following the club because of Clint. I routinely run into someone around the city who are Spurs fans.

I think the biggest thing is that the sport is growing in the states as it becomes more and more convenient to watch the games. When I first got into the sport by following Spurs 4-5 years ago, I used to have to watch illegal streams. Now, we have a better broadcast environment than England with every game being shown live on either TV or the internet.
Part of me wishes that with the increased exposure, we could have one more year of Clint Dempsey and Gareth Bale as our ambassadors, but now, I'll settle for just one of them.

 

[HappySpur]

NBC Sports are currently running a poll on their website asking Americans which PL club they will be supporting this year.

The top 4 are currently:

1. Spurs (21%)
2. Arsenal (12%)
3. Man Utd (11%)
4. Liverpool (9%)

I'm sure that if this poll was done 10 years ago, we wouldn't be anywhere near the top 4, let alone top.

So why the rise?

- Is it the Dempsey effect? After all, he is their greatest ever footballer (not my words). Him, along with Freidel, and to a lesser extent Kasey Keller back in the day, may have contributed to this.

- Is it Bale? It's the first time in the modern, international era, that we've had a worldwide superstar in our team.

- The club's official supporters' clubs. The club have made a massive attempt to introduce "official" Supporters' Clubs all over the world, but particularly in America. Is this helping to spread the word.

Any Americans on here who would be able to give a more informed opinion on how and why we've become so big Stateside?

We aren't that big yet. We are basically 6th, where you would expect us. And that's only English clubs. Add in Germany, Spanish and Italian clubs and we probably fall a few spots. Add in Mexican and South America, we probably lose a few more slots. Not sure how that number changes with the MLS


But overall, in the US we are doing well considering we've had one CL campaign and two trophies since the EPL started to make inroads here, but most Americans tend to follow the hot team when they get interested. The old big four dominated for ages and then City came in and won those people coming in over the past few years. These people can't recall that City was 2nd division recently, that's how new they are to the game

Our success has come by just doing better since the Jol era. I remember a time when I didn't know another Spurs supporter here. I do think NBC using us as their poster child for their new TV contract will do a lot though.

 

[E.L.Strict]

I think that another advantage we have is that our name is in pretty much in the same format as most American teams. Place name followed by nickname. The Tottenham Spurs. Perhaps that makes us easier to remember, maybe even more likeable, to people in the USA.

 

[AmericanSpur]

• That poll was posted on Spurs FB page, so that might have given us a nice bump. Regardless, I do think we are near the top..

I think it is this 100 times over. Dempsey is Dempsey but until recently most USMNT fans disliked him as they thought he was lethargic in games. Most US fans I know do not receive their footy news from the NBC Sports website. Many go to European sites, Fox Soccer, or ESPN Soccernet. Unless someone told me about the poll, I wouldn't have known it existed. Having accessed it though, their content seems pretty decent so I'll probably check back there for football news.

 

[chinaman]

Maybe because of an affinity to the name of a very good basketball team: the San Antonio Spurs.

 

[Misfit]

 

[camaj]

NBC Sports are currently running a poll on their website asking Americans which PL club they will be supporting this year.

That's not true. They're doing a game thing for people to pick a side, nothing to do with who anyone will actually support. I've done it a few times and I got Villa and Everton, never Spurs. I'm not going to support Villa on the basis of their game and I'm sure most people aren't going to support Spurs for the same reason

 

[atlSPURSfan]

That's not true. They're doing a game thing for people to pick a side, nothing to do with who anyone will actually support. I've done it a few times and I got Villa and Everton, never Spurs. I'm not going to support Villa on the basis of their game and I'm sure most people aren't going to support Spurs for the same reason

They ask you before you do the survey if you already have a team.

 

[camaj]

They ask you before you do the survey if you already have a team.

True but a lot of these "picks" are what the computer picked, so it's not really reliable. Still I'm sure we'll get a lot of new supporters this season, especially if Bale stays

 

[InOffMeLeftShin]

I will be adding to this in a few months. Hoping to find more Spurs fan over in the US than I've found in China.

 

[NYSpur]

Not sure why we are leading the poll, but as an American, I would be shocked if us being number one is representative of true opinions. We are way behind Man U, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea in terms of name recognition. Man City gets the new money hot team vote. We are probably grouped with Everton, but we have been trending up due to style of play, Dempsey and Bale.

 

[coyspurs18]

I'm entering my 3rd year as a full fledged Spurs fan. I've followed the EPL for well over 10 years now but had never claimed a team. I'm from Baltimore, Maryland and have grown up despising teams that buy their way to Championships. So for me, it was about supporting a club that does things the right way but was still competitive. Watching Spurs battle for CL and finish Top 4 my firs season as a true supporter was elating, watching Chelsea crush that dream gutted me. It was at this moment I was hooked. This is my first year truly following the Silly Season and I must say it is unlike any transfer period for sports here in the states. I find myself spending more time on this forum than should be allowed. The next step for me is attempting to start a supporter's club in Annapolis where I live.

As for why other Americans may have turned to Spurs, while Dempsey did help, I honestly think Under Armour was a huge influence. They are one of the hottest brands around in the states right now and are extremely popular across all ages and genders. Having Tottenham UA gear has become trendy...

EDIT: Friedel has also done several camps in the states this year. The son of a very close friend of mine attended one of these camps and said BF was "amazing". He spent time with all of the campers, signing autographs and posing for pictures. Needless to say he and several others are now Spurs supporters.

 

[HappySpur]

I think that another advantage we have is that our name is in pretty much in the same format as most American teams. Place name followed by nickname. The Tottenham Spurs. Perhaps that makes us easier to remember, maybe even more likeable, to people in the USA.

Maybe because of an affinity to the name of a very good basketball team: the San Antonio Spurs.

You guys sure you want to stick with those? We're not 12 years old. There are a few of us here that predate Deuce, and if you think that's the reason any of us stalwarts were attracted to the club then we've done a much worse job than I thought trying to break down the way you guys view American supporters.

This kind of makes me sad.

 

[txspurs]

We like our underdogs here in the States! Happy don't hate on SA Spurs


edit: Also big big thumbs up to the guys and gals that run our supporters groups here in the States. LA Spurs were massive when the club were here last year. The gang in the Baltimore area and UA put together some great events. NY Spurs were fantastic to meet and great for the game VS Red Bulls. A lot of official supporter clubs emerged after that summer. I think the club and the players didn't know what hit them and ofc adding Captain America (even for just one year) totally helped.

 

[HobokenSpur]

Been in the states 20 years, spurs fan for 40. I am so chuffed that the moment the premiership goes primetime in the states - free over air not cable, we have the most photogenic , exciting player in the premiership. You could not get a better face for us than Bale and he's exactly what America looks for in a hero. IMHO he will create a generation of spurs fans in the US and with that shirt sales, merchandizing, etc, ESP with under armour making our kit we will have a strong revenue stream for years to come. Times Square is awesome with him up there - and we're starting to see more and more spurs shirts on the subway, light rail, buses, etc - the future is bright, the future is lillywhite.

 

[SpursSince1980]

Bill Simmons... played a part in our national recognition in the U S when he adopted us as his team five years ago. That, combined with Dempsey, Bale and the NBC promoting the shit out of us is all helping. Also... many a Yank like me love to root for the lovable underdog. case in point; Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox. They still love the big market teams too... but have a soft spot for teams like ours. I started following Spurs in 1981, when my fan moved to London from New York... I fell in love with them, cos they weren't big as Ute or Pool or Arse at the time.

 

[SandroClegane]

Bill Simmons... played a part in our national recognition in the U S when he adopted us as his team five years ago. That, combined with Dempsey, Bale and the NBC promoting the shit out of us is all helping. Also... many a Yank like me love to root for the lovable underdog. case in point; Chicago Cubs and the Boston Red Sox. They still love the big market teams too... but have a soft spot for teams like ours. I started following Spurs in 1981, when my fan moved to London from New York... I fell in love with them, cos they weren't big as Ute or Pool or Arse at the time.

No he didn't. Simmons didn't have a big enough audience at that time, that article was from like 2006 when he wasn't as big as he is now.

Personally, I picked Spurs after watching every team over a full EPL season, and didn't want to support the same team as my friends (Chelsea, Arsenal, Man U were out) and I liked watching Spurs play the most. It helped that it was when we started to finish top 5, top 4. The first game I watched as a Spurs fan was the Man City game where Crouch put us into Champs League.

The national recognition in the US started with Champions League, and then Dempsey really helped this year. I know when Spurs weren't on I watched Fulham to see how Dempsey did and Everton to see how Howard did, and I know a lot of US fans did the same. Dempsey being on Spurs really played a role.

I think with the new TV contract, if we hold onto Bale and make a serious run this year we will become a trendy pick for new US fans. Living in New York I have seen all the Spurs related stuff and it has been awesome. I hope we capitalize.

COYS

 

[HappySpur]

No he didn't. Simmons didn't have a big enough audience at that time, that article was from like 2006 when he wasn't as big as he is now.

Personally, I picked Spurs after watching every team over a full EPL season, and didn't want to support the same team as my friends (Chelsea, Arsenal, Man U were out) and I liked watching Spurs play the most. It helped that it was when we started to finish top 5, top 4. The first game I watched as a Spurs fan was the Man City game where Crouch put us into Champs League.

The national recognition in the US started with Champions League, and then Dempsey really helped this year. I know when Spurs weren't on I watched Fulham to see how Dempsey did and Everton to see how Howard did, and I know a lot of US fans did the same. Dempsey being on Spurs really played a role.

I think with the new TV contract, if we hold onto Bale and make a serious run this year we will become a trendy pick for new US fans. Living in New York I have seen all the Spurs related stuff and it has been awesome. I hope we capitalize.

COYS

Also Simmons changed his tune well before his podcast took off. Had he really been smitten with us, that could have been a boon once that thing went red hot. But c'est la vie.

 

[HappySpur]

We like our underdogs here in the States! Happy don't hate on SA Spurs

I wasn't making light of your team. You shouldn't be able to read that in my message in any way, shape or form.

I will be adding to this in a few months. Hoping to find more Spurs fan over in the US than I've found in China.

Where IOMLS? This is a big pick up for us. As big as the Louisiana Purchase? No....but Guam.....Yes.