The Galaxy have a beautiful, state-of-the-art stadium, average AT LEAST 20,000 fans per game, and actually make a profit every single year. They even have a PAID tv contract! Why? Why are the Los Angeles Galaxy so successful right now? Is it because of the stadium? The players on their team? Marketing? An exceptionally loyal fan base? What is it that makes this franchise so incredibly successful? I'm asking because if we can figure this out, maybe we can apply it to the other franchises to make them as successful as the Galaxy. DC are close, but beyond that, the other MLS markets really don't compare, in all due respect. Any suggestions/comments?
Why are Metro Stars are so successful in turning away their fans?. Could be because their successful GM.
The Metros are so sucessful in turning away their fans because the team sucks. The Galaxy and D.C. have been the most sucessful because those teams have won. If the Metros had even 2 championships by now they would be just as, if not more sucessful than the Galaxy and D.C.
Yes. But seriously, they are successful because: - they are historically the best franchise in MLS' short history (yes, DC has won 4 cups, but I think overall record, LA has the best all time). - Landon Donovan - They play in for all intents and purposes our Wembley - LA has alot of latino futbol fans - they have amazing marketing - the voice of the galaxy is the 2nd best soccer announcer in the USA (sorry Max, JP is better than you)
That's true, there has been no sustained sucking, so that MAY help. Um, what? We've had him for less than a month. Our attendance was just as big last year when we didn't have him It's a bad analogy. It's not like soccer fans here in LA weren't turning up to the Rose Bowl. Plus, none of the moderate fans get all hot about going to the HDC. "OH IT'S BRILLIANT!" But it is a well located, perfectly sized stadium. That's true, but they only make up a percentage of fans slightly more than equal to their percentage in the population. That's a joke, right? We don't have ANY marketing. Chivas USA takes out a full page ad in La Opinion (LA's largest spanish newspaper). We'd be lucky to see a Galaxy flag at our stadium. I would add two things. 1) The HDC is great, and it certainly makes casual fans want to come back. However, I strongly believe it will be the same for Chicago and Dallas next year. Plus you have around 8 million people that are totally used to driving an hour for things 2) Weather. You are never gonna have a Columbus style opening week, and we love being outside.
Throw enough money at a team, and they will be succseful. If every team had a player bought for $6 million, and a stadium, then we wouldn't be having this conversation. I know, I am sounding bitter here, and the Luis Hernandez thing is not the rule. Yet it does present evidence on importance of specific markets. the main reason they are succseful is their sucsess on the feild. People like to see teams that win. Another reason is their media exposure. Being in a large market Espn wants those games televised as opposed to say... Denver. If people see teams playing on tv, atleast they know they exist.
https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=189678 https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=189272 https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=187624 None of these are anaylsis of news either, your point? This forum is called MLS: News AND Analysis, not Analysis OF news. Since a mod hasn't come in here and closed down this thread, you're wrong and I'm right. Simple as that.
3 main reasons : 1. has own great stadium 2. has some hyspanic players 3. has million of hyspanic living in CA
thats what it is. In the rest of the country their was a downtime for soccer between November and April, but in L.A. we had 6 or 7 international friendlies, Nike street soccer championships, and more youth players playing than anywhere else. LA is a soccer town. As for the HDC, if you havent been, ask any away fan what they think. It's an amazing place. You feel like you're really seeing a professional event there and you want to go back. I've been to games in San Jose and Colorado, and even though it's the same MLS, you feel like you're watching something amateur. I havent been to Crew Stadium, but I imagine there is a professional feel there too.
That's a good point about the need for each MLS team to eventually have its own SSS. Once San Jose, Colorado and all the rest of the MLS teams that don't already have one get their new SSS', there'll be a much more uniform professional look and feel to the league as a whole (not to mention that the host teams will collect all of the stadium revenues). -G
In my opinion, like DC United and possibly Chicago. They have become attractive to the ethnic fans in their locality, they sign quality foreigners and are good on the field. Teams like KC and SJ lack the first two, although they have a good playing record. In regard to KC and SJ, signing foreigners who developed their game in US colleges is not a quality foreign signing. They do not bring anything new to the MLS game.
They play in the best soccer stadium in the USA. They are owned by a great company AEG. And California is a soccer hotbed.
I am pretty sure once Firehouse is built, the Fire will be just as successful. I don't understand why seating remains at 20k, should be closer to 25k, but money might be a reason. DC United is just waiting for a sss, once that happens they will most definitley rival the Galaxy on the business side, the team is the only good and successful team in DC. Colorado and Dallas have the capacity to be huge, although Dallas has more doubt hanging around them. But if Dallas can keep Ruiz, I am pretty sure they will start to sellout a few games.
Those of you just pointing to the HDC as a reason, should look up the first 6 years of major league soccer. We averaged 20k since the beginning. I think the reasons are simply that we have built a tradition of being a top team. We've had good players from the start, and we expect to win at home every single time. That brings the fans out. One thing in particular the Galaxy have always done well, is earn the loyalty of the non-mexican latino fan in LA. Over the years we've been VERY well supported by El Salvadorians and Guatamalians, for example. Mike
By successful I’ll take it you mean how they manage to lead the league in attendance and are able to charge such high prices for tickets. The stadium and the good weather helps, but on the other hand, LA is not a very good sports town, and the good weather means that there are lots of other things you can do outdoors. I really think it comes down to AEG’s ability to “sell” the team. I take the opposite side of most posters here in that I think AEG generally does a good job. Here is how I see the market break down. Corporate Seats/Luxury Boxes Shorthand for the people who buy the $80/game season tickets. OK, they don’t always show up, and when they do, they sit in the restaurant; but they also pay a lot of money. People can’t complain that the salary cap is too low and at the same time complain that the teams are too focused on generating revenue. My sense is that AEG/Hamilton are very good at selling these kinds of seats. Soccer moms and their spawn The seats are not as expensive, but they are reliable and undemanding customers. You need each of them to show up to one game a year and this will give you another steady component to your customer base. Again, the Galaxy is successful in marketing to this group and provides various activities before the game and at halftime. They are also developing a youth supporters group – no idea if it has been effective. “Ethnic” supporters God knows the Galaxy is trying for these groups. The effort to attract Mexican fans has been less successful; however, the ties to the Central American community have proved valuable both on and off the field. Hardcore soccer fans. Here the Galaxy has not been as successful as DC or Chicago, at least in terms of supporters groups. I’m guessing that the Riot Squad accounts for maybe 50 season tickets and the Galaxians the same. How many season ticket (equivalents) do the Galaxy sell? 10,000? 15,000? I don’t know, but the supporters groups are a pretty small component. On the other hand, they add a lot to the atmosphere and there are probably opportunities to do better here. Not sure what to do though.
I half agree that the Galaxy doesn’t do any marketing. They certainly don’t market to the casual fan, but I think that is the right decision. LA is an expensive media market and you are not going to convince enough casual fans to go to justify the advertising expenses. My guess is they market pretty heavily to the corporate and youth soccer markets, but since I’m not part of either, I couldn’t say. My biggest complaint about the Galaxy is that they are not building brand identity. I’m not a big fan of the uniforms, but the green slash on a gold background is simple and distinctive enough that it should figure more prominently in their advertising.
MutinyFan, I'll take San Jose's quality of play over most of the rest of the league any day. Of the 12 teams in MLS, there are only four or five I would pay to see: San Jose, NY/NJ, Los Angeles, DCU, and maybe Chicago. Why? because they're the only teams in the leage that play exciting, attacking soccer; instead of kickball, like KC and Columbus.
Not true in my case. Tolls + parking + ticket +traffic = me watching from home. And I love MLS. Alas I am poor.
I think its pretty simple actually. Great stadium and good team. If you go back and look at early attendance LA and the Metrostars were very much alike. What made the 2 franchises eventually go in opposite directions is the fact that LA always has a good team while NY always has a bad team. Then add that LA now has the best stadium situation in MLS and NY has the worst. I think the reasons are pretty obvious.
You're both right. The cheapest tickets the Galaxy have are $20. I think the Galaxy's record of on-field success (they have the best cumulative record in the league) and best stadium in the league so far indicate that $20 is the most MLS can get away with charging for the 'cheap seats' and still sell them well. Too bad Metro charge $26 for their least expensive seats, their stadium is a cavern, and the team usually sucks.
Well, I've been a fan since inception of the galaxy and being born and raised in LA I can say this... IMO, everyone's replies so far make alot of sense and share many of the reasons why LA is so successful with soccer.(no matter what team it is). But you all have forgotten one thing, many years ago we lost the Rams to St. Louis. Then a couple years later we lost(im beginning to cry) the greatest NFL team of all time "The Raiders". This inexplicable event has also played a major role in fans of soccer in this city. I know many people who began to follow the Galaxy after that.