FIFA a No-Show at Licensing Expo, but Brazil and Soccer Teams Are There
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Despite FIFA’s highest viewership of all time going on as I type and a global audience that simply can’t get enough of World Cup play, the one place FIFA is nowhere to be seen this summer is International Licensing Expo, which began Tuesday in Las Vegas.
Well, that’s not entirely true. FIFA is still present, just on mobile screens in the hands of exhibitors (especially those representing Brazilian brands). Granted, FIFA has a lot on its plate now, dealing with whispers of controversy, not to mention the World Cup. But FIFA was a no-show in 2013 as well, and its absence again this year is equally as curious, especially with early reports boasting a significant increase in licensing sales in comparison to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
The licensing show is still providing a healthy dose of Brazil and soccer, however, just not together. Arsenal Football Club is making its debut as an exhibitor, alongside the Tottenham Hotspurs, which is here for its second year. Unlike American sports leagues, such as the NBA or NFL, each team within the English Premier League — the world’s most popular soccer league — controls its own licensing program. And both Arsenal and Tottenham have decided that expanding their international licensing is essential for broadening global awareness of their brands, especially as popularity for their teams continues to grow outside of Europe. It’s licensing as a way to capitalize on brand awareness, but also to extend that awareness in turn.
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