Does ESPN Under-Appreciate Soccer? 

Nihal Kattar (@BigTimeBrownie)

Disclaimer: I wrote this blogpost before the 2014 World Cup. This post provides an analysis of  the first in the series of ESPN's World Cup commercials. While I do Believe that the commercials improved and ESPN did a good job of covering the World Cup, a lot of what I say is still applicable when it comes to Soccer (especially MLS). Also, be sure to see the very interesting pictures on the bottom of the page, enjoy!

This is a link to the the commercial I refer to throughout the post: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHrf5EBVlDs      

            Soccer is the world’s most popular sport but sadly has not reached such popularity in the United States. The beautiful game is quickly expanding in this country, and one of the most effective avenues for this expansion is television exposure. The main medium to watch (International) soccer is ESPN. The 2014 World Cup will be held in Brazil this coming summer, and ESPN/ABC own the broadcasting rights for the most popular sporting event on the planet. To promote the coverage, ESPN released their first World Cup commercial during the Rose Bowl,[1] simultaneously releasing an extended version (I will be focusing on this particular version) via their YouTube channel. With this advertisement, ESPN has the opportunity to expand the popularity of soccer and convince people unfamiliar with the sport to watch the World Cup. Although the commercial captures the essence of the Brazilian footballing communitas (communitas is a word coined by Victor Turner that refers to the social communities we find ourselves living in), it ultimately fails to do so in that they cater to the avid soccer fan as opposed to a general spectator by only showing images that those in the greater soccer “communitas” will be able to comprehend.

            There is no denying that soccer is not as popular as it could be in the USA, but it is impossible to overlook the fact that its popularity is growing very, very quickly. It is the world’s most popular sport, and there is a reason for it. Many people scoff at the idea that soccer is growing in the country, and tend to resist. To those I say, the proof is there, all you need to do is to open your eyes. A recent poll conducted by ESPN showed that Major League Soccer (MLS) has just as many avid fans as Major League Baseball (MLB) between the ages of 12-17 in the United States.[2] It is also important to note that MLS has 10% more fans than the National Hockey League.[3] This poll doesn’t include the many Americans who are avidly interested in other soccer leagues around the world. In another poll conducted by ESPN, it was concluded that soccer is the second most popular sport in the United States in terms of viewership. [4] The rapid growth of soccer can be attributed to increased exposure to the sport by channels such as ESPN and BeIN Sports, and also to the popularity of the FIFA Soccer video game franchise, the most popular sports video game on the planet and, surprisingly to some people, in the United States (in fact, FIFA was a big part of what got me interested in soccer).[5]

            With the addition to the growth in popularity, NBC picked up the rights (for $250 million) for the Barclays (English) Premier League (BPL), arguably the best and most popular domestic league in the world, beating out the likes of ESPN/ABC and Fox (both previous joint holders of the rights).[6] This was a groundbreaking deal, in that it has created an easily accessible means of watching BPL soccer through their online NBCSports Live-Extra, which allows anyone with cable to watch all Premier League matches. This type of accessibility, however, is not yet available for MLS, America’s first-tier league. A few months ago, Fox Sports and ESPN (together) landed the rights to MLS matches for $70 million.[7] Fox Sports currently owns the rights to the UEFA Champions League, a competition that pits all the best clubs in Europe (UEFA is the European soccer federation) against each other. It is among the most popular competitions in the world, yet almost impossible to view without paying for a premium package.

The point of sharing this is to illustrate that ESPN is not doing much to expand the game. Their flagship show, Sportscenter, contains next to nothing when it comes to soccer, and when they do show soccer on Sportscenter, the sportscasters mock the British commentators by using a fake cockney accent. Their main soccer show, ESPN FC, never has a set time and can almost never be found. For a network that is attempting to be a worldwide leader, they are failing. The significance of their failure is that they possess a wonderful opportunity to bolster the popularity of soccer, but seem to be doing what they can to prevent it.

There are many theories as to why ESPN does not fancy soccer. The main hypothesis that almost everyone points to is that soccer does not lend itself to commercial opportunities. Soccer has two 45-minute halves with no opportunities for commercial breaks. The only time commercials are shown is during the 15-minute halftime. This theory states that because there are so few commercial opportunities, television networks, including ESPN, do not want to buy the rights to various soccer leagues. Television is commercially driven, so this theory seems viable.[8] Although this theory does seem valid, it is simply untrue. We know this because NBC and Fox Sports have recently bought the rights to the Barclays Premier League and Major League Soccer respectively.

            So then, what is the reason that ESPN doesn’t like soccer? The game is so obviously growing and the research that shows this was conducted by ESPN, it seems like a perfect investment for ESPN. The theory that I subscribe to is that many of the executives, anchors, and leaders at ESPN simply don’t like soccer.[9] The higher-ups at ESPN are (there’s no nice way to say this) old. When they were in their prime, soccer was nothing in the United States. Soccer was, and still is to an extent today, considered a “girly” sport. I have heard soccer players being referred to as field fairies and consistently called gay.[10] There is also the sentiment that soccer is boring shared by many people who have never actually watched the sport. These people are a product of our former society, and they are too stubborn to enter the new era of sports. Our interests are ever changing, and soccer fits that description.

This brings me to the main topic of my essay: the commercial. The commercial is really a beautiful one. It contains images of all of soccer’s greatest World Cup moments accompanied by the commentary correlating with a given clip, from Pele’s immortal celebration, to Zinedine Zidane’s goal at the 1998 World Cup Final, to the legendary Cruyff Turn, to Andres Iniesta netting the overtime winner at the 2010 World Cup Final, and finally to Landon Donovan’s last-second goal celebration after propelling the USA to the top of their group at the 2010 World Cup. Most of these moments are forever ingrained in the hearts of lovers of the sport, but have no meaning to the general masses.

Soccer lovers like myself, as opposed to those in the general public, are not just individually attached to the sport, but also have a shared love and fandom for the beautiful game that connects us all. Victor Tuner theorized this connection in his work on “communitas”.[11] Communitas refers to the social communities that we all find ourselves living in.[12] Turner goes on to split communitas into three subcategories: spontaneous communitas, normative communitas, and ideological communitas.[13]

The main communitas at work here is the spontaneous communitas. A spontaneous communitas is the experience of togetherness.[14] We recognize communitas by seeing the connection felt by the people within a given communitas transcends community. Those in a community must interact with each other, the beauty of communitas and more specifically the soccer communitas is that I can be connected to someone across the world simply due to our shared love for the game. There are two types of spontaneous communitas that are showcased in this video, the first being the avid soccer fan communitas and the second being the communitas of Brazilian peoples. The former is whom the commercial is really geared towards, while the latter is the communitas on display in the actual commercial. As I stated in the opening, this commercial really targets the avid soccer fan.

The pieces of history involved in the commercial are generally thought as some of the best and most compelling moments in World Cup history. I am a soccer fanatic, and because of this, this commercial has a lasting impact. I showed the commercial to ten of my friends (five men and five women) that were not to keen on watching the World Cup, and gauged their reactions. For the most part, they thought the commercial was “nice,” but still didn’t convince them to watch the World Cup. The only player that any of them recognized was Cristiano Ronaldo, the sublime left-winger from Portugal and Real Madrid. Of course this is not an enormous sample size, but even based on some of the comments on ESPN’s post on Facebook indicated that the commercial had no lasting effects on non-soccer fans. Many also commented how boring the commercial was. If you go to the ESPN FC Facebook page, however, there is a repost of the commercial. Anyone who “likes” the ESPN FC page is almost guaranteed to be a soccer fan. Because these were all soccer fans, the comments on the ESPN FC repost conveyed anticipation more than anything else.

The comments on Facebook and YouTube and the interview of my friends show the disparity of the effect of the commercial on those who enjoy soccer, and those who do not. For Soccer to become an impact sport in this country, it is important to go beyond the perception of the sport being a game that only children play.[15] Soccer in America has its own communitas, one that I am a part of.[16] We are generally seen as outsiders and as people who like an unpopular sport. We are caught between the battles of our fellow compatriots who do not enjoy soccer[17] bashing it, and those in Europe who are incessant with their disparaging words against US Soccer. There is a real solidarity that comes with this felling of “outsiderness.” As I stated earlier, many people in the United States still feel that soccer is boring or gay, so we constantly find ourselves justifying our love for soccer to those people. It is almost shameful to love the game. On the other hand, Europeans tend to make fun of us for calling the sport soccer (even though soccer is a British word and seven other countries refer to it as soccer) and also tend to discredit U.S. Soccer and MLS as shit (even though MLS is only 19 years old and the U.S. is the only team outside of Europe and South America to finish 3^rd or higher in a World Cup).

The importance of all of this is that ESPN is failing to capitalize on the fact that this is the most watched sporting event in the world, 3.2 BILLION people tuned in to watch the 2010 World Cup Final, that’s almost half of the world’s population. The sport cannot be boring or unimportant if it has that many viewers. Soccer also trickles into politics, as can be seen with France in the 1998 World Cup, and the xenophobia that exists there.[18] There is that old cliché: “it’s more than a game,” in this case, soccer truly is more than a game.

The transcendence of soccer being more than just a game can really be seen in the second one of the communitas I alluded to, the communitas of the Brazilian people. The Brazilian Men’s National team has a storied history, winning five World Cups and having arguably the best soccer player to ever play the game: Pelé. ESPN stated that this commercial is their homage to the Brazilian footballing might,[19] and this is evidenced by the use of many Brazilian players including Pelé, Ronaldo (not Cristiano), and their current superstar Neymar. The advertisement even begins with a view of the storied Estádio do Maracanã, the site of the World Cup Final in 1950 (the last time Brazil hosted a World Cup), and the one set to be played on July 13th of this year. Once again, although these images have significance among the well-versed soccer fan, the goals, save one, may not seem all too exciting to those who do not watch the sport. It is important for a commercial, such as this, to show many highlights that will grab the general spectator’s attention, unfortunately this is lacking.

What is not lacking is the presence of the Brazilian communitas and spirit. The commercial opens with the aforementioned Maracanã, and then displays Brazilians singing the national anthem and Brazilian footballers walking out onto the field. This is immediately followed by Brazilian youths preforming soccer tricks in the Favela, on the beach, and on the streets. Between the shots of soccer history, there is a flurry of Brazilian flags, people doing various tricks, and children drumming in the street with their Ronaldinho jerseys and celebrating a goal with their friends. This is the truly beautiful part of the commercial, and is honestly, the main redeeming quality with regards to the general spectator. All of these pictures are real pictures taken during the 2013 Confederations Cup, an international competition that is thought of as the tune-up for the World Cup. The pictures portray a sense of belonging within the Brazilian communitas, and make you wish that you were there with them, dancing carelessly in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, celebrating another successful World Cup venture for the Brazilian National Team. 

The Brazilian footballing communitas is a part and the heart of the greater soccer communitas. They are the gold standard for soccer fans, but at the same time are part of the greater soccer communitas. Their passion, love, and skill are used to exemplify what it means to be an avid soccer fan. Many of the great moments in soccer history involve the Brazilian national team. The first place a European scout will look for the next biggest star is Brazil. It is my hope as part of the greater soccer communitas that the future of American soccer will reflect the Brazilian footballing communitas, for, as I said, this is the type of love every fan base should strive to achieve.

The music is a huge part of the commercial right as well. Throughout the commercial, the song “Festival” by Icelandic band Sigur Rós, “Festival” is a song that is very catchy and truly captures the magic of the World Cup, adding to this idea of communitas.[20] Music transcends language, and can convey information and evoke emotions that words cannot. The music, much like the pictures aforementioned, does its part in transporting the viewer to Brazil. As I stated before, the use of the Brazilian communitas is a wonderful way of appealing to a non-soccer fan, but does not do enough in terms of reeling in the general spectator who does not have the extensive knowledge that avid fans do.

Soccer is growing at an extremely fast rate in the United States, and ESPN has a chance to propagate that growth. Even Americans who don’t watch soccer tend to pay attention to the World Cup, or at least watch the final. Other Americans are greatly involved in the national team’s trials and tribulations. This is shown in that the United States is the country that has bought the most World Cup Tickets for 2014 with over 125,000.[21] Soccer in this country has always been a privilege to play, resulting in a lack of interest by those that are not well off.[22] As I just mentioned ESPN can change that with the World Cup, and starts with this commercial. In order to get people to watch the World Cup, ESPN must do better, and hopefully the next commercial in the series is an improvement. The future of Soccer in America is bright with ESPN at the center of the growth of soccer, and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the beautiful game.

Works Cited

“2.3 Million Tickets for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Already Allocated to Fans.” FIFA.com. Accessed February 27, 2014. http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organisation/ticketing/news/newsid=2281407/index.html.

“2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Spot Debuts during ESPN’s Rose Bowl Coverage Today.” ESPN Front Row. Accessed February 25, 2014. http://frontrow.espn.go.com/2014/01/2014-fifa-world-cup-brazil-spot-debuts-during-espns-rose-bowl-coverage-today/.

AJlllpLATINum. “WHY DO ESPN ANCHORS HATE SOCCER/FUTBOL/FOOTBALL SO MUCH?,” April 14, 2012. http://niketalk.com/t/336352/why-do-espn-anchors-hate-soccer-futbol-football-so-much.

Bell, Jack. “M.L.S. Set to Change Channels.” The New York Times, January 15, 2014. http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/16/sports/soccer/mls-set-to-change-channels.html.

Bennet, Roger. “MLS Equals MLB in Popularity with Kids.” MLS News, March 7, 2014. http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1740529/mls-catches-mlb-popularity-kids-says-espn-poll?cc=5901.

Blacking, John. Music, Culture, and Experience: Selected Papers of John Blacking. University of Chicago Press, 1995.

“By Roger Bennett.” ESPNFC. Accessed May 13, 2014. http://www.espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegationzone/id/262.

“By Roger Bennett.” ESPNFC. Accessed May 13, 2014. http://www.espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegationzone/id/291.

“ESPN to Debut First Campaign Spot for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil During Live Telecast of the 2014 Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.” ESPN MediaZone. Accessed February 25, 2014. http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2013/12/first-wc-2014-spot/.

French, Warren A., and J. Timothy McBrayer. “Managing Television Commercial Time.” Journal of Advertising 7, no. 4 (October 1, 1978): 17–23.

Goff, Steven. “English Premier League Gets a Big American Stage on NBC.” The Washington Post, August 17, 2013, sec. Sports. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/english-premier-league-gets-a-big-american-stage-on-nbc/2013/08/16/54b7e2da-06b9-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html.

“Poll: MLS Equals MLB in Popularity with Kids.” ESPNFC. Accessed May 13, 2014. http://www.espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1740529/mls-catches-mlb-popularity-kids-says-espn-poll.

“Soccer Officially Announces It Is Gay,” June 14, 2010. http://www.theonion.com/video/soccer-officially-announces-it-is-gay,17603/.

Tomlinson, Alan, and Christopher Young. National Identity and Global Sports Events: Culture, Politics, and Spectacle in the Olympics and the Football World Cup. SUNY Press, 2006.

Van Rheenen, Derek. “The Promise of Soccer in America: The Open Play of Ethnic Subcultures.” Soccer & Society 10, no. 6 (2009): 781–94. doi:10.1080/14660970903239974.

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[1] “ESPN to Debut First Campaign Spot for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil During Live Telecast of the 2014 Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day,” ESPN MediaZone, accessed February 25, 2014, http://espnmediazone.com/us/press-releases/2013/12/first-wc-2014-spot/.

[2] “Poll: MLS Equals MLB in Popularity with Kids,” ESPNFC, accessed May 13, 2014, http://www.espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1740529/mls-catches-mlb-popularity-kids-says-espn-poll.

[3] Roger Bennet, “MLS Equals MLB in Popularity with Kids,” MLS News, March 7, 2014, http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1740529/mls-catches-mlb-popularity-kids-says-espn-poll?cc=5901.

[4] “By Roger Bennett,” ESPNFC, accessed May 13, 2014, http://www.espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegationzone/id/262.

[5] “By Roger Bennett,” ESPNFC, accessed May 13, 2014, http://www.espnfc.com/blog/_/name/relegationzone/id/291.

[6] Steven Goff, “English Premier League Gets a Big American Stage on NBC,” The Washington Post, August 17, 2013, sec. Sports,

http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/dcunited/english-premier-league-gets-a-big-american-stage-on-nbc/2013/08/16/54b7e2da-06b9-11e3-bfc5-406b928603b2_story.html.

[7] Jack Bell, “M.L.S. Set to Change Channels,” The New York Times, January 15, 2014, http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/16/sports/soccer/mls-set-to-change-channels.html.

[8] Warren A. French and J. Timothy McBrayer, “Managing Television Commercial Time,” Journal of Advertising 7, no. 4 (October 1, 1978): 17–23.

[9] AJlllpLATINum, “WHY DO ESPN ANCHORS HATE SOCCER/FUTBOL/FOOTBALL SO MUCH?,” April 14, 2012, http://niketalk.com/t/336352/why-do-espn-anchors-hate-soccer-futbol-football-so-much.

[10] “Soccer Officially Announces It Is Gay,” June 14, 2010, http://www.theonion.com/video/soccer-officially-announces-it-is-gay,17603/. This satirical article by the Onion demonstrates the sentiments felt by many people.

[11] Victor Turner, The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure (Transaction Publishers, 1995).

[12] Ibid.

[13] Ibid.

[14] Ibid.

[15] Derek Van Rheenen, “The Promise of Soccer in America: The Open Play of Ethnic Subcultures,” Soccer & Society 10, no. 6 (2009): 781–94, doi:10.1080/14660970903239974.

[16] Ibid.

[17] “Almost Half the World Tuned in at Home to Watch 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa^TM,” FIFA.com, accessed February 25, 2014, http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/archive/southafrica2010/organisation/media/newsid=1473143/index.html.

[18] Laurent Dubois, Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2010).

[19] “2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Spot Debuts during ESPN’s Rose Bowl Coverage Today,” ESPN Front Row, accessed February 25, 2014, http://frontrow.espn.go.com/2014/01/2014-fifa-world-cup-brazil-spot-debuts-during-espns-rose-bowl-coverage-today/.

[20] “ESPN to Debut First Campaign Spot for 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil During Live Telecast of the 2014 Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day.”

[21] “2.3 Million Tickets for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Already Allocated to Fans,” FIFA.com, accessed February 27, 2014, http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/organisation/ticketing/news/newsid=2281407/index.html.

[22] Van Rheenen, “The Promise of Soccer in America.”