?? TST leverages personalities for more success in Year 2

The second edition of?The Soccer Tournament (TST) has come to a close, and what a tournament it was! Over 100 games?were played across six days in Cary, NC as an expanded field of?48 men's teams and an inaugural bracket of?eight women's teams each competed for a $1 million winner-take-all prize.

Before we jump in,?a quick shout out to Trident FC—the TST team our property, Black Star, was a partner?of in this year's tournament. The team featured the Black Star logo on their jersey sleeves and played?proudly in support of?the Black Star mission of empowering the next generation of Black fans and players.

To the victors go the million dollar spoils

Ex-Manchester United star Luis Nani's?team—the eponymous Nani FC—was upset by La Bombonera?by a 4-0 scoreline in the Men's final. On the Women's side, US Women,?led by former USWNT players Heather O'Reilly?and Ali Krieger,?defeated North Carolina Courage 6-3 to win the first Women's TST title.

Taking advantage of?crossover content exposure

There were a lot?of exciting on-field moments—many of which led to viral content on social media. Given the diverse roster of participants, the opportunity for crossover content between players and clubs gave TST and its stakeholders the opportunity to expand their reach and drive deeper engagement among varied audiences.

Whether you?casually watched, watched every game, or followed along on social, one thing was apparent—they took full advantage of Pat McAfee's presence with his Concafa SC team, along with their ESPN partnership. And for good reason.

McAfee's mid-day ESPN show broadcast live from TST on the Wednesday and Thursday of the event, with each episode averaging roughly 243,000 viewers. That's great exposure for the?tournament—as is an assist like this from McAfee or Dortmund players joining his show offering brats and beers.

TST featured far more than just McAfee and this was evident on social media. From Chris Paul to Chad Ochocinco, JJ Watt to Sergio Aguero, Angel City to Villarreal, Burnley to Inter Milan, plenty of household names were in attendance, leading to countless collaborative?posts on social media.

But what does all this additional exposure add up to?

The TST Instagram account, the platform on which they were most active, added nearly 54,000 followers during the tournament—a 77% increase in follower count in just one week. The event was also attended by more than 42,000 people, a roughly 20% year-over-year attendance increase.

What makes?TST so intriguing is that, even though it's still a nascent event,?it sits in a sweet spot of soccer calendar timing. Kids are off from school. European leagues are over. Summer tours have yet to start. These?pair?well with a roster full of brands and players people know, mixed with hungry unknown teams like La Bombonera?out to get the $1 million prize in a fun, unique, and up-close-and-personal event.

So, what are?some things brands and marketers?can take away from the second year of TST and add to their marketing mix? ?

• Take advantage of opportunities to engage crossover audiences ?
• Lean into personalities and let them do their thing ?
• Behind-the-scenes content and player access give fans a greater?connection
• Celebrate what makes your event unique or quirky ?
• Not everything needs to have high production; cell phone UGC?works great ?
• Real-time [or as close as possible]?highlight delivery drives engagement ?
• And finally—video content, video content, video content

SPONSORSHIP: U.S. Soccer?announced a multi-year partnership with Jim Beam, which sees?the bourbon brand become the Federation's exclusive spirit sponsor. Jim Beam will have a year-round presence at select U.S. National Team games and fan events. The partnership will begin with a sponsored block party in Orlando ahead of tonight's USMNT?game against Brazil at Camping World Stadium.

SPONSORSHIP: Mastercard has renewed its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League through the 2026-27 season. Mastercard, which celebrated its 30-year partnership with UEFA during this year's?Champions League Final, will also have sponsorship rights to the UEFA Super Cup through 2026.

ATTENDANCE: On Saturday, the Chicago Red Stars broke the NWSL attendance record when they hosted Bay FC at Wrigley Field. Over 35,000 fans made their way to the Friendly Confines to watch the first women's sporting event at the stadium in 80 years. The previous record of over 34,000 was held by Seattle Reign, who set the mark in the final regular-season home game for Megan Rapinoe in October 2023.

PLAYER SIGNING: In case you missed it, the newest MLS club has made their biggest splash to date. San Diego FC announced the signing of Mexican international Hirving "Chucky" Lozano, who will join?from PSV Eindhoven for a reported $12 million. Lozano will stay?in the Netherlands?for the remainder of 2024 and formally join San Diego?on January 1, 2025 ahead of the club's?debut MLS season.

MESSI WATCH: The Inter Miami and Argentina superstar continues to make headlines off the field. First, for the second year in a row, Messi's Inter Miami No. 10 jersey is the top-selling jersey in MLS.?Next, Messi has announced he is entering the beverage industry?with his new hydration drink called Mas+, which will have just one gram of cane sugar per bottle. The drink will?roll out to the public June 14 ahead of Copa America.

EXTRA TIME: Now for some additional reading. First up, learn more about the unorthodox partnership that will see Visit Detroit become the primary travel sponsor of Burnley FC. Next, check out Burberry's newest soccer-themed luxury campaign. And finally, read more about the current state of next year's FIFA Club World Cup?(paywall)?and why some major details surrounding the tournament remain unclear.