Truth be told, is not just Inter, Americans have a growing interest in European football ever since the World Cup was played in the United States back in 1994. That interest has never stopped growing, but 2018 was a key year for Inter and other Italian clubs if they want to build a fan base in the largest economy of the world.

During that year the PASPA law was found to be unconstitutional and now sports betting is legal at a federal level. Individual states are racing to legalize online sports betting, and if there is one thing that has made the NFL viewership grow, is has been the possibility of online betting (even if it was illegal) and fantasy NFL. Sports betting will most probably increase interest in international football, way more than in the MLS. One of the first sites to legally bet on Inter from the USA is 888, which is offering soccer betting lines at 888 Sport New Jersey.

The United States has always been known as one of the countries with the least amount of interest in football, a sport they wrongfully call soccer (word that comes from the slang usage of association football back in the UK). A 2018 survey revealed that almost 50% of American citizens have a basic interest in football games, says Professor Tim Pawlowski and Georgios Nalbantis from the University of Tubingen.

While Americans have a strong following of the EPL and some specific La Liga games, with most fans favoring Manchester United, Chelsea FC, Barcelona and Real Madrid; attempts by Juventus to build a fan base early 2019 are underway with a partnership with NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. Juventus Night took place just before a game against The Raptors, with a live viewing of Juventus vs. Inter Milan before the Net’s game right at the Barclay’s Center (the game ended 1-1). Cheerleaders wore Juventus shirts and even the football mascot made an appearance. These attempts to field the seeds for larger interest in Italian football can certainly work on behalf of Inter, who has been actively involved in building its own fan base in the United States since a very long time.

It is worth of note that Premier League viewership in the US has now exceeded those of the regular season of the National Hockey League (NHL), the top North American ice hockey league. In the Tubingen research, the Italian Serie A came up in position 6 in popularity amongst Americans tied with the French League 1. California and New York are the states with the strongest interest, while citizens that had their own MLS local soccer teams ranked amongst the most highly interested in international football.

The Spanish-speaking population was the strongest soccer fans in the study. Football teams with Latin American football players immediately attract a Latino fan base from the home country of the player. Inter has hosted a great number of South American players like Javier Zanetti, Esteban Cambiasso and Diego Milito, Walter Zamuel from Argentina; Julio Cesar from Brazil and Ivan Ramiro Cordoba of Colombia.

All these players instantly created brand recognition and club following during the time they remained with the club. In 2018 Inter opened football academies in Colombia, with Ivan Ramiro Cordoba as the main club ambassador in the region. In Argentina the academy project began in 2017 with the presence of Zanetti.

And what about the USA? The Youth Academy program has been active in the United States even before 2013 where it began its operation through the West Coast. The Hispanic population in the United States was estimated at 57.5 million in 2016, a 17.8% of the total population and seems to grown by 1 million each year and most are located in West coast states.

In the study, Americans also showed preference for leagues with a competitive balance in comparison to leagues were just 3 clubs dominate the championship.

All these factors play in favor of Inter of Milan. Let’s just hope the marketing department has a good plan underway to grow the seeds planted years ago.

The post Why Americans Are More Interested In Inter Than Ever Before appeared first on Sempreinter.

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