The news echoed everywhere. The NFL, the most followed league in the United States, one of the most economically powerful in the world and with a tremendous capacity for expansion, will play a game on a date between September, October or November at the Santiago Bernabeu, the great renovated stadium and nerve center of the future of sport, and with the Miami Dolphins as the main protagonists. The dream is now a reality. And it will be much more than an isolated clash. The league and the Florida franchise are coming to put down roots.“It’s not a one-off game. We won’t come, play and say goodbye. We’re here to stay. To develop the sport, educate people and build a foundation for the future,”Felipe Formiga, the Dolphins’ vice president of international development, told a small group of media including MARCA. “We want to be here forever,” he added. It’s not just a statement. It’s a message for the future. Miami wants to be important.
We are here to stay. To develop the sport, educate people and build a future base
Felipe Formiga
Because the game is another step in the Dolphins’ commitment. They are more than just a team. They bet big and win big. “Our work is like a portfolio. A place where several great actions coincide: the Dolphins, the Miami Masters 1000 or the Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix. Together with the Hard Rock Stadium as a central point,” explains Pia Shumate, Chief Marketing Officer. In the vicinity of that stadium in Miami Gardens coincide both NFL games, as well as one of the most important tennis tournaments, a novel but shocking race in the Grand Circus and the events of the stadium.
The way forward
In order for the Dolphins and the NFL to become established in Madrid, the franchise is already working on several open fronts. “We want to make people understand the game. Education about what happens. Transmit all those concepts,” says Shumate. From working with its stars, connecting with young people and seeking the best partnerships with relevant brands and companies in Madrid that have an interest in the new market.
There are obviously questions that still cannot be resolved. One relates to the match. The opponent will not be known until the schedule is published after the season. Another is ticket prices. It is the NFL that is in charge of designating them. In the Brazil clash, for example, prices ranged from $150 to $2,500 for the most VIP cases.
But the goal is to reach, connect and transcend. “Spain is a priority country. It’s our biggest expansion opportunity because we want to be the most relevant franchise,” Shumate analyzes. And Miami is no coincidence. “There is a lot of relationship with Madrid. Rich in history, vibrant and with many connections,” says the team’s Chief Marketing Officer.
The road is beginning to be built, but it promises to be 10 months full of events, projects and the point of that NFL debut in Spain. The Miami Dolphins can become the great Spanish team and their journey has already begun