How AS Roma is growing a global brand | OneFootball

Italian football is known for being some of the best and most competitive in the world. Just like the Premier League has grown a global reach there are plenty of attempts to turn Italian teams into the same kind of powerhouse brands.

English football has shown a lot of the power of building this kind of brand. Manchester United did it amazingly well in the 1990s when the Premier League launched. The team is one of the wealthiest (and probably the best-known) all over the world. Some huge fan clubs for the team can be found in Africa and Asia – pretty much anywhere in the world.

Roma is doing its best to try to build a fanbase that reaches more people. Financially this is an approach that makes a lot of sense. More shirt sales and people viewing the games may bring some extra revenue in the future.

International Tours and Friendlies

Teams get some stick for this in the modern age but one of the most visible ways AS Roma is growing its global exposure is by playing friendly matches in various countries. These tours allow the club to engage with fans who may not have the opportunity to see them play live in Rome.

AS Roma played AC Milan in Australia during a pre-season tour straight after the 23-24 season. People know full well that these games are not just about practice; they’re strategic events designed to promote the club and this particular game made the Australian news outlets and meant more people could attend. We aren’t just talking about a few Aussie fans here; nearly 60,000 people were there. Australians love sports and when a big team from Europe heads to the country there is a lot of buzz. Plenty of Roma shirts will have been sold as a result.

Australia has become a key destination for clubs looking to grow their international appeal – it helps that the game finished 5-2 in Perth and was an interesting event. By playing in Australia, Roma has tapped into this expanding market and created more opportunities for local fans to connect with the club.

Each summer when the teams announce their friendlies it is obvious what they are trying to achieve. Fitness is a top priority of course but the teams can build this anywhere and the fact AS Roma (the same can be said for most big Italian clubs) like to travel is all about exposure.

Global Fan Clubs

Another key cog in AS Roma’s international strategy is the expansion of fan clubs around the world. Perhaps this is an unfair assessment – it isn’t always deliberate and supporters’ groups can crop up organically not only across Italy but also in far-reaching locations such as the United States – Serie A is broadcast all over the world. These fan clubs play a crucial role in promoting the club’s identity and building a sense of community among its supporters in different countries.

In the United States, there are several AS Roma fan groups, including those in cities like New York and Los Angeles. These groups often organize watch parties for matches or similar events. In England (the home of football in some peoples’ eyes) there are multiple fan clubs! The club’s official fan engagement strategy encourages this kind of grassroots support recognizing that local fan clubs are pretty useful for increasing brand awareness all over the place.

Superstar players that people can latch onto always help. Mats Hummels was signed this summer and could increase viewership in the US as well as Germany (where Mats is from). He is a global icon with 78 caps for Germany and a World Cup Winners medal too. When he eventually makes his long-awaited debut there’ll be a lot of people tuning in just to see him.

Roma’s strategy of signing international players also plays a key role in building its global profile. Like many other top clubs AS Roma has actively recruited players from lots of countries (some of them are football hotspots) and this helps draw attention from the home nations of those athletes. Falcao and Batistuta were two foreign legends that built awareness in South America.

Esports and the Future

AS Roma has also embraced the growing world of esports. The club’s investment in an esports team has allowed it to tap into a community of gamers and digital sports enthusiasts. This is especially relevant with FIFA/EA24 tournaments and these have become a massive part of the sporting landscape.

AS Roma has its finger on the pulse of these developments and will need to keep moving and evolving to help stay relevant. This is an iconic club that has won silverware in the past and seen some of the greatest footballers ever playing for the team. Now in the global era, Roma can continue to build a brand.