- Strengths:
- Established global brand identity of Manchester United as a top club with a large existing fanbase
- Manchester United W.F.C is the second ranking European women’s team in terms of revenue and Manchester United is the Premier League’s most valuable club, giving the brand a strong financial position to launch a new team from
- New NWSL teams have a financial advantage of expansion fees and increased revenue sharing, allowing them to attract top talent initially so the NWSL Manchester United team could bolster their roster with great players
- The NWSL is experiencing an increase in attention and fans due to the current increased interest in women’s sports in the United States and there are no NWSL teams in Connecticut, giving this new team a strong place to start building a U.S fanbase
- Existing brand portfolio with multiple revenue streams (broadcast, ticket sales, merchandise, sponsorships, etc.)
- Weaknesses:
- Manchester United has a strong existing fanbase, but that fanbase may not necessarily be inclined to support a team in the United States
- Manchester United is having one of its worst years financially and performance wise currently
- The MLS (U.S men’s soccer league) is more popular and profitable than the NWSL in the United States, and this Manchester United NWSL team will not have a male counterpart team in the United States so there is a chance that they will not take off popularity wise
- Due to the single-entity structure of the NWSL, new teams can dilute revenue shares for the league’s owners overall, making them less inclined to support the development of a new team in the league which could pose challenges for Manchester United in the NWSL
- Opportunities:
- Women’s sports are gaining more media attention in the United States
- Viewership and engagement with women’s sports are at an all time high
- Broad support for women’s rights, particularly among people under 50
- Celebrity promotion is an important tactic used to build brand awareness, in this case can be from celebrity fans or celebrity athletes on the team
- Brand collaborations can also often be used successfully to build up brand awareness
- Threats:
- There are 14 existing NWSL teams and there will be 16 by 2026, so this new team will have a lot of competition for attention and fans
- There is currently a lot of economic anxiety and some speculation of the United States entering a recession, so the public may be looking to cut back on expenses making it hard for them to purchase tickets and merchandise for this new team
- American football, basketball, and baseball consistently rank as the most popular sports in the country and soccer season overlaps with both basketball and baseball, creating a competition for attention in American sports