It may come as another surprise to many, but the market ranked as the 30th largest DMA in the country by Nielsen comes in at an impressive number three spot in the GESM Soccer Market rankings. That’s right, with a population right around 1 million, Salt Lake City, stands tall as a soccer stronghold.
There is perhaps no better example (with a glancing head nod to Seattle, Kansas City, and Portland) of the impact a strong domestic soccer scene can have on the overall relevance of soccer than in Salt Lake. Committed local ownership with Dell Loy Hansen, two soccer-specific stadiums as well a world-class academy facility serve as homes to Real Salt Lake of MLS, the Real Salt Lake Academy, the Utah Royals of NWSL, and the Real Monarchs of the USL Championship. Additionally, they have regularly hosted the U.S. Men’s & Women’s National Teams.
All told, Salt Lake’s overall ranking was buoyed by a number two position in both attendance and participation, not to mention the top national ranking for social conversation around the U.S Women’s National Team.
For more information about our soccer market rankings, stay tuned for the full release on Wednesday, January 30th!
Categories: Infographics, Research, Soccer Marketing