The market for soccer jerseys has exploded in recent months as the world gears up for the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament this summer. Fans snap up new skins as fast as teams can release them, and there’s a booming online industry dedicated to tracking down the newest skins and providing sneak peeks for fans who can’t wait for the official release. The availability and relatively inexpensive nature of replica soccer jerseys makes them very popular with hardcore fans, and those fans who only seem to watch during big games.
world cup 2010
One of the biggest forces driving the soccer jersey market right now is the upcoming World Cup. Teams that have qualified for this premier soccer event sport new kit jerseys, and fans are eager to represent their teams by shopping for the new World Cup designs. From children to grandparents, the World Cup brings out the soccer fan in all of us and has an added element of national pride as the soccer team represents the entire country. Wearing your team’s World Cup jersey shows that you are a fan and a patriot.
European teams
Even in non-World Cup years, the soccer jersey market remains relatively dynamic. Soccer fans in Europe have several teams to choose from, and their loyalty to their favorite teams is legendary. Whether you’re from Manchester or Barcelona, you’ll want to show your team pride with a team jersey. From France to Italy to Germany, there are several team skins to choose from, each with its own particular reputation. Teams have a specific character, and fans of those teams embody the character of their favorite clubs when they wear their jerseys.
International Teams
Of course, Europe is not the only part of the world where the soccer jersey market thrives. Soccer is one of the most popular sports in the world, and soccer jersey sales are representative of that popularity. There are soccer jerseys available from teams in Japan, South Africa, and Cameroon, to name just a few. Even the United States has its own national soccer team and sells replica jerseys to fans, although soccer fans in the United States are traditionally less passionate about the game than in other countries around the world.
cash sponsorships
One of the main reasons soccer teams like to be a part of the soccer jersey market is because it allows them to make more money from sponsorships. Each team jersey proudly displays the logo of the company that made it, meaning that fans walking around in team jerseys are walking billboards for the jersey company. Advertising on sports apparel has become normal and expected, providing a little additional income for the team, as well as additional exposure for the team sponsor. With the widely televised nature of sports today, the commercialization of sporting events has spread to all professional sports, and soccer is no different.