On the latest episode of La Previa, Asli Pelit talks to ISL agency co-founders Alex Isern and Marc Segarra about how they help sports properties uncover international growth opportunities in the U.S. and Europe.
Barcelona natives Isern and Segarra arrived in the United States in 2011 on soccer scholarships to study at Winthrop University in South Carolina. “When we were in school, we realized that the infrastructure [for soccer] was there, but the level of high-quality training was not there,” Segarra said. “Coming from Spain, we felt that an ingredient was missing. Then and there, we decided we must do something.”
Upon graduation, the duo combined their love of soccer and business and launched ISL Agency in 2013. One of the first projects of the soccer-focused management and marketing agency was bringing Barça Academy to the U.S. and helping the Catalan club’s youth soccer camps and schools penetrate the U.S. market.
ISL also worked with LaLiga Select, the official youth talent recruitment platform of LaLiga, in the U.S. and Manchester City, organizing soccer camps across Europe for American players. The agency also organizes summer tours, preseason matches and exhibition games for top U.S. and European clubs.
“European clubs have realized in recent years the potential of the United States and the growth of soccer here,” Isern said. “And they are now investing more and more in strategies to break into the market. One of these strategies is to bring their first teams and do summer tours here.”
Isern and Segarra are optimistic about the potential for soccer growth in the States and believe the sky is the limit. They envision a future where a UEFA Champions League match could be brought to the U.S., similar to how the NBA or the NFL take their games to Asia and Europe. “But sports properties in the U.S. like the MLS are still in the process of a vertical growth,” Segarra said. “These international events are seen as a distraction, so it is not easy to make them happen, yet.”
The ISL co-founders also work with clients who seek assistance with sponsorship and endorsements, travel services and talent management services on both sides of the Atlantic.
“We have been building this bridge between Europe and the United States,” Segarra said. “And like all bridges, they have two directions.”
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