Transfer of Lewandowski was less interesting for the US media than Ja Morant trade
From the perspective of Polish fans and local media, Robert Lewandowski’s arrival at Chicago Fire is the number one sports news story in the country. Did the transfer of one of the best strikers of the 21st century cause a similar stir overseas? The Institute of Media Monitoring (IMM) has analyzed the American websites. The results of the analysis clearly show that in the United States, soccer still has to acknowledge the superiority of traditional American sports.
The official announcement of the Polish national team captain’s move to the Windy City generated a huge response in the European media. The move of a striker of this caliber to the American Major League Soccer (MLS) is one of the most talked-about events in the league’s history. Although Polish and European media outlets closely followed every detail of the transaction, the American media reaction was much more reserved, which perfectly reflects the specific nature of local sports market.
Data collected by IMM in the first 48 hours following the transfer announcement shows that Robert Lewandowski’s move to the Chicago club generated 413 articles on American websites, which appeared on 198 unique sites.
By comparison, the NBA trade under which the point guard Ja Morant moved to Portland Trail Blazers during the same period generated 1,678 articles, with 531 different websites covering the topic.
Who is Ja Morant?
For an average European fan, this disparity might come as a surprise. The basketball player, selected with number 2 in the 2019 draft, did win the Rookie of the Year award and was selected to the All-Star Game twice (2022, 2023), but he’s far from being considered one of the league’s best players in recent years. He’s not a player like LeBron James or Stephen Curry. His recent career has been marked by a series of serious injuries, high-profile off-court controversies and lengthy disciplinary suspensions.
The fact that the American media devoted four times as much attention to the Morant trade as to the Polish national team captain’s transfer clearly demonstrates the specific nature of local market. Americans are once again proving that their own backyard is the center of the sports world. This is a perfect illustration of the widely commented words of sprinter Noah Lyles (World champion of what?), who asked NBA players why they call themselves “world champions” when they only play in a domestic league with teams from the USA and Canada.
The results of our analysis reflect the hierarchy of sports disciplines in the minds of American publishers and readers. Soccer, though developing dynamically, is still overshadowed by the NFL, NBA and NHL. American media thrive on its own market and local stars. Nevertheless, this is a turning point for American soccer. The ongoing World Cup and the consistent strategy of attracting global personal brands – first Leo Messi, then Thomas Müller and now Robert Lewandowski – are designed to dramatically increase interest in the sport and firmly entrench it in the American mainstream – comments Tomasz Lubieniecki, Head of Media Reports Department at IMM.
Lewandowski Effect or a transfer injection in social media
Robert Lewandowski joins Chicago Fire as a global brand – his official Instagram account boasts nearly 39 million followers. The Polish striker left FC Barcelona, which boasts a fan base of 145 million on the platform, to join a club that had just 283,000 followers before the transfer was announced.
In just 48 hours since the transfer was announced, the number of followers of Chicago Fire’s Instagram profile increased by 25%, a phenomenon that occurred even before the player’s official presentation at the stadium and his first match. The Americans are hoping for a repeat of the Miami scenario. Since Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami, the club has experienced an unprecedented marketing boom, gaining 17 million new Instagram followers in three years. Lewandowski guarantees Chicago immediate global visibility, a level no traditional advertising campaign can buy – adds Tomasz Lubieniecki of IMM.
Methodology:
The analysis was based on reports on American websites within 48 hours of the transfer announcement.
The Institute of Media Monitoring consents to the publication of all or part of the materials provided that the source is acknowledged (full name: Institute of Media Monitoring). When using graphics, the source (name: Institute of Media Monitoring or logo) must be indicated next to each graphic.