Hartford Business Journal

14 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | April 11, 2022 In fourth season, Hartford Athletic minor- league soccer franchise seeks out profitability By Robert Storace rstorace@hartfordbusiness.com T he road to owning a professional minor-league sports franchise isn't always paved with gold bricks. Just ask Bruce Mandell, the 58-year-old co-founder and board chair of the Hartford Athletic soccer club, which is part of the 27-team United Soccer League. The four-year-old Hartford-based franchise saw its 2020 season tripped up by COVID-19, and it has not yet turned a profit. But that could be changing. Earlier this month, the Hartford Athletic signed a multiyear naming- rights agreement with Trinity Health of New England. Financial terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but Mandell told the Hartford Business Journal in 2020 a naming-rights pact was critical to the long-term financial success of the organization. IEG, a global consultancy that specializes in calculating sponsorship opportunities, in 2020 valued Dillon Stadium's naming rights at $432,000 a year. Mandell said the Trinity Health deal will help put the team on a path toward profitability, but only if more fans come to watch the product on the field, which officially became Trinity Health Stadium on March 17. "The agreement with Trinity Health is critical on our way to break even and to build a sustainable model," Mandell said during a wide- ranging interview with the Hartford Business Journal in late March. "We understand that if we are not sustainable, we can't do the great things for this community that we want to do." Filling seats Trinity Health Stadium — a $14 million facility that was rehabbed in 2019 largely by state taxpayer funding — is located on Huyshope Avenue just outside of downtown. It seats about 5,500 people with total standing-room capacity a little north of 6,000. To achieve financial sustainability, Mandell said, the team needs to draw 4,000 to 5,000 fans a game. Last year the team averaged 4,818 fans during its 16-game home schedule for a total attendance of 77,087. That was a significant rebound from a COVID-19-blemished 2020 season, but behind the team's 2019 average attendance of 4,989 fans per game. This year, Mandell said, he wants to average 5,000 fans per home game. There will be no COVID restrictions for this season's 18-game regular season home schedule (there could be additional post-season games). The team's first home match took place April 2 vs. Atlanta United. The Athletic lost 2 to 1. Ticket prices range from $15 to $40 each, Mandell said. "That's our challenge," Mandell said, "... to get our brand out there and to get people to come. Once people come to a game here they love it and they want to come back." Sponsorship roster The naming-rights deal was a feather in Hartford Athletic's cap, Mandell said, because of the strength of the Trinity Health brand. Trinity Health of New England owns St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford and other hospitals and facilities in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Trinity now has its name on the stadium, its logo on players' jerseys and about seven signs throughout the facility including above the press box and atop the scoreboard. It also occupies a field suite that holds 12 people. The agreement was an impetus for other corporate sponsors to want to do business with the club, Mandell said. He declined to discuss the team's specific financials, but said sponsorship revenues are up more than 20% this year over 2021. He said there are multiple sponsors that invest more than six figures with the team. The club has four founding partners: Trinity Health, The Hartford, Travelers Cos., and Stanley Black & Decker. It also has about 60 corporate sponsors including iHeartMedia, AARP Bruce Mandell, co-founder and board chair of the Hartford Athletic soccer club, stands in front of Trinity Health Stadium's new scoreboard. MORE HARTFORD SOCCER? Hartford Athletic co-founder Bruce Mandell said he hopes his four-year- old minor-league soccer franchise turns profitable in 2022. But even before that happens, he's got growth ambitions. Mandell said he wants to lure a professional women's soccer franchise to Hartford in the future. He said he's looking at a three- to five-year horizon. He declined to elaborate further. HBJ PHOTO | ROBERT STORACE

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