Dave Baldwin

Dave Baldwin appears in Can World Cup mania grow MLS in the U.S.? as president of the Chicago Fire. Because Chicago is not a 2026 FIFA World Cup host city, Baldwin frames the club’s choice as whether to ignore the tournament or invest behind it anyway.

The episode uses Baldwin’s Costco-sampling analogy to explain the Fire’s marketing logic. The club spends more than $2 million on a large watch-party experience so non-soccer fans can try the atmosphere at low cost before the team attempts to convert them into ticket buyers, merchandise customers, or longer-term fans.

Connections

• Chicago Fire - club he leads in the source.
• Major League Soccer and FIFA World Cup - league and event context.
• Dan Moriarty - Chicago Fire marketing executive in the same source.
• Major-Event Attention Conversion, Sports Fandom Network Effects, and Offline Brand Activation - concepts his strategy illustrates.