Gerry Cardinale, the owner of AC Milan and head of RedBird Capital, recently shared his vision and future plans for the club during an interview with CNBC. Cardinale emphasized the strategic importance of Milan’s upcoming friendly matches in the United States, stating (via Gianluca Di Marzio), “Part of the reason we committed to this tour of friendlies in the United States is due to the enormous demand from America for European football. It’s an important opportunity. We have owned Milan for two years, and our goal is to make it a protagonist on the world stage again. We have 550 million fans worldwide, 50 million of whom are in the USA, and we want to focus on them.”
Cardinale also discussed his long-term vision for the club, highlighting his extensive experience in sports analytics and the evolving landscape of the sports industry. He noted, “I have been observing and analyzing data off the field for 15 years. I don’t do it just for the Moneyball system that leads to player selection. Sport today is a multi-billion-dollar industry, driven by the value proposition for the fan. Most people think that the values being created in sports are only about media revenues. The new frontier, however, will be the monetization of live events.”
Cardinale pointed out that the future of sports entertainment lies in providing elite experiences for fans while maintaining accessibility for the broader audience. He elaborated, “The new frontier will therefore be directed towards a richer offer of elite experiences for fans who can afford it (meeting players, suites with visits from old glories, etc.), while keeping the current offer intact for the majority of the public. The construction of the stadium, in this sense, is obviously a priority.”
