Billionaire owner of the Dallas Mavericks Mark Cuban is always kicking new ideas around. So soccer — or a modified 5-on-5 version of soccer called Futsal — is perfect for him. He just bought into the Professional Futsal League, scheduled to launch in 2018. Cuban is known for a wide range of interests, but tech, sports and entertainment are his three big plays. He’s an expert at selling “the experience.” For all the purity of regulation soccer, the soccer “experience” has been lacking for American fans used to more action and more scoring as in the NBA (also 5-on-5). Futsal delivers higher scoring and swifter action.
It’s both growing and still under the radar, two more things Cuban likes. “Futsal is one of the fastest growing sports in the world and it’s time to make it even bigger in the U.S. market. We are ready to introduce the best global brands and the world’s best players to our growing fan base and I’m thrilled to be part of the PFL,” Cuban said in a statement. The PFL says 30 million people play Futsal, which immediately expands Cuban’s already long marketing reach.
