11/29/2023
SPORTS ETA Playbook 2023
U.S. Polo Assn.’s J. Michael Prince Focuses on Growing the Global, Multi-Billion-Dollar Lifestyle Brand with Strategic Partners
Over the last six years, J. Michael Prince has served as President and CEO of USPA Global, the entity that manages and oversees the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand, which is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA). As the national governing body for the sport of polo, the USPA dates back to 1890 and comprises nearly 200 member clubs with thousands of individual members and oversees 40 national tournaments.
The Duke Business School grad held leadership roles at Converse, Nike, and Cole Haan before joining USPA Global in West Palm Beach, Florida in 2018. Prince has led the explosion of the brand’s popularity around the globe, thanks in large part to strategic partnerships with ESPN, growth in digital content and media, along with the acquisition and re-branding of the International Polo Center in Florida when it was purchased by the USPA in late 2022.
Last year, the sport-inspired U.S. Polo Assn. lifestyle brand surpassed the $2 billion mark with $2.3 billion in global retail sales for 2022. “We were able to exceed our 2025 goal of $2 billion three years early and have now set a new target to hit $3 billion in 2,000 U.S. Polo Assn. stores before 2030,” added Prince.
Prince and his team have been focused on growing the brand globally across 190 countries in over 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. stores, thousands of other locations including over 50 e-commerce sites in more than 20 languages, and numerous traditional department and sporting goods stores, along with independent retailers. According to License Global, the U.S. Polo Assn. now ranks among the top five largest global licensed sports brands in the world, in elite company alongside the NFL, NBA, and MLB.
An Expanded Partnership with ESPN
A partnership with ESPN and an enhanced digital presence has also contributed to the considerable growth of the sport of polo’s footprint and global audience reach.
Earlier this year, Prince signed a multi-year global deal with ESPN through the company's broadcasting entity Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), providing exposure to a massive global audience, extending to many parts of the world with a reach to millions of viewers and multiple platforms. The sport’s iconic U.S. Open Polo Championship®, which is broadcast by ESPN, now sits alongside the elite company of The Masters and Kentucky Derby as one of the country's most prestigious spring sporting events.
The brand was also focused on its digital strategy, resulting in the tripling of its digital business over the last several years. U.S. Polo Assn. built on its successful digital strategies to generate record growth and e-commerce with some 50 brand sites in 20 languages and continues to grow its digital presence and global momentum on social media with some 7 million followers worldwide.
USPA’s Acquisition and Re-branding of the International Polo Center
In the summer of 2022, the USPA purchased the world-renowned International Polo Center (IPC), now renamed the USPA National Polo Center (NPC), the sport’s premiere destination in North America. Located in beautiful Palm Beach County, Florida, the venue spans across 160 acres encompassing multiple grass polo fields, fine dining, tennis courts, stadium seating, a swimming pool, and luxury retail shopping.
The very first games played on the U.S. Polo Assn. Stadium Field were the historic XII Federation of International Polo (FIP) World Polo Championship games, held in the United States for only the second time in the tournament’s history and sponsored by U.S. Polo Assn. FIP is the International Federation representing the sport of polo, officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The polo season concluded with the most prestigious of all North American high-goal tournaments, the U.S. Open Polo Championship®. Both games, among many others, were presented to sold-out crowds and broadcast on multiple ESPN platforms.
“We continue to look for avenues and partnerships to expand into new global markets, as well as new and innovative areas of business. The combination of these factors, alongside our authentic connection to the sport of polo and outstanding global brand marketing, is the key to our success,” concludes Prince.
About U.S. Polo Assn. and USPA Global
U.S. Polo Assn. is the official brand of the United States Polo Association (USPA), the non-profit governing body for the sport of polo in the United States and one of the oldest sports governing bodies, having been founded in 1890. With a multi-billion-dollar global footprint and worldwide distribution through over 1,200 U.S. Polo Assn. retail stores and thousands of department stores, sporting goods channels, independent retailers, and e-commerce, U.S. Polo Assn. offers apparel for men, women, and children, as well as accessories and footwear in more than 190 countries worldwide. U.S. Polo Assn. was named one of the top global sports licensors alongside the NFL, NBA, and MLB, according to License Global.
Visit uspoloassnglobal.com and follow @uspoloassn.
USPA Global is the for-profit subsidiary of the USPA and manages the global, multi-billion-dollar U.S. Polo Assn. brand, providing the sport with a long-term source of revenue. Through its subsidiary, Global Polo Entertainment (GPE), USPA Global also manages Global Polo TV, which provides sport and lifestyle content. A historic, multi-year, global arrangement between USPA Global and ESPN, now showcases many of the top championship polo games in the U.S., enabling millions of sports fans and consumers to enjoy the sport across ESPN’s broadcast and streaming platforms. For more sport content visitglobalpolo.com.
About the United States Polo Association® (USPA)
The United States Polo Association was organized and exists for the purposes of promoting the game of polo, coordinating the activities of its Member Clubs and Registered Players, arranging and supervising polo tournaments, competitions and games, and providing rules, handicaps, and conditions for those tournaments, competitions, and games including the safety and welfare of participants and mounts. Founded in 1890, the USPA is the national governing body for the sport of polo. The USPA is currently comprised of almost 200 member clubs with thousands of individual members and oversees 40 national tournaments. For more information, please visit uspolo.org.
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