How Pro Soccer Clubs can Boost Attendance and Revenue | Jim McCarthy

What if the biggest thing holding your club back isn't the product on the pitch but the lack of a clear, open conversation with fans?

In Episode 98 of the Because Football Podcast, we chat with Jim McCarthy about everything he's learned regarding building and serving fans over a 25 year career that he has spent supporting over 2 million events for tens of millions of customers.

As founder of Impresario Strategic Growth Services and former CEO of Goldstar, he's now focused on one thing: helping professional soccer clubs fill stadiums and build sustainable audiences.

In this conversation, Jim breaks down why most clubs get pricing wrong, what "right-size stadiums" really means, and why the 2026 World Cup might have a marketing problem nobody's talking about.

We dig into the differences in approaching how to attract families vs young adults vs casual fans — and why "seats are raw materials" that need to be turned into products for specific people.

He also shares his informed guesses about FIFA's ticketing model for the World Cup and why there may be some light at the end of the tunnel for hopeful fans who feel priced out.

Whether you're running a USL club, building a supporter group, or just trying to understand the business side of the game you love - Jim drops tons of actionable knowledge in this one.

Connect with Jim here:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcmccarthy/

https://impresariostrategic.com/

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⁠https://www.instagram.com/becausefootball_/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/baggaleyandrew/⁠

⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/because-football-media/⁠

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