Celebrating 65 Years: Tigres Focuses on Global Strategies Beyond the Pitch
As Tigres UANL marks its 65th anniversary in 2025, the team continues to maintain a strong presence on the field with Liga MX and Concacaf fase finals. However, their office’s focus extends beyond sports, as they have a concrete plan to elevate their brand internationally.
Carlos Valenzuela, Tigres’ Vice President of Operations and Business, explains to El Economista: “Our goal is very clear and specific: stay close to our fans, get to know them better, and maintain an increasingly strong relationship.”
Two Key Concepts: International Brand Expansion and Personalized Fan Engagement
Tigres’ strategy consists of two main concepts: international brand expansion and personalized fan engagement.
Regarding internationalization, Tigres has built a strong legacy beyond Mexico, starting with its geographical and demographic proximity to the United States (approximately three million fans) and hiring players from national teams such as France, Argentina, and others. The path to international recognition continues to be fruitful.
Mauricio Culebro, Tigres’ President, shares his strategy with El Economista: “To elevate our international impact, we work both on and off the field. We have a highly professional scouting and sports intelligence team searching for the best global talent. Foreign players we incorporate are essential to this reach, as they bring natural audiences from other countries, like André-Pierre Gignac (France), Nahuel Guzmán, or Guido Pizarro (Argentina). Continuing to achieve good results in international tournaments, such as Leagues Cup or Concacaf Champions Cup, also helps draw attention from other countries.”
Off-Field Efforts
Culebro highlights their off-field efforts: “We focus on expanding our brand, especially towards the United States, through our English social media accounts, fan events, and exclusive sponsor partnerships. Today, we have 15 academies in the United States and are constantly growing.”
Sports and Media Ascension
Although Tigres was founded in 1960, their sports ascension began in the 2010s, achieving six Liga MX titles, one Copa MX title, four Campeón de Campeones de México titles, one Concachampions title, and two Campeones Cup titles. The tally: 11 national titles and three international ones.
This sports success translated into media growth, taking advantage of current communication tools.
As a result, the name Tigres has resonated on other continents, a successful formula based on titles and international signings.
In recent years, commercial alliances have become part of the club’s equation, with their impact measured across various countries and primarily through digital consumption by new generations in areas beyond football.
“Tigres not only competes on the field but also in culture and engaging new audiences. Collaborations with brands like Apple, Warner Bros, DC Comics, Netflix, and Spotify have allowed us to expand our brand territories, connect with new generations, and position ourselves in spaces where football wasn’t always present.
“Looking ahead, we are open to new alliances that enable us to continue crossing borders, whether in entertainment, gaming, technology, or fashion, always with the goal of staying close to those who live the present and future of sports,” Valenzuela adds.
It’s worth noting that, in addition to the men’s team’s success, Tigres’ women’s team is the most decorated in Liga MX Femenil, with six out of fourteen possible trophies, including international figures like Jennifer Hermoso (Spain).
“We have seen many strategic alliances we’ve developed, and the reality is that they take us to places Tigres wouldn’t have reached alone. That’s why we make these alliances, to reach entirely new sectors for us (…) These associations reinforce the club’s innovative identity and its ability to adapt to what is culturally relevant today, always finding the common ground between our fan’s life and other assets,” emphasizes Valenzuela.
Close Fan Engagement
The other highlight in Tigres’ strategy is personalized fan engagement. According to data shared by the club, they currently have 600,000 fans within their CRM (Customer Relationship Management).
“We are building a strategy based on deep knowledge of our fans, understanding not only who they are but also how they live their passion for the club. Through our database tools, digital behavior analysis, and stadium experience participation, we generate profiles that allow us to segment our communication better, personalize experiences, and strengthen the relationship with each fan,” Valenzuela explains.
The data collected pertains to content preferences, social media interaction, and official product consumption.
“Based on data analysis, we aim to evolve towards a more individualized experience, ranging from targeted communication to personalized product offers, exclusive experiences, differentiated content, or priority access to events. We want each fan to feel an active part of the club, not just a spectator but part of something greater than ourselves,” he adds.
This week, Tigres faces Cruz Azul in the Concacaf semifinals’ return leg, aiming for a fifth Concacaf final. Additionally, Tigres advanced to the Liga MX Clausura 2025 quarterfinals as the fourth seed, following Toluca, America, and Cruz Azul. Their rival in the quarterfinals will be Necaxa, with the opening match in Aguascalientes and the closing in Nuevo Leon next week.
“We have a strategic plan consisting of six pillars: sports leadership, infrastructure, management, revenue, social and brand impact, and community. In each pillar, we have very clear objectives,” Culebro states.
“Our challenge is very clear, both as president and for all collaborators: we want to continue being protagonists in Mexican football through the fulfillment of our pillars and our mission, which is to inspire and generate positive impact on society.”
Key Questions and Answers
- What is Tigres’ strategy for their 65th anniversary? Tigres aims to elevate their brand internationally while maintaining strong relationships with fans through personalized engagement.
- How does Tigres plan to expand its global presence? The club focuses on international player signings, strategic alliances, and expanding their digital footprint in the United States.
- What are Tigres’ recent achievements in sports and media? Tigres has won 11 national titles and three international ones, growing their media presence through collaborations with brands like Apple, Warner Bros, and Netflix.
- How does Tigres personalize fan engagement? By analyzing fan data, preferences, and behaviors, Tigres creates individualized experiences, targeted communication, and exclusive offers to strengthen fan relationships.
- What are Tigres’ upcoming matches and objectives? Tigres will face Cruz Azul in Concacaf semifinals and advance to Liga MX Clausura 2025 quarterfinals, aiming to inspire and positively impact society through their strategic plan.
