MLS at a crossroads: What comes next after the Wor...
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- Major League Soccer generated $2.5 billion in revenue as a 30-team league, with Sportico estimating 18 of its franchises rank among the world's 50 most valuable soccer clubs — including Inter Miami at $1.45 billion.
- The 2026 World Cup delivered record US viewership, with more than 50 million watching the US-Belgium round-of-16 match and over 60 million tuning in for the final, prompting MLS to launch its largest-ever ad campaign: "Thanks, world. We'll take it from here."
- MLS will flip its schedule in 2027 to align with international leagues, and its 45 players on World Cup rosters logged more than 8,000 minutes — the most of any league outside Europe's top five.
- MLS owners are targeting a new broadcast rights deal in the $400 million to $500 million range to replace the current $250 million annual Apple TV agreement, which the sides agreed to end after the 2029 season.
- Don Garber will step down as commissioner at the end of 2027, after taking the role in 1999; the league launched in 1994 as a single-entity business tied to the US hosting that year's World Cup.
- San Diego FC became MLS's 30th team in 2025 by paying a $500 million expansion fee, a jump from the sub-$30 million average fees between 2006-2012, with seven new teams added since 2019 contributing roughly $1.5 billion collectively.
- MLS ranks 10th globally in league quality per Global Football Rankings, and the average MLS player was valued at 1.7 million euros ($1.9 million) in 2024, placing the league 14th worldwide.
Why it matters: The next broadcast deal will determine whether MLS can sustain franchise valuations already above $1 billion or risks losing the American soccer market to better-talent leagues. With the Apple contract expiring after 2029 and Garber's 2027 exit, the league must decide whether its 10th-ranked quality is a ceiling or a starting point — and whether investing more in players, as the Premier League's £948 million in pretax losses warns against, is worth the gamble.
