Hi Reader,

Welcome to this week's newsletter - and a special hello to our new subscribers, many of whom have signed up after enjoying our podcasts. Please feel free to forward this newsletter on to friends or colleagues who may find the news and views here of interest.

Don't forget, if you have any news, suggestions for future stories or podcast guests, or are interested in discussing partnership opportunities, don't hesitate to get in touch with me at simon@thesoccerbusiness.com.

Cheers

Simon Evans

The Soccer Business.

SEVERAL READERS AND COMMENTERS on our You Tube channel responded to last week's pod and newsletter article about the new investment in MLS Next Pro and the plan to move MLS reserve teams to new markets with some skepticism. Particularly there were concerns about whether fans would really want to watch teams whose players were owned by another club?

I think markets without any professional club and without the prospect of any such club will find fans who are happy to have any kind of pro soccer to watch BUT....there is a lot that we don't know yet about the competition format. To really deliver excitement, the clubs need to have games that truly matter and aren't just reserve matches or glorified practice games. IMO, it's vital that these new clubs are able to compete in the US Open Cup which would throw them into the mix against USL clubs and eventually, possible MLS first teams. If the league grows in size it might also open up the possibility of movement between different tiers of MLS Next Pro through playoff success. My other hope is that the markets chosen by MLS Next Pro do not cause direct challenges to existing USL clubs. As everyone keeps saying, it's a big country with room for everyone and hopefully the MLSNP new clubs are purely an addition to the existing scene and we avoid unnecessary skirmishes.

THERE WAS A STORM OF CRITICISM of Inter Miami's decision to send out youngsters Noah Allen and Ian Fray to face the media after the team threw away a three goal lead to lose to local rivals Orlando City in MLS on Saturday. Frankly, you can't justify putting the pressure on the kids when there are senior players hiding in the locker-room - that was unforgivable. But a lot of the criticism was mixed up with commentary about how Lionel Messi has barely been available to the media since joining the club almost three years ago and that is a different story. MLS really would benefit from more media activity from Messi and if he did just 25% of the media that his 'boss' David Beckham did during his time at LA Galaxy it would make a significant difference. I don't expect Messi to have to face the music after every defeat but a little more talk, even for someone as shy and unforthcoming as the Argentine, surely isn't too much to expect from a player who is making a fortune out of his experience in the USA.

Soccerbiz byte:

The return of Venezia to Serie A next season will add to an already strong North American contingent in the Italian top flight, which remarkably is approaching 50% of the league:

Inter Milan – Oaktree Capital (US private equity), AC Milan – RedBird Capital Partners (US), Atalanta – Stephen Pagliuca (US businessman), AS Roma – The Friedkin Group (US), Fiorentina – Giuseppe Commisso (Italian-American), Parma – Kyle Krause (US), Pisa – Alexander Knaster (US), Hellas Verona – Presidio Investors (Austin, Texas-based private equity), Bologna - Canadian entrepreneur Joey Saputo.

Although Pisa and Verona are heading down to Serie B they will be replaced by Venezia with its North American consortium (more on that later) while Monza, owned by Beckett Layne Ventures, could also join them via the playoffs.

Podcast: Drake, Messi, Fanatics and More

This week's Soccer Business News Review podcast goes into several of the items highlighted in this week's newsletter along with some Questions sent in by Listeners to myself and co-host Andre Da Costa. It's on all the usual platforms. Click below to go to the Apple Podcast version.

And if you haven't checked out our pod from earlier in the week with Tom Glick of Hometown Soccer Holdings, the company that is a joint venture between MLS and KKR, where he dives into the details about the new plans for MLS Next Pro then click on the image below.

NEWS ROUND-UP:

DRAKE HELPS BRING €100M INVESTMENT AND NEW PRESIDENT TO VENEZIA FC Venezia FC has completed a significant minority investment as part of a €100 million fundraise, with sports and entertainment executives Tim Leiweke and Francesca Bodie taking leading roles at the club. Bodie has been appointed President, succeeding Duncan Niederauer, while Leiweke becomes Co-Chairman alongside Rob Hamwee. The pair were introduced to the club through rapper and co-owner Drake, with whom they previously worked at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment — home of the Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The investment comes as the Venetian club secured promotion back to Serie A, with Leiweke and Bodie's vehicle now the largest outside shareholder. The club says the funds will support its ambitions in top-flight Italian and European football, as well as plans to develop a new stadium at Bosco dello Sport.

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​FIFA ENDS DECADES-LONG PANINI PARTNERSHIP IN FAVOUR OF FANATICS FOR 2031 WORLD CUP FIFA has signed a long-term exclusive deal with Fanatics, allowing its Topps brand to produce trading cards, stickers and card games for the World Cup and other FIFA events from 2031 onwards. The agreement ends Panini's association with the tournament stretching back to 1970, excluding only the 1994 edition. Financial terms were not disclosed, though a source described the deal as spanning multiple World Cup cycles. Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin called it the single most significant move the company could make to grow its global business.

The deal extends Fanatics' dominance in football collectibles, having already replaced Panini as UEFA's exclusive licensee for the Euros and Nations League. Fanatics will also serve as the official on-site retail partner for the 2026 World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico. The news leaves Panini's future increasingly uncertain; the Italian company, which reported nearly $720m in net sales from 2022 World Cup products, is exploring strategic options including a potential sale or stock market listing.

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​MANCHESTER UNITED IN ADVANCED TALKS TO MAKE BETWAY TRAINING KIT SPONSOR Manchester United are closing in on a multi-year training kit sponsorship deal with British gambling company Betway, with the partnership expected to be worth in excess of £18 million per season — among the highest of its kind in world football. The agreement would end a year-long gap in training kit revenue following the expiry of a deal with blockchain firm Tezos, which had earned the club £24 million annually. Betway previously sponsored West Ham United's matchday shirts and holds gambling partnerships with Manchester City, Arsenal and Brighton.

The timing is partly driven by the Premier League's forthcoming voluntary ban on gambling companies appearing on matchday shirts from the 2026-27 season, which is expected to push betting firms towards training kit deals instead. United's Champions League qualification is also said to have added momentum to negotiations. The club is simultaneously working with marketing agency Two Circles to secure a new shirt sleeve sponsor, with DXC's existing deal expiring this summer.

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​FIFA WORLD CUP - INDIA AND CHINA YET TO SECURE TV DEALS The 2026 FIFA World Cup faces a significant broadcasting gap just weeks before kick-off on June 11, with television and streaming rights in both India and China still unresolved. Together, the two countries accounted for more than 22% of the tournament's total digital streaming audience at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with China alone responsible for 17.7% of global linear TV reach. During previous tournaments, broadcasters in both markets had secured rights well over a year in advance.

In India, talks broke down after Reliance-Disney offered around $20 million for rights covering the 2026 and 2030 editions — far below FIFA's initial asking price of close to $100 million — while Sony also walked away after concluding the investment was not financially viable, according to Reuters. China's state broadcaster CCTV, which carried the last two World Cups, has yet to confirm any agreement despite an estimated 200 million football fans in the country. Advertising experts suggest negotiations in India are entering their final stages, but time is running critically short for broadcasters to schedule coverage and sell sponsorship inventory. Full Story​

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​VOX CREATIVE AND ROKU DEBUT THREE-PART DOCUSERIES ON THE RISE OF AMERICAN SOCCER With the 2026 World Cup less than a month away, Vox Creative, SB Nation and Roku have released Soccer Meets America, a free three-part docuseries tracing more than 120 years of American soccer history. The series centres on the career of Alan Rothenberg, who served as U.S. Soccer president from 1990 to 1998 and CEO of the 1994 World Cup, and charts the sport's growth from its roots in immigrant communities in the 1920s through to the formation of Major League Soccer and the NWSL.

The docuseries covers landmark moments including soccer's inclusion in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, the hosting of the 1994 men's World Cup and the 1999 Women's World Cup, and the broader sustained momentum that transformed the game's standing in American culture. Rothenberg notes that while the 2026 World Cup will generate a major spike in interest, the country is starting from a far stronger foundation than it was in 1994. Soccer Meets America is available now for free on The Roku Channel.

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​USL AND PLAYERS ASSOCIATION REACH TENTATIVE CBA AGREEMENT THROUGH 2030 The United Soccer League and the USL Players Association have reached a tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement covering USL Championship players through 2030, with a health insurance trigger that could extend the deal to 2031. The agreement came after more than 60 bargaining sessions held since August 2024, following the expiry of the previous CBA at the end of last year. Key gains for players include: the standard minimum salary rising from $31,000 to $42,000 for 2026 in the USL Championship, with a minimum of $67,000 set for the new USL Premier division when it launches in 2028. Entry-level contract minimums also rise, from $26,000 to $34,000 in the USL-C, and will be set at $50,000 in USL Premier, with such contracts capped at four per team in USL-C and six in USL Premier.

Other significant provisions include the elimination of unilateral mid-season contract buyouts — a major sticking point for the union — mandatory health insurance for all players (at the same level offered to front office staff), extended minimum contract lengths from 10 to 12 months, and improved compensation for players' Name, Image and Likeness rights. Additional protections were also secured for players whose clubs cease operations. The tentative agreement was reached alongside USL's push to establish the new Division 1 USL Premier league with promotion and relegation, potentially beginning as soon as 2028. (More at ESPN)​

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​CLEVELAND ASTRA UNVEILED AS CITY'S FIRST WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL SOCCER CLUB Cleveland Soccer Group has unveiled the name and identity of the city's first women's professional soccer team: Cleveland Astra. The club, whose name derives from the Latin word for 'stars,' is set to begin play in the spring of 2028 as part of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) Pro, competing in a planned new downtown Cleveland soccer stadium. Season ticket deposits are now open and merchandise is available online.

The Astra identity was developed through a year-long branding process that included feedback from more than 3,000 fans, with organisers deliberately creating a standalone identity rather than connecting the club to any existing franchise. The announcement follows the earlier reveal of Forest City Cleveland, the city's forthcoming MLS Next Pro men's team, which begins play in 2027.

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​MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER OPENS NEW 126,000 SQ FT GLOBAL HEADQUARTERS AT 2 PENN PLAZA Major League Soccer has officially opened its new global headquarters at 2 Penn Plaza in Manhattan, a 126,000-square-foot, two-floor facility designed by TPG Architecture around an 'office as a stadium' concept. The space features more than 80 meeting and collaboration rooms, a tunnel-inspired entrance, a central hub called 'Midfield,' and a live Match Day Center Operations Hub that monitors all league games in real time. Digital displays throughout the building deliver live match data to staff.

The facility serves as a statement of the league's ambition heading into its 31st season, with design elements drawn from the sport itself — including lighting inspired by the league's original match ball and architectural forms referencing pitch geometry and the MLS Cup trophy. Every club is represented within the space, reinforcing what the league describes as its 'One League, All Clubs' philosophy.

FAN EXPERIENCE PLATFORM JUMP SIGNS MULTI-YEAR DEAL WITH USL EXPANSION CLUB ATLETICO DALLAS Fan experience and ticketing platform Jump has signed a multi-year founding partnership with Atletico Dallas, the USL Championship expansion club set to begin play at the historic Cotton Bowl in 2027. Under the agreement, Jump will serve as the club's founding ticketing and fan experience platform, managing ticketing, pricing and fan engagement through a unified system with no service fees for supporters at checkout.

Jump, which was founded in 2021 by Marc Lore, Alex Rodriguez and Jordy Leiser, has rapidly expanded its soccer portfolio across the US and internationally. Its clients now include NWSL clubs NC Courage, Denver Summit FC and Seattle Reign, MLS side Seattle Sounders, and Scottish Premiership club Aberdeen F.C. The Atletico Dallas deal was first initiated in early 2025 by the club's SVP of Partnerships Ryan Mackey.

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​PORTLAND THORNS ANNOUNCE BANK OF AMERICA AS OFFICIAL WEALTH MANAGEMENT AND COMMUNITY PARTNER The Portland Thorns of the NWSL have announced a multi-year partnership with Bank of America, naming the financial institution the club's Official Wealth Management Partner. Central to the deal is Soccer with Us, Bank of America's community programme aimed at expanding youth access to soccer, which will be delivered in collaboration with the Thorns to remove participation barriers for children across the Portland region. Bank of America branding will also appear on the club's training kit.

The partnership will additionally support the Thorns' 'My First Game' initiative, a series of Bank of America-sponsored youth clinics throughout the season, and community programmes spotlighting local entrepreneurs and business owners through initiatives such as Playmakers of Portland. The Thorns are the winningest club in NWSL history with three championships, and led the league in average attendance for a record ninth time in 2025.