Hi Reader,

Welcome to this week's newsletter and a special greeting to all our new subscribers.

Tons of news, data and analysis coming up for you this week but first a quick opportunity for those of you who are going to be in Charlotte later this month for the MLS All Star events.

The Soccer Business are holding a Happy Hour networking event for our subscribers in the early evening of the 28th. It's a chance to meet up in a relaxed (and very cool) rooftop setting with others in the soccer business space.

We have partnered with our friends at Profluence, 18th and Prairie and Elevate to ensure this will be a top class event with restricted numbers so the ambience is right for conversation.

Click the invite above to register or click here. We look forward to seeing you in Charlotte for an enjoyable couple of hours.

As always, you can contact me at simon@thesoccerbusiness.com.

Cheers

Simon Evans

The Soccer Business.

Beware of 'instant impact' World Cup stories

My years is journalism have taught me to be very wary of the kind of reports which take one small sample of data and extrapolate sweeping conclusions. And we can expect plenty such stories in the wake of the FIFA World Cup, which concludes on Sunday.

We might see a sudden and sharp upturn in attendance and domestic soccer games - or we might not. If the numbers are slightly up, expect stories on how MLS/USL/NWSL is 'riding a post-World Cup wave'. But will it last? Or, on the other hand, we might actually see a little bit of soccer fatigue after weeks of multiple games on television and people turning off from the game for a while. But likewise that won't mean that the World Cup has failed to deliver the promised boost.

What matters is where we are one year out from now. Thats when we can look at trends and see if there really was a significant impact. We already know there are millions of fans of the game in the USA and Canada who do not support domestic soccer. MLS is trying to reach them with their 'Thanks World We'll. Take It From Here' marketing campaign. The decision of 22 MLS clubs to offer a free ticket to their first match ('First Match On Us') is a smart move. But it is a tough task converting Liga MX and EPL fans into MLS or USL fans.

Personally I am optimistic but I certainly don't expect to see conclusive evidence in the next few weeks.

Easy on the aging stars.....

Former Bayern and Barca striker Robert Lewandowski (37) and ex-France and Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann (35) are set for their debuts in MLS after making recent moves to Chicago and Orlando respectively: more big names to join Messi, Muller and Son as the league looks to reach new heights.

It took a long time for MLS to shed the stigma of being a 'retirement league' and there is so much young talent (domestic and international) in the league that the monicker now seems ridiculous. But with 34-year-old Brazilian Casemiro set to join the Inter Miami midfield, there is a danger that too many late career signings could undermine, however unfairly, the league's improved image. We are not there yet but it's something that the league should keep in mind.

Soccerbiz Bytes

Nearly half (49%) of all Americans identified as fans of pro soccer in June, up from 44% for the previous 12 months. That equated to 15 million more fans. Avid fandom increased from 10% to 15% for the month (or 14 million more avid fans). Sports Poll™ also asks Americans which sport they are “most interested in right now” to gauge how they prioritize their time on sports. The number who said they were most interested in pro soccer nearly doubled in June, with 16 million more Americans saying it was their top sports priority. (Source)​

The Soccer Business Podcast: Access is the key

With the debate still raging about youth soccer 'pay to play' and related issues of access to the sport, we published two podcasts this week which aimed to inform that discussion with actual experiences from people who aren't just talking about the problem but are acting.

Amir Lowery, a former MLS and USL professional player, runs the Open Goal Project in Washington DC which is a free programme for local kids which has grown to cover over 500 local youth. Amir has strong opinions on the problems caused by pay to play but has backed those up with concrete, long-term action aimed to building an alternative. Find out how he has built out DCFC, the challenges and the achievements by clicking on the pod graphic below:

The US Soccer Foundation has been leading the way in terms of access having built almost 1,000 mini-pitches across the country, battled to get soccer programs into schools and built out programs around coaches as mentors. CEO & President Ed Foster-Simeon joined me to outline his vision on how to sell the game as a community service by emphasizing the broader benefits of the sport to young people. He also has some thoughts on what expanded access means for elite player development.

You can listen to both episodes on your favorite audio platforms of course. On Spotify here. On Apple Podcasts here. ​

I'm glad we went slightly 'off topic' this week to look at these vital issues but we will be back to more usual territory next week, taking a deeper look at the implications for the soccer business of the FIFA World Cup. Make sure to subscribe to our feed on your preferred platform so you are notified of each episode.

This week's wrap-up of news in the North American soccer industry:

RONIN CAPITAL'S JAY FARNER MAKES LANDMARK INVESTMENT IN DETROIT CITY FC Jay Farner, founder of Ronin Capital Partners and former Rocket Companies CEO, has made what Detroit City FC describes as the largest investment in the USL club's history. Financial terms weren't disclosed, but the deal comes as Detroit City advances construction on AlumniFi Field, a $150m, 15,000-seat soccer-specific stadium anchoring a broader $200m development.

Ronin's COO, Nicole Vallianatos, is a former Division I soccer player, and the firm frames the investment as part of a wider bet on USL's growth trajectory. It's the latest sign of private capital moving into the USL ecosystem ahead of new stadium infrastructure across the league.

CHARLOTTE FC TO FOREGO $8.25M IN TICKET REVENUE AS CLUB ELIMINATES PSLS Charlotte FC expects to forgo roughly $8.25 million in season-ticket revenue over the next three MLS seasons after deciding to end the sale of personal seat licenses, according to Tepper Sports & Entertainment CRO Eric Sudol. The move affects credits tied to roughly 15,000 seats: fans can apply 75% of what they've paid toward their PSLs — averaging about $550 — to a combined 25-match package covering the 2027 sprint season and 2027-28 campaign, with the remaining 25% applicable if they renew for 2028-29.

The decision follows fan feedback via focus groups and surveys as the club looks to reverse an attendance slide. Charlotte's average attendance of 28,043 still ranks fourth in MLS this year, but it's down 12% from the same point in 2025 after a 16% drop over the prior two seasons. Alongside ending PSLs, the club will cut season-ticket prices by an average of 6% for the 2027-28 package, expand its ticket buyback/exchange program, and add food-and-beverage value packaging and expanded member experiences. Source: Sports Business Journal​

TORONTO FC II RELOCATES TO BARRIE AS CITY UNVEILS NEW SOCCER-SPECIFIC STADIUM The City of Barrie, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, MLS NEXT Pro, and Barrie Stadium Group have announced that Toronto FC II will relocate to downtown Barrie beginning with the 2028-29 season, rebranding as Barrie MLS NEXT Pro. The move is paired with plans for a purpose-built, 3,500-seat soccer-specific stadium in the heart of the city, designed to become one of the most iconic small soccer venues in North America and to host concerts, festivals and community programming alongside club matches. More than 1,000 supporters turned out for the public launch at Meridian Place — believed to be the largest club-launch celebration in MLS NEXT Pro history.

Barrie Stadium Group — led by chairman Jamie Massie and president/CEO Peter Raco, the pair behind the Barrie Molson Centre and OHL's Barrie Colts — will develop and operate the venue. Mayor Alex Nuttall called it “a transformational day for Barrie”.

OKLAHOMA CITY UNVEILS "OKC UNITED," BACKED BY STAR-STUDDED ATHLETE INVESTOR GROUP Oklahoma City's new professional soccer club has been unveiled as OKC United, majority owned by Echo Investment Capital and backed by one of the most decorated athlete-investor rosters assembled around a single club. The ownership group includes Russell Westbrook, Baker Mayfield, Thunder forward Jalen Williams, Olympic gold medallist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, former USMNT forward Jozy Altidore, entrepreneur Nick Gross and the Chickasaw Nation, all rolled up through Echo's “Connective Capital” investment model led by founder Christian Kanady.

The club will compete in the USL Championship as part of a broader downtown stadium and entertainment district development. Mayfield, Williams and McLaughlin-Levrone joined as strategic investors in late June, following earlier commitments from Westbrook and Altidore.

TENNESSEE'S NEW ADIDAS DEAL BRINGS SOCCER INTO 10-YEAR, ALL-SPORTS PARTNERSHIP The University of Tennessee has officially launched its 10-year, all-20-sports partnership with Adidas, ending a 12-year run with Nike. Tennessee soccer head coach Joe Kirt called the timing “even better” given Adidas's role sponsoring and hosting the 2026 World Cup in North America, with the Lady Vols debuting new kits August 5 against Clemson. Financial terms weren't disclosed, but the school called it “one of the best apparel deals in the history of college sports.”

The deal also folds Tennessee's soccer program into Adidas's NIL Ambassador Network, giving players commercial opportunities tied to the brand — part of a broader shift in how apparel companies are using college sponsorship to build athlete-level marketing relationships alongside traditional kit deals.

BUNDESLIGA DOUBLES DOWN ON REACH WITH NEW USA SPORTS AND TELEMUNDO DEALS The Bundesliga's new multi-year U.S. media rights deal with Versant's USA Sports is worth roughly $100m through the 2030-31 season — about $20m a year, down from the $30m annually it had been earning from Disney-owned ESPN since 2019. The roughly one-third fee cut reflects a broader repricing of non-American football rights in the U.S. market, where the NFL and NBA now absorb more than two-thirds of a $30bn-plus annual sports-rights pool. But the league is trading fee for footprint: USA Sports will air at least 30 matches on USA Network — roughly five times last season's linear total — with the remaining 270-plus matches streaming free on Fandango's relaunched ad-supported service, which requires no login or credit card.

But the German league recouped the lost revneue through a parallel, separately negotiated deal which makes NBCUniversal's Telemundo the league's exclusive Spanish-language home, broadcasting 100-plus matches on Telemundo and Universo with everything also streaming on Peacock. Combined, Bundesliga says the two deals put it in more than 80 million U.S. homes across English and Spanish, linear and digital — its broadest domestic distribution ever.

Bundesliga Americas EVP Robin Austermann tied the timing directly to the World Cup, saying the U.S. fanbase has grown 43% over the past five years and that the league is now prioritizing “outstanding distribution” over guaranteed fee growth. USA Sports president Matt Hong, appearing on CNBC, called Fandango “highly ubiquitous, highly accessible” and framed the deal as part of an “omni-platform strategy” spanning Versant's linear and direct-to-consumer businesses alike. The Bundesliga's U.S. push runs through Relevent's Bundesliga Americas venture, formed via a 17-year collaboration signed in 2024, which also operates a content studio in Guadalajara aimed at Spanish-language storytelling — the same commercial infrastructure now underpinning the Telemundo tie-up.

The deal is also a data point in a wider repositioning at Versant, which has signed seven new sports-rights deals or extensions in the past 12 months.

BRENTFORD REVEALS £50M HOLLYWOOD INVESTMENT FROM CLAUDIA SCHIFFER AND MATTHEW VAUGHN Brentford's accounts have confirmed the structure of a £50m investment from Marv Studios, co-owned by filmmaker Matthew Vaughn and Claudia Schiffer, according to football finance analyst Greg Cordell. The money came in two tranches — £20m in July 2025 and £30m in February 2026 — through Best Intentions Analytics, the holding company via which majority owner Matthew Benham (and now Vaughn and Schiffer) also control Spanish side Mérida AD.

CLEVELAND SOCCER GROUP TAPS ROCK ENTERTAINMENT GROUP FOR STADIUM NAMING RIGHTS Cleveland Soccer Group (CSG) has appointed Rock Entertainment Group (REG) — the organization behind the Cavaliers, Rocket Arena and Cleveland's incoming 2028 WNBA franchise — to lead naming rights and entitlement sales for South Gateway Stadium, CSG's planned 10,000-seat venue in downtown Cleveland. The site sits adjacent to Bedrock's 35-acre Riverfront development and will be the year-round home for the city's two professional soccer clubs, Forest City Cleveland (MLS NEXT Pro) and Cleveland Astra (WPSL Pro), both launching in 2028.

CSG is pitching the naming-rights opportunity well beyond soccer: beyond 34-plus matches a year for its two tenant clubs, the stadium has already signed letters of intent with St. Ignatius, St. Edward High School and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, plus professional men's and women's lacrosse and rugby, projecting 65-plus events and 400,000-plus visitors annually.

WINNIPEG NAMED NORTHERN SUPER LEAGUE'S FIRST EXPANSION CLUB The Northern Super League has confirmed Winnipeg as its seventh franchise and first expansion team, set to begin play in 2027. The club is co-founded by Canadian international and NSL alum Desiree Scott, who will serve as VP of Community & Player Experience, and Rob Gale, former head coach of the NWSL's Portland Thorns and original manager of Winnipeg's now-defunct CPL side Valour FC.

The expansion follows a $30m investment in the women's league from international sports investment firm APEX and comes after months of behind-the-scenes work positioning Winnipeg as the NSL's target market for growth into Central and Western Canada. Season ticket deposits go on public sale this week after more than 3,000 fans pledged support ahead of the formal announcement; club branding, crest and home venue are still to be confirmed.

BAY FC AND SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES LAND LACROIX AS SHARED SPARKLING WATER PARTNER Bay FC and the San Jose Earthquakes have announced a multi-year partnership naming LaCroix as Bay FC's Official Sparkling Water and Back-of-Training-Kit Partner, and Official Sparkling Water of shared home venue PayPal Park. The deal marks LaCroix's first venture sponsoring both a regional women's and men's professional team simultaneously, with in-stadium signage, concession sampling and community activation through Bay FC's “Bay It Forward” program. Bay FC president Bernard Gutmann framed it as a platform play, saying the goal is “to demonstrate why women's football is such a compelling platform for consumer brands to build authentic connections with passionate fans.” The partnership was sourced and facilitated by KLUTCH Sports Group's Global Partnerships division.

CHICAGO STARS FC NAMES STUBHUB OFFICIAL FAN MARKETPLACE PARTNER The NWSL's Chicago Stars FC has announced a new partnership with StubHub, naming the ticket marketplace as the club's Official Fan Marketplace and Official Open Distribution Partner through the remainder of the 2026 NWSL season. The deal gives StubHub branding across the club's ticketing and resale channels and is designed to give fans a sanctioned secondary-market option for Stars matches.

The tie-up continues NWSL clubs' push to formalize secondary ticketing partnerships as a standalone commercial category rather than leaving resale to unaffiliated platforms — a trend that mirrors similar open-marketplace deals StubHub has struck across MLS and other North American leagues.

EVERETT COUNCIL APPROVES FIRST PROPERTY PURCHASES FOR USL STADIUM SITE Everett, Washington's city council has approved the purchase of the first four parcels at the site of its planned downtown “Outdoor Event Center,” a multipurpose stadium intended to host both the AquaSox minor-league baseball team and new men's and women's USL clubs. The purchase unlocks $7.4m in state grant funding tied to the project; the city will vote on acquiring the remaining properties in September once a complete financing plan is presented.

The men's team would play in USL League One, with the women's side in the USL's Gainbridge Super League — though USL still needs to secure an ownership group for both franchises, which can carry multi-million-dollar expansion fees. Design is roughly 80% complete on the 5,000-seat venue, with a targeted 2027 completion if the project clears its remaining funding and approval hurdles.

VANCOUVER WHITECAPS PITCH TAKEOVER OF BC PLACE OPERATIONS The Vancouver Whitecaps have submitted a proposal to provincial crown corporation PavCo to take over day-to-day management of BC Place, in a bid to fix the revenue and scheduling constraints widely seen as the biggest obstacle to keeping the club in Vancouver. Under the plan, the Whitecaps would control stadium dates and operations while PavCo retains a share of revenue — addressing complaints that the club currently captures only a fraction of concession and matchday income compared to clubs that control their own venues.

The proposal comes as the Whitecaps remain up for sale after 19 months, with more than 100 parties reportedly engaged in talks and a rival Las Vegas relocation bid, led by investor Grant Gustavson, still on the table. MLS commissioner Don Garber has previously said the league would “take over” BC Place's commercial operations “in a heartbeat” if given the chance, calling the current arrangement untenable.

WASHINGTON SPIRIT NAMES PUPATELLA OFFICIAL NEAPOLITAN PIZZA PARTNER The Washington Spirit have named Arlington-founded pizzeria Pupatella as the club's Official Neapolitan Pizza Partner, a first-of-its-kind designation for the NWSL side. The deal will see Pupatella integrated into Spirit matchday experiences through in-stadium activations, co-branded campaigns and a VIP experience sweepstakes, with full activation details to be announced in the coming weeks.

CHICAGO CITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE APPROVES $424M IN TAX SUBSIDIES FOR CHICAGO FIRE STADIUM SITE A Chicago City Council committee has approved a $424m Tax Increment Financing (TIF) package for infrastructure around the Chicago Fire's planned stadium at “The 78,” the Related Midwest-owned South Loop development site. The stadium itself is being privately financed, but the TIF money will fund surrounding infrastructure: $216m for a parking garage, $100m in road improvements, $36m for Metra upgrades, plus river wall and pedestrian access work. A Planning and Development deputy commissioner told the hearing taxpayer money would not fund stadium operations or any “vertical developments.”

DC COUNCIL CHAIR PROPOSES $620M PUBLIC-PRIVATE EXPANSION OF AUDI FIELD D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson has introduced the Soccer Stadium Redevelopment and Maintenance Act, a $620m public-private plan to add a climate-controlled roof and roughly 8,000 seats to Audi Field, taking capacity from 20,000 to about 28,000. The split is roughly even: at least $320m would come from D.C. United's own investment, with the District contributing at least $300m, paid out in $60m annual installments over five years and repaid over time through stadium-generated revenue and tax activity Mendelson says would more than triple the public outlay.

The bill ties the public money to specific commitments — enabling at least 100 new events a year (concerts, conferences, international friendlies), a requirement that the majority of professional sporting events hosted annually be women's sports, and 467 new housing units nearby, including 148 affordable and 122 senior-designated units. The roof timing is notable: MLS shifts to a July-through-May calendar in 2027, pushing more of the season into winter and raising the value of a covered venue. Audi Field, opened in 2018 for about $300m, is home to D.C. United, the Washington Spirit, USL Super League's DC Power FC and the UFL's DC Defenders.

CITY OF ATLANTA, VISA, STREET SOCCER USA AND BANK OF AMERICA BRING VISA STREET SOCCER PARK TO ATLANTA The City of Atlanta has joined Visa, Bank of America and national nonprofit Street Soccer USA to bring a Visa Street Soccer Park to the city, following months in development after being announced as one of the network's planned sites across all 11 U.S. World Cup host cities. Each park is built around two professional-grade Bank of America mini-pitches with lighting, digital scoreboards and an on-site learning center, and is designed for daily use by local youth and adult leagues rather than as a one-off tournament activation — Visa is the Official Payment Technology Partner of the 2026 World Cup and Bank of America its Official Bank Sponsor.

The Atlanta site is part of Street Soccer USA's broader “26 for 2026” push to open 26 parks and learning centers nationally by the end of this year, building on parks already active in San Francisco.

AIRSYS NAMED OFFICIAL CORPORATE PARTNER OF GREENVILLE TRIUMPH SC THROUGH 2029 AIRSYS, a global cooling and infrastructure technology company headquartered in nearby Woodruff, South Carolina, has signed on as official corporate partner of Greenville Triumph SC through the 2029 season.

CANADA SOCCER LAUNCHES INAUGURAL W CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP AS PATHWAY TO FIFA WOMEN'S CLUB WORLD CUP Canada Soccer has launched the inaugural W Canadian Championship, a new knockout competition serving as the 2026-27 domestic pathway to the 2027 Concacaf W Champions Cup and, ultimately, the first FIFA Women's Club World Cup in 2028. Eight clubs will compete across three rounds: all six Northern Super League sides plus two clubs from Premier Soccer Leagues Canada (Simcoe County Rovers FC and CS Mont-Royal Outremont), with Quarterfinals running August through October 2026 and the Semifinals and Final in the first half of 2027. The Quarterfinals broadcast package spans TSN, TSN+ and the NSL's own YouTube channel, folding the new competition directly into existing NSL media windows rather than standing up separate rights.

ALUCUP NAMED OFFICIAL ALUMINUM CUP SUPPLIER OF ORLANDO CITY SC AND ORLANDO PRIDE Orlando City SC and Orlando Pride have signed a new partnership with Orlando-based AA Metals Inc., naming its AluCup brand the Official Aluminum Cup Supplier of both clubs. AluCup becomes the official upper back jersey partner on all Orlando Pride kits, while fully recyclable aluminum cups will be rolled out throughout Inter&Co Stadium as part of the clubs' sustainability push — replacing traditional single-use drinkware with an infinitely recyclable alternative. OVG Global Partnerships served as sales agency of record, facilitating the deal.

NYCFC CONFIRMS JULY 17, 2027 OPENING FOR ETIHAD PARK, BACKS IT WITH SOHO “NEWSSTAND” ACTIVATION New York City FC has set July 17, 2027 — exactly one year out — as the date of its first match at Etihad Park, the club's permanent home and the first soccer-specific stadium in New York City, under construction in Willets Point, Queens. The club marked the countdown with a one-day activation in SoHo built around a branded “New York City FC Newsstand” — custom newspaper vending machines placed around the city stocked with club-branded newspapers, scratch-off prizes and photo ops with players and mascot Sky the Pigeon, designed to convert World Cup-driven casual interest into lasting local fandom.

LAZIO'S €19M POLYMARKET SHIRT DEAL AT RISK AFTER ITALY RE-BLOCKS THE PLATFORM Lazio's two-season, €19m front-of-shirt sponsorship with prediction market Polymarket — signed in April, with an option for a third season in 2028-29 — is in jeopardy after Italy's customs and monopolies agency (ADM) re-added Polymarket to its blocklist, ruling it an unauthorized gambling operator. Polymarket had argued in a prior appeal that it operates an odds-exchange prediction market rather than a traditional betting product, and had continued operating during that challenge, but Italian authorities blocked the site again in the past 24 hours. The deal had been notable as one of the first major shirt sponsorships for a prediction-market platform in European football, at a time when Lazio have struggled to attract front-of-shirt sponsors at all.

The exposure extends beyond Lazio: Polymarket separately holds a multi-year licensing agreement with Lega Serie A covering use of official Serie A logos and trademarks on its U.S.-facing platform, meaning an Italian regulatory shutdown could complicate that arrangement too.