MLS has bought back its 25% stake in Soccer United Marketing that it sold to Providence Equity Partners in '12. Providence paid $125-150M for the stake. MLS had a put option on the stake and had been in negotiations for over a year to execute it (Daniel Kaplan, Staff Writer). Sources said that Providence "tripled its initial investment" in SUM. BLOOMBERG NEWS' Soshnick & Porter noted six teams have joined MLS since '12, "diluting Providence’s original share." SUM is the "latest sports-related holding shed by Providence, which is building a strong record of returns on sports investments." Sources said that the company recently "tripled its investments" in the sales of Learfield last year and World Triathlon in '15. Providence had been the only outside investor in SUM, which has "grown into the media, promotional and marketing arm for MLS, the U.S. Soccer Federation and other North American soccer entities." By taking complete ownership of SUM, the league and its owners will "no longer have to share the profits generated by the buying and selling of broadcast rights and corporate sponsorships, which are rising along with the popularity of soccer, and particularly MLS" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 6/19).
