Brad Sims has little doubt that when Major League Soccer turns 50 in 2045, it’ll be among America’s top three major pro sports leagues in both popularity and relevance, joining the NBA and the NFL. But why stop there?
“It would not shock me if soccer was the No. 1 sport in the U.S. in 2045,” said Sims, who is the CEO of NYCFC.
“The kids who are now 5, 10, 12 years old, they’re playing soccer, they’re watching soccer and consuming soccer as their No. 1 sport. Twenty-five years from now, they’re then having kids and they have all of the purchasing power.”
Added John Walker, president of business operations for the Houston Dynamo: “In this country where there’s multiple pro sports teams in a city, it’s very likely that in 2045, that the MLS club will be in the top two or three clubs in that market.”
The increase in youth soccer participation in the U.S. and the country’s changing demographics are certainly cause for such optimism. Total outdoor youth soccer participation from 2018 to 2019 increased 4.5% while those involved in indoor rose 2%, according to findings in the 2020 Sport & Fitness Industry Association Topline Report. A subset of casual soccer participants saw increases of 6.7% and 5.3%, respectively, during the same period.
Jeff Berding, president of FC Cincinnati, pointed out that the average MLS fan is “10 and 20 years younger than the average fan” across the other major U.S. pro sports leagues.
There is also is the knowledge that a new national television contract following the 2022 season will distribute more money to MLS clubs than ever before; the current deal with Fox Sports, ESPN and Univision pays roughly $90 million annually.
“What’s going to be important for the next 25-year window is we need the TV money to increase,” said FC Dallas President Dan Hunt.
The 2026 World Cup, to be played in North America, will be another pivotal moment in the future of MLS. Interest in the league will likely be “top-of-mind with most people,” Houston’s Walker said, giving a global platform to some of the league’s best players.
Then there’s the strengthening relationship between Mexico’s Liga MX and the MLS, most notably with the 2020 All-Star Game scheduled for Los Angeles this July between top players from both leagues. Ten players from Liga MX signed with MLS during January’s transfer window, including Mexican superstar Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, who joined the LA Galaxy.
“You know we’ve made a big step when the stars of Liga MX are willing at a high rate to start coming to MLS,” Hunt said. “Before it was really a trickle at best.”
As for further expansion, Walker called for being measured in any acceleration.
“The commissioner has stated about taking a deep breath,” he said, “but I cannot imagine that deep breath lasting 25 years.”
