Despite the growth of soccer in the United States, Major League Soccer is still lagging behind other US pro sports in popularity. However, it seems that one very important company believes in the league long-term: Adidas.
After Adidas signed an eight-year, $200 million deal with MLS in 2010, Yahoo! reports that the two sides have extended the deal to a whopping $700 million for six years. That’s an increase from $25 million to nearly $117 million per year.
That’s a big bet, considering that MLS occupies a distant fifth place behind the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL. But Adidas US CEO Mark King, who has helped put the brand on a hot streak in America, is committed to the future of American pro soccer.
MLS, says King, is “the most compelling pro league to be a part of.” That’s quite a vote of confidence.
“If it was a typical league deal, where you only get to put your logo on the jersey, I think we’d still be interested because soccer is our core sport around the world, but it really becomes interesting when you look at all the programs that help build the sport,” says King. “My guess is within 10 years, from a youth participation standpoint, soccer will be the biggest sport. And if kids who play soccer continue to be fans of the sport, then yeah, if you’re talking 20 to 30 years from now, I think MLS can be as big as NFL.”
MLS confirmed the new deal, but not the dollar amount, in a very excited all-caps tweet.
ADIDAS AND MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER ANNOUNCE LANDMARK PARTNERSHIP #MLS https://t.co/0YFboHsJTT
— MLS Communications (@MLS_PR) August 2, 2017
MLS’s product has been in high demand recently. The league reportedly rejected a $4 billion TV deal because it did not want to go to a relegation-style league, but even so, that shows the league’s potential in the eyes of industry giants.
While MLS has certainly grown in recent years, these offers are based mostly on potential. MLS has done a good job finding top North American talent, but it’s still far weaker than European leagues, and the biggest European names to come to MLS have done so in the twilight of their careers. But with this kind of money, and with soccer’s growing American popularity, that could change.
[Yahoo]
