MLS Records Banner Year In 2016, Cements Position Among Top U.S. Pro Sports Leagues

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http://www.forbes.com/sites/markjburns/2016/10/26/mls-records-banner-year-in-2016-cements-position-among-top-u-s-pro-sports-leagues/#840d1d56778f

MLS Records Banner Year In 2016, Cements Position Among Top U.S. Pro Sports Leagues

Mark J. Burns

In 2016, Major League Soccer is still not consistently part of the national conversation when it comes to the major U.S. professional sports leagues.

Yet, when looking at the past calendar year — where the 2o-team league saw exponential growth in viewership, social media, attendance, merchandise sales, team valuations and other categories — it is impossible to have that same conversation without including MLS.

“I think that Major League Soccer is every bit a part of the mainstream day-to-day North American sports conversation,” said Howard Handler, MLS Chief Marketing Officer. “… 2016 was a milestone year for us. The story of Major League Soccer continues to be one of momentum and accelerated growth.”

Forbes recently talked with Handler to discuss all things MLS, where now the average club is valued at $185 million, an 18 percent increase from 2015. When the first valuations were released in 2008, the average club was listed at just $37 million, a 400 percent spike. 

Handler also commented on viewership upticks on linear TV, how social media has helped spark the league’s growth, what teams are leading merchandise sales, spikes in attendance and other key performance indicators.