Can MLS truly become a top global league? Norm O'Reilly

Can MLS truly become a top global league? Norm O'Reilly

Author: Simon Evans May 29, 2025 Duration: 42:01
MLS is 30 years old - how did it go from an idea after the 1994 World Cup to become the 30-team league it is today? Norm O'Reilly, co-author of a new book 'The Rise of Major League Soccer - Building a Global Giant' joins Simon to examine the growth of the league through difficult early years to the recent boom in valuations and the arrival of Lionel Messi. Where does MLS go from here? Can it really become a top three league in the world? 

Simon Evans brings his deep knowledge of the sports industry to The Soccer Business Podcast, a series dedicated to the intricate and rapidly evolving commercial landscape of soccer in North America. Each episode features conversations with prominent personalities and key players who are shaping the game off the pitch. You'll hear candid discussions that go beyond the headlines, delving into the real-world strategies of club-building, league expansion, and major infrastructure projects like new stadiums. The dialogue consistently explores the critical financial engines of the sport: sponsorship deals, marketing innovations, and the flow of investment that determines which clubs thrive. This isn't just about scores and transfers; it's a clear-eyed examination of how business decisions made in boardrooms directly impact the sport we watch on the field. For anyone curious about the economic forces and ambitious personalities driving soccer's growth across the continent, this podcast offers essential listening. Evans guides these complex topics with a journalist's insight, making each interview both informative and engaging for fans and professionals alike.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Soccer Business Podcast
Podcast Episodes
World Cup: Winners and Losers [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:24
Simon Evans is joined by Andre Da Costa and Sports Business Journal's Alex Silverman for a wrap-up review of the World Cup — breaking down the tournament's biggest business winners and losers. From Erling Haaland to Cris…
American Soccer's Future is 'All About Access' - Ed Foster-Simeon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:46
Every four years the same debate resurfaces after a US World Cup exit: pay-to-play, access, and why the world's most inclusive sport still has a class problem in America. Ed Foster-Simeon, CEO of the US Soccer Foundation…
Pay to Play Soccer: An Alternative with Amir Lowery [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:13
'Pay to Play' youth soccer is being blamed for the USMNT under-performing. But is there another way for kids to be given access to coaching? Amir Lowery is a coach and former MLS and USL player who is now head of the Ope…
After World Cup Humbling - Is American Soccer Getting it All Wrong? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:17
Simon and André break down the USA's 4-1 collapse against Belgium in the Round of 16 — and why the manner of the exit, not the result itself, has triggered a wave of hot takes across social and sports media. They unpack…
New MLS club investors, MCO moves and Bruno Costa interview [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:13
A significant, first of a kind, new investment in an MLS club. LAFC sell their Swiss club and a USL purchase are among the issues discussed in our new review before Bruno Costa, head of the international office for the B…
World Cup Mania - 'Hydration Breaks', Fox and Soccer as Festival [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:58
Simon and Andre dive into the opening two weeks of the World Cup - beyond the extraordinary attendances and record-breaking ratings, the tournament has captured the imagination in lots of unexpected ways. With the extra…
The $1.3 billion deals behind the USA team at the World Cup [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:36
While the USMNT make their bid for glory at the FIFA World Cup. the U.S. Soccer Federation is breaking revenue records with over $1.3 billion in contracted revenue. Chief Commercial Officer Dave Wright reveals the busine…
Inside The Billions Spent on World Cup Brand Deals with Ricardo Fort [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:01
Former top Coca Cola and Visa sports sponsorship executive Ricardo Fort joins the pod to reveal the inner workings of the business, ambush marketing and why AI firms could be at the forefront of the next wave of mega-dea…
Another Relocation Threat in MLS? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:13
Don Garber visited Montreal on Thursday and made it very clear he wants to see changes to the stadium situation in the city. After Vancouver, is a second Canadian city facing the threat of relocation with Las Vegas waiti…
Is MLS's Apple Deal finally paying off? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:28
There was plenty of criticism of MLS's broadcast deal with Apple TV - from both fans and within the industry. But the latest numbers out of MLS suggest that real growth is happening. Seth Bacon EVP Media with MLS joins t…