- Huddle in the Hamptons takes place as sporting execs meet
- MLS commissioner Garber speaks on celebrity-driven ownership in league
- Raves about Beckham at Inter Miami
MLS commissioner Don Garber was an invitee at Huddle in the Hamptons this past week, an executive-level event that brings together individuals from sports, technology, media and finance each year.
A key talking point across conversations was how celebrity-driven ownership, across all sports, is a rapidly growing trend, but in soccer, it’s becoming an influential tool to elevate individual programs and clubs in the footballing world. Valuations of clubs across the world are surging, Front Office Sports says, and MLS has been a league to take advantage of that in recent years.
“Our best example is Beckham,” Garber said at the event on Friday. “He is an active owner. He comes to board meetings. He has a global perspective. He works hard, and he gives us the benefit of his gazillion Instagram followers.”
High-profile ownership groups across the league include legendary English footballer David Beckham at Inter Miami, and Hollywood A-list actors Will Ferrell at LAFC and Reese Witherspoon at Nashville SC.
Garber also praised Ferrell due to his consistent advocacy for the Black and Gold and his unique influence on the club’s culture and fanbase.
“He goes to games, he brings his friends to games, he talks to the players, and he does it in a way that’s very beneficial to us,” he said.
Meanwhile, alongside Beckham, Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi has had an ownership stake in the Herons, promised to him upon retirement if he wanted to buy into the club. However, Garber revealed that he’s probably not someone the Argentine is thinking about at the moment, following the decision to suspend him one match for skipping the 2025 MLS All-Star Game.
“I don’t think he wants to talk to me,” Garber said.
Per FOS, soccer is the sport where celebrity-driven ownership is moving the fastest.
“Being at UBS, I’ve seen the value of these teams go,” said Adewale Ogunleye, Head of Sports and Entertainment, UBS. “We’re getting interest from clients that want to participate and want to own these teams. From a personal standpoint, me and my wife are priced out. … The PE firms have taken the valuations of these teams to a level that, if you own the team, you’re happy, but if you want to get on the ground level … it’s going to cost you a significant chunk of your money to get in now.”
Due to the rapid expansion of American soccer in the USL, NWSL and MLS, first-time owners are making plays to join franchises, before they too get priced out.
“It’s a smart business move, not only for them, but for the clubs that are being formed,” added Leslie Osborne Co-founder of NWSL side Bay FC. “If you have athletes who have succeeded at the highest level possible, that have seen both sides on and off the field, it’s only going to help both on the business side but also as an investment side. So there is more to come.”
MLS action resumes next weekend, with Matchday 29 kicking off Saturday evening.
