LAFC becomes first $1B MLS club

LAFC has sold out every regular-season and playoff match since bursting onto the MLS scene in 2018 — one of the factors in its estimated $8 million operating profit from a league-high $116 million in revenue last season.

The club is set to add to those profits when BMO takes over as stadium naming rights sponsor on a 10-year, $100 million deal.

Since 2019 — the last time that Forbes created this list — average MLS team valuations rose 85% from $313 million to $579 million. Besides LAFC, three teams are worth $800 million or more.

• LA Galaxy — $925M
• Atlanta United FC — $850M
• New York City FC — $800M

Of the league’s 10 oldest franchises, only three — LA Galaxy (second), D.C. United (fifth), and Sporting Kansas City (12th) — crack the top half of the list.

Going Up-Stream

MLS is set to embark on a grand experiment this year when Apple TV+ takes over the league’s media rights in the first season of a historic 10-year, $2.5 billion deal.

The tech giant will charge $99 per season — or $79 for existing Apple TV+ subscribers — for MLS Season Pass, which will feature every match of the season with no blackouts.