MLS commissioner Don Garber said the league’s return after a seven-week hiatus for the FIFA men’s World Cup promises to be a transformative period for the league.
Speaking Thursday to herald the resumption of play, Garber touted a newly fertile commercial market for MLS that provides an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the league’s growth, particularly over the past decade, and build on it.
“As the water level for the sport grows, we’ve got a lot of boats on it,” Garber told Front Office Sports. “It’s on us to earn the trust, the respect, and the fan connection in our beautiful stadiums and convert the newbies to the sport.”
The remarks further the league’s aggressive attempt to capitalize on the increased fan attention on soccer that the World Cup created. Already, MLS this week introduced a sweeping ad campaign, “Thanks World, We’ll Take It From Here,” that is described as the largest coordinated marketing effort in league history.
Many others around the sport—including individual clubs, federations, brands, media networks, and youth organizations—have similarly sought to tap into the World Cup’s unprecedented viewership and historic fan attention.
