New MLS commissioner Larry Berg pledges to grow the league: 'Status quo is not an option'
Exactly 27 years to the day that Don Garber was introduced as Major League Soccer’s second commissioner in 1999, LAFC co-managing owner Larry Berg pledged to improve on his predecessor’s success upon taking over MLS’ leading role on Jan. 1, 2027.
“My responsibility is to work with our clubs, our owners and everyone across this league to build on that foundation to help Major League Soccer reach its full potential,” Berg, 60, told media members and hundreds of league employees Tuesday afternoon at the league’s Manhattan headquarters.
Garber helped build MLS from a fledgling operation fighting to stay afloat and relevant to a 30-team behemoth with soccer-specific stadiums, youth academies and developmental leagues where the average franchise is valued at $767 million, a 39% increase since 2021. Of the 30 most valuable global soccer clubs, seven of them are MLS teams, led by Inter Miami, which stars Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player in the sport’s history. Sponsorship revenue in 2025 was an estimated $716 million, up 8% year over year.
But there are plenty of growth areas Berg, a former senior partner at Apollo Global Management and 26 North, wants to utilize as commissioner. The co-chair of MLS’ sporting and competition committee, Berg has the full backing of league owners — who unanimously approved his appointment over the other finalist, former Fox executive David Nathanson — to enact meaningful changes to supercharge the league’s growth. Garber already spearheaded a change in the league’s calendar, which will switch to a fall-to-spring season starting in 2027 to align with the European leagues. That, Berg said, will greatly help the quality on the field, but so will changing the league’s roster investment model so teams are able to acquire better players and build deeper rosters.
MLS currently has a $6.4 million salary cap, but various roster exceptions enable the majority of 2026 payrolls to be in the $12-21 million range. Owners have agreed that the current system is too restrictive. Berg said his No. 1 job is enhancing the roster investment model so teams can have more freedom to construct teams that work best for their markets.
“If I do that well, we'll have more transfer revenues, more media money,” Berg said, “and that’ll all lead to a better and more appealing product and become a flywheel.”
While MLS’ current media rights deal with Apple paying $250 million per year doesn’t expire until after the 2029 season, Berg said the league is already planning what its next contract could look like when it begins engaging the marketplace in 12-to-18 months, when the league hopes broadcast money could double.
“It's about finding the partners who want to co-create the future with us,” Berg said. “What's interesting to them? What's interesting to us? How can we change certain things to their benefit? My job is to sell the future and paint what MLS can be.”
While Berg said the league was looking into new and different competition formats to improve MLS’ interest and visibility, one thing that won’t happen in the foreseeable future is bringing the promotion-relegation model to the league.
“I don't think it's appropriate for our league,” he said. “I can understand the appeal but I don't think it's a great way to build a league. I don't think it's a way to get stadiums built and to get any facilities built and to have impressive rosters and all the other things you need to do.”
The ability to build out more impressive rosters and upgrade youth development for all 30 teams is key, Berg said, to take advantage of the momentum MLS has in North America following the World Cup. He claimed that for certain ages and demographics, soccer was the second- or third-most popular sport in the U.S. The younger the fan, the more popular soccer is to that age group. The challenge Berg and MLS face, as he gets ready to begin his tenure with a listening tour of team owners, commercial partners and key stakeholders, is making MLS the most popular soccer league in North America so it can take full advantage of the sport’s ascent.
That can’t be done by merely taking what Garber accomplished during his 27-year tenure and standing still. Change will be coming to MLS, and Berg will be tasked with taking an already strong product to the next level.
“Status quo is not an option,” Berg said. “We have an extraordinary foundation, exceptional clubs, terrific fans and tremendous momentum. Now it's time to pull the right levers, make the right decisions and build on everything that's been created.”
