The NFL is the most successful and profitable sports league in the world. So it only makes sense that other sports leagues would look to the shield to find individuals to lead their own sports. And MLS is no exception as they have begun the search for who will succeed commissioner Don Garber.
Garber has overseen Major League Soccer for the past quarter century. He joined the league initially in 1999 from where else but the NFL. In that time, MLS has seen incredible growth from 12 to 30 teams. The league has welcomed global superstars from David Beckham to Lionel Messi. Soccer-specific stadiums have spawned all around the country and the 2026 World Cup will only hope to boost the domestic league even more.
Of course, there have also been question marks around Garber’s reign. There is the continued lack of promotion and relegation and the high dependance on expansion franchises to boost the league’s value. Franchises have come and gone with the potential relocation of the Vancouver Whitecaps threatening to cast a cloud over the current MLS season. Then there is the polarizing Apple TV deal that has seen the league go all-in with the tech giant to mixed results.
Garber’s contract expires at the end of 2027 and it appears that MLS will finally be ready to turn over a new leaf in leadership. And according to Puck’s John Ourand, a few names have already started to rise to the forefront. They include Big XII commissioner Brett Yormark and LAFC owner Larry Berg. But the most intriguing name and potentially the one that makes the most sense is NFL media chief Hans Schroeder.
Schroeder would be an excellent choice for Major League Soccer given he handles the league’s massive media deals as the league’s Executive Vice President of Media Distribution. He currently has a lot of work on his plate with the potential re-negotiation of the NFL media deals that will have potentially hundreds of billions of dollars at stake.
Schroeder has helped the NFL to establish relationships with all the major networks and streamers from ESPN, NBC, CBS, and Fox to Netflix, Amazon, and Google. If MLS does indeed move on from Apple after the 2028-2029 season, then a new executive will face new television and streaming deal’s as the league’s first priority. MLS currently makes $250 million annually from their Apple deal and will be faced with pressure to increase that revenue so that the league can continue to make strides. That will become more challenging given the opaque nature of the Apple data and the smaller share of the pie that may be left after the NFL gobbles up their massive new deals.
Another reason for MLS to look to Hans Schroeder to replace Don Garber is the early success that another former NFL exec in Brian Rolapp has had in leading the PGA Tour since taking over as commissioner from Jay Monahan. Rolapp has been very open about his desire to monetize the tour and make it more fan-friendly, focusing on the entertainment aspect that golf can provide to fans. With LIV Golf going by the wayside and the PGA Tour going in ratings, Rolapp is seemingly in the groove in the leadership role.
Major League Soccer faces a critical stage in their development in the next few years. Whoever does succeed Don Garber will certainly have their work cut out for them, but someone with the experience and expertise of the NFL’s media guru might just be the perfect fit for the league.
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