Major League Soccer will allow teams to sell new ad space on the lower back of their jerseys starting this season, the fourth place on the soccer kit on which teams can place sponsors.
The move, which takes effect after the 2026 All-Star Break, is an opportunity for clubs to add to their annual sponsorship haul. It also comes amid a broader set of changes for the league, which is shifting into what commissioner Don Garber has called “MLS 3.0.” That includes additional resources for player development, a handful of new stadiums, a dramatic change in the league schedule and any impact from the U.S. co-hosting the men’s World Cup later this year.
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“We feel like this is right moment in time to unlock a new asset for our clubs to capture the attention coming out of the World Cup,” MLS chief revenue officer Carter Ladd said in an interview. “The next era for our league is on the horizon.”
The available space, below the player’s number, is about 80% of the size of the front-of-jersey sponsorship, by far the most valuable space on the jersey. Logos will have a max width of 9” and a max height of 4”, making it significantly bigger than the sleeve patches that are also for sale (2.5” x 2.5”). While the financial opportunity will vary widely by team, the new space could command more than $1 million annually for some.
That’s not game-changing revenue, but it would be a welcome, incremental change. The average MLS club is worth $767 million, according to Sportico’s most recent numbers, with annual revenue ranging from $215 million at the top (Inter Miami) to $47 million at the bottom (CF Montréal and Colorado Rapids).
It’s common in many soccer leagues around the world for teams to sell ads below the numbers on the back of their jerseys. MLS has gradually warmed to the idea of more ad space, putting it ahead of other U.S. leagues that have been more cautious. NHL teams sell the shoulder of their jersey and their helmet; NBA and MLB teams sell just a jersey patch, though baseball teams have worn more in overseas games and playoff games. Jersey patches are coming to college sports, and the NFL has discussed the possibility for years.
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There were no ads on the uniforms when MLS debuted in 1996. It wasn’t until the 2007 season when the league fully opened the front of the jersey to be sold to corporate sponsors. At the time, The New York Times reported that the minimum cost was $500,000 per year. The league added a sleeve patch in 2020, and briefly allowed teams to sell ad space on their shorts during the COVID-disrupted seasons, which Ladd described as a temporary “retainment of commercial revenue.” A second sleeve patch was sold to Apple, the league’s media partner, for all 30 teams.
In addition to MLS jerseys, teams will be able to sell similar ads on the back of their MLS Next Pro uniforms as well.
“Demand has increased as our relevance has increased,” Ladd said. “We’ve wanted to be very thoughtful in how we unlock new inventory, and demand with limited inventory was one of the key considerations in us doing this now.”
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