| oldschoolfool said: http://www.forbes.com/sites/alexmorrell/2013/11/08/after-flirting-with-failure-major-league-soccer-popularity-now-surging/ -----link. this article is an interesting read and it throws alot of stats at you. I want people 2 read this article and see what people think. It'll never catch the other big sports in america,but it's gaining popularity and the article mentions that the MLS has actually expanded and grown some. It also mentions that attendance is on the rise. please respond,after you read the article. I'm really interested 2 know what people think about this,as I'm a sports fan. |
As someone who has followed the domestic league for over a decade and attended well over a hundred matches for my club DC United be happy to answer questions people may have.
MLS favored a slow and steady approach to growth of the sport which has served it well. Clubs now have own stadiums for the most part and can control revenue allowing for more ambitious signings and building of academys. Too many people think sport is a digital switch that people "get", it is not, it is a gradual analog process.
Cultural shifts happen, but they take time. Right now a sea change is occuring. Young people in their 20s and 30s are MLS primary audience as we grew up with the sport. This is why Fox and ESPN just spent a lot of money to cover the league for the next 7 years, they see it is on the rise.
In 1994 vast majority of Americans did not even know the rules of the sport, it would be night and day if in 2026 hosted again.
