• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, July 15, 2025

LAFC Becomes First $1B MLS Club

  • Average MLS team valuations have risen 85% from $313M to $579M since 2019.
  • LAFC turned an estimated $8 million operating profit from a league-high $116 million in revenue last season.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Major League Soccer’s reigning champion has helped the league reach a major milestone as it continues to grow its presence.

Los Angeles FC has been valued at $1 billion in Forbes’ latest valuation of MLS clubs — making it the first franchise in league history to reach the billion-dollar plateau.

LAFC has sold out every regular-season and playoff match since bursting onto the MLS scene in 2018 — one of the factors in its estimated $8 million operating profit from a league-high $116 million in revenue last season.

The club is set to add to those profits when BMO takes over stadium naming rights on a 10-year, $100 million deal.

Since 2019 — the last time that Forbes created this list — average MLS team valuations rose 85% from $313 million to $579 million. Besides LAFC, three teams are worth $800 million or more.

  • LA Galaxy — $925M
  • Atlanta United FC — $850M
  • New York City FC — $800M

Of the league’s 10 oldest franchises, only three — LA Galaxy (second), D.C. United (fifth), and Sporting Kansas City (12th) — crack the top half of the list.

LAFC

LAFC Wants More Money, Fewer Owners

LAFC reportedly had around 30 investors at the beginning of 2022.
January 12, 2023

Going Up-Stream

MLS is set to embark on a grand experiment this year when Apple TV+ takes over the league’s media rights in the first season of a historic 10-year, $2.5 billion deal.

The tech giant will charge $99 per season — or $79 for existing Apple TV+ subscribers — for MLS Season Pass, which will feature every match of the season with no blackouts.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Aliyah Boston

Aliyah Boston Is Latest WNBA Player to Invest in NWSL Team

Boston joins a select group that includes Sabrina Ionescu.

Chelsea Wins $110M in FIFA’s Revamped $1B Club World Cup

Chelsea defeated Paris Saint-Germain in Sunday’s final match.
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Sydney McLaughin-Levrone (USA) reacts before the women's 100m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field
exclusive

Track’s New Money Is Running Into Old Problems

The sport’s big-money era has hit some speed bumps in 2025.

Featured Today

Bobbleheads are seen at Vintage Indy Sports, Tuesday, April 29, 2025 in Speedway. The local sports memorabilia store opened recently.

Baseball’s Bobbleheads Are the Center of the Collectibles Universe

Baseball’s most important keepsake drives long lines—and big business.
Rimouski, QC - JUNE 1: Final Game of the 2025 Memorial Cup between the Medicine Hats Tigers and the London Knights on June 1, 2025, at the Colisée Financière Sun Life in Rimouski, Qc.
July 11, 2025

CHL Is Facing a ‘Pandora’s Box’ of Questions Amid NCAA Talent Departure

As players defect to college, the Canadian Hockey League won’t cede ground.
Jun 28, 2025; Arlington, Texas, USA; Seattle Mariners catcher Cal Raleigh (29) bats during the game between the Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners at Globe Life Field.
July 9, 2025

The Torpedo Bat Business Is Still Going Strong: ‘Here to Stay’

Demand for the oddly shaped bats has stayed strong across the sport.
July 6, 2025

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.

MLBPA Chief Says League Missing Chance to Build On Success

Union leaders again call out perceived moves toward a salary cap.
July 14, 2025

NFL’s New Headsets Are Designed to Survive Coach Tantrums

New NFL coaching headsets underwent “extensive drop testing.”
The 153rd Open Championship at the Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland
July 14, 2025

Open Championship Considers Ireland: Portrush ‘Will Open’ Gates

Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland is hosting this week’s tournament.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Dealmaker Jeffrey Kaplan maps the evolution of sports as an asset class
July 14, 2025

MLB’s HR Derby’s $1M Prize Tops Salaries for Three Rising Stars

Three derby competitors could more than double their 2025 salary.
July 13, 2025

Nationals Take HS Star Willits No. 1 in MLB Draft, Eye Potential..

Washington shocks observers by selecting a 17-year-old high schooler.
July 13, 2025

Bill Ackman to Give $10M to Tennis Hall of Fame After Tournament..

Ackman defended the decision and closed with a challenge to Andy Roddick.
July 13, 2025

Sinner Outduels Alcaraz for First Wimbledon Title and $4M Payday

The best two players in men’s tennis battled once again.