MLS is moving forward with a season restart in Orlando as the players union approved the plan Wednesday. The players also agreed to a proposal that cut salaries for this season while also extending the collective bargaining agreement through 2025. MLS Commissioner Don Garber said the league will take a $1 billion revenue hit because of the coronavirus hiatus.
Tournament plans aren’t finalized yet, but teams are slated to arrive at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in three weeks. Players across the league had skipped voluntary training sessions Monday and Tuesday and the threat of a lockout loomed prior to the agreement.
The MLS proposal includes:
- The Orlando tournament to restart the season, to last no longer than 35 days
- Players taking a 7.5% salary adjustment in 2020
- A change in the revenue sharing plan around the league’s media rights deals, including a reduction to 12.5% share for players in 2023 that will return to 25% in 2024 and 2025.
