According to sports-news publication The Athletic, Major League
Soccer (MLS) is set to introduce shirt
sleeve sponsor partners for the 2018-2019 season. It is reported
that the potential new deals could be worth anywhere between
$500,000 and $1 million per year. MLS has
a league-wide kit supply deal with Adidas in place until 2023,
which means that franchise shirt sponsorship is limited to one main
partner. MLS sponsorship has been abuzz
since D.C. United signed English star Wayne Rooney, and has been
approached by some of the world's largest corporations,
including Amazon, United Airlines, Qatar Airways, Edward Jones, and
Deloitte. D.C. United earned $3 million a year from their prior
sponsor and are looking to value their new deal closer to $5
million a season. Additional revenue streams come as a welcome
boost to the clubs as players' wages continue to rise
league-wide and interest to play in MLS among players abroad
increases yearly.