In 2016, Major League Soccer is still not consistently part of the national conversation when it comes to the major U.S. professional sports leagues.
Yet, when looking at the past calendar year — where the 20-team league saw exponential growth in viewership, social media, attendance, merchandise sales, team valuations and other categories — it is impossible to have that same conversation without including MLS.
“I think that Major League Soccer is every bit a part of the mainstream day-to-day North American sports conversation,” said Howard Handler, MLS Chief Marketing Officer. “… 2016 was a milestone year for us.