Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
Professor of Law at UCLA. Posts are primarily about sports law, but may be about tax or corporate law. Posts are not legal advice
Business
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Economics
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BREAKING: MLS owners have voted and passed a schedule change. The league will run from the late summer months through May.
This is due to start in summer of 2027. MLS will take winter break in Jan/Feb
More from @paultenorio.bsky.social on the ground at BOG meeting: www.nytimes.com/athletic/680...
This is due to start in summer of 2027. MLS will take winter break in Jan/Feb
More from @paultenorio.bsky.social on the ground at BOG meeting: www.nytimes.com/athletic/680...
MLS owners vote to flip schedule to European calendar, change format starting in 2027
MLS will soon align with leagues that play from the fall to the spring after a transformational decision made by its owners
www.nytimes.com
Big change, but probably beneficial in terms of increasing the value of their player buy and sell windows and moving the playoffs to a period that doesn't compete with football. Question is whether it will hurt ticket sales to trade games in June-July for games in Nov-Dec
Reposted by Steven A. Bank
MLS owners vote to flip schedule to European calendar, change format starting in 2027
MLS will soon align with leagues that play from the fall to the spring after a transformational decision made by its owners
www.nytimes.com
BREAKING: MLS owners have voted and passed a schedule change. The league will run from the late summer months through May.
This is due to start in summer of 2027. MLS will take winter break in Jan/Feb
More from @paultenorio.bsky.social on the ground at BOG meeting: www.nytimes.com/athletic/680...
This is due to start in summer of 2027. MLS will take winter break in Jan/Feb
More from @paultenorio.bsky.social on the ground at BOG meeting: www.nytimes.com/athletic/680...
"Season-ticket holders across the league, who have previously received a complimentary subscription to MLS Season Pass, will now receive an annual Apple TV subscription at no additional cost.”
www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...
www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/202...
Do you think they are worried about reliance interests for season tickets already sold/renewed or are there logistical issues associated with union/CBA sign-off, stadium availability, streaming/TV windows, etc. that they need time to address?
In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the tariff was probably one of the most frequent topics for political cartoons. Even in an era of high tech, talk shows, and podcasts, a picture is still worth a thousand words when it comes to describing how many ways people dislike tariff policy
Reposted by Steven A. Bank
Even if it costs FIFA a solid gold trophy (and it will), it's pretty cheap insurance against the US deciding on a whim to move the World Cup games out of Los Angeles or New York. This is one area where Infantino has experience.
That's why the measure of success of WC '26 isn't about convincing a generation of kids to play soccer, but convincing wealthy individuals/sponsors to bet on domestic soccer leagues by investing/promoting them w/ the goal of elevating them to the status of of the top leagues 8/8
It doesn't require a "Moonshot" investment. US leagues are fairly well established already. It does, however, require taking risks and making investments before the revenues are there. That's what happened after WC '94 and what needs to be happens after WC '26. 7/
That doesn't mean that the US league(s) have to be the same as top foreign leagues in format, governance etc., but it does mean they have to be competitive for the same players, in some of the int'l competitions, and be part of the discussion. And that takes investment. 6/
US domestic leagues aren't going to "convert" fans of foreign leagues, but they may convince those fans to watch or even adopt a favorite team in the US. That's much easier if the US leagues are part of the global conversation on transfers, int'l competitions, nat'l teams etc. 5/
Second, the growth of domestic leagues is in part a function of attracting fans of foreign leagues who live in the US and elsewhere. MLS acknowledges that in its recent report on Apple TV viewers from abroad, but that's likely the effect of a few individual players like Messi 4/
Why? First, top leagues are already competing for US soccer fans/sponsors. That will only increase w/ the Relevent case permitting foreign leagues to stage league games in the US. La Liga may have temporarily put the brakes on that, but it's inevitable. 3/
If the measure of success of WC '94 was the establishment of pro US domestic leagues, the measure of success of WC '26 has to be the elevation of those leagues to the ranks of the top global leagues. That requires taking investment risks, not just by spending new revenues. 2/
Spoke with @kbaxter11
about whether and to what extent the World Cup will be a watershed moment for US Soccer. Here's some context for my quote below 1/
latimes.com/sports/soccer/
about whether and to what extent the World Cup will be a watershed moment for US Soccer. Here's some context for my quote below 1/
latimes.com/sports/soccer/
Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital (Cleveland) 1887
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (1855)
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (1855)
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Sep 16
Corporate tax revenue in the 1950s, well before the LLC started in 1977 or check-the-box in 1997, was much higher as a percentage of GDP than it is today. Of course, corporate tax rates were also higher.
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Aug 13
Sounds like you’re talking about D3 college soccer preseason training
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Aug 11
It's possible US Soccer already agreed to sanction future matches between int'l teams as part of the settlement of the Relevent Sports lawsuit back in April, assuming the parties met all safety, bonding, fees, and other normal sanctioning requirements.
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Aug 11
The Spanish Football Federation has approved the request for December’s La Liga fixture between Villarreal and Barcelona be played in Miami.
This is the first test of FIFA's removal of its restriction on playing domestic league matches in other countries in settlement of an antitrust suit filed by Relevent Sports. In theory, US Soccer could still refuse to sanction it, but it can't hide behind FIFA policy to do so.
Reposted by Steven A. Bank
The Spanish Football Federation has approved the request for December’s La Liga fixture between Villarreal and Barcelona be played in Miami.
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Aug 8
Trump to remove Billy Long as IRS commissioner, Bessent named acting head, NYT reports reut.rs/45GOlya
Trump to remove Billy Long as IRS commissioner, Bessent named acting head, NYT reports
U.S. President Donald Trump is removing Billy Long as the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing four people familiar with the matter.
reut.rs
The IRS will have had more commissioners in 2025 (7, so far, counting interims and actings) than the Cleveland Browns have had quarterbacks (6).
Reposted by Steven A. Bank
Reuters
@reuters.com
· Aug 8
Trump to remove Billy Long as IRS commissioner, Bessent named acting head, NYT reports
U.S. President Donald Trump is removing Billy Long as the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, the New York Times reported on Friday, citing four people familiar with the matter.
reut.rs
Trump to remove Billy Long as IRS commissioner, Bessent named acting head, NYT reports reut.rs/45GOlya
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Jul 24
as part of this 120k/match, my viewership is:
1) Charlotte FC away matches
2) MLS360 after Charlotte FC home games, which is mostly Western Conference / 'MLS After Dark'
my subscription is part of the season ticket, and i'm not sure how many other teams include it in their ST package
1) Charlotte FC away matches
2) MLS360 after Charlotte FC home games, which is mostly Western Conference / 'MLS After Dark'
my subscription is part of the season ticket, and i'm not sure how many other teams include it in their ST package
Garber says on Apple TV, MLS is averaging 120k viewers per match
I’m pretty sure every season ticket holder in MLS gets MLS season pass as part of their season ticket package. That’s a lot of people, but not anywhere close to 120K between the two teams playing. So, there are still a lot of viewers who aren’t also season ticket holders of the teams playing
Reposted by Steven A. Bank
Sam
@sammc.bsky.social
· Jul 24
Garber says on Apple TV, MLS is averaging 120k viewers per match
as part of this 120k/match, my viewership is:
1) Charlotte FC away matches
2) MLS360 after Charlotte FC home games, which is mostly Western Conference / 'MLS After Dark'
my subscription is part of the season ticket, and i'm not sure how many other teams include it in their ST package
1) Charlotte FC away matches
2) MLS360 after Charlotte FC home games, which is mostly Western Conference / 'MLS After Dark'
my subscription is part of the season ticket, and i'm not sure how many other teams include it in their ST package
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Jul 18
It's possible that the petitioner is hoping for a quick settlement or wants to disrupt the licensing deal for the new team (perhaps claiming that the deal was struck because of its activity in restarting a league for NASL-branded teams). Too early to tell. 9/9
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Jul 18
Moreover, with the announcement of a licensing deal for the trademark to a new USL League 1 team, there's an argument that they resumed using the IP for a soccer team right after the jury verdict was rendered in the NASL litigation (where an appeal is currently pending). We'll see. 8/
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Jul 18
It seems like there's at least a plausible argument against abandonment given that Cosmos officials have been in court for years arguing US Soccer/MLS were preventing them from operating their league/team in a commercially viable manner. 7/
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Jul 18
I can't speak to the legitimacy of the allegations, but it will be interesting to see how the NASL litigation factored into claims of non-use even apart from sales of apparel. 6/
Steven Bank
@profbank.bsky.social
· Jul 18
The conventional wisdom is that a petition for cancellation proceeding will take 2-3 years from start to finish. The petition is currently suspended while the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board considers the motion to dismiss. 5/