Finance of Football

Harry Kane has just won the Ballon d’Or wearing Skechers — the brand worn by dads around the world, including Michael’s.

So how did Skechers land one of football’s biggest stars? Why did Kane choose them over established football brands like Nike, Adidas and Puma? And what does a lifetime deal built around a star player actually do for a brand?

Michael and Asli look at Skechers’ move into football and why Kane may have seen an opportunity to become more than one name on a giant brand’s roster. For Skechers, signing him brings instant credibility — and a leading figure to build its football ambitions around.

But the partnership is about more than boots and visibility. We explore why athletes may want long-term deals that offer a stake in a brand’s future, rather than a straightforward endorsement fee. From Michael Jordan’s relationship with Nike to other athletes joining challenger brands, the business of sponsorship is changing.

Kane’s success also raises a bigger question: can a star player change how fans, aspiring players and other professionals see a brand? Skechers may not yet be a football heavyweight, but a Ballon d’Or winner wearing its boots gives the company a powerful platform to build from.

Michael LoRé and Asli Pelit break down the strategy, the commercial opportunity and the limits of what a high-profile signing can achieve. Does Kane’s success translate into sales? Can Skechers use him to attract other players? And what will it take to compete with football’s established brands?

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For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

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Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

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Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oakland Roots and Soul SC raised $3.6 million from more than 6,000 investors across two community investment rounds, with investments starting at $100. But what does that investment actually mean?

Co-founder and CMO Edreece Arghandiwal explains how the club’s investment vehicle works, why Roots returned for a second round, and how community investment fits into its plans for a permanent home. Emmy Award-winning journalist and investor Sibley Scoles shares why she got involved.

Hosts Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé also discuss the club’s finances and the difference between investing in a club and having a vote in its decisions. Investors in the clubs include Marshawn Lynch, Billie Joe Armstrong and G-Eazy.

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For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

---

Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Can other MLS clubs copy St. Louis City SC’s remarkable turnaround?

After just one win in its first 10 games, St. Louis City put together a 21-match unbeaten run across all competitions. The mid-season rebuild included a record $12 million player trade within MLS and several new signings who made an immediate impact.

Michael LoRé and Asli Pelit break down how St. Louis rebuilt its squad, whether the club’s spending was smart, and what other MLS teams can learn from its approach. Because spending big doesn’t guarantee success: recruitment, player fit and building a balanced squad all matter.

Was St. Louis’s run a repeatable model for MLS—or a hot streak that will be hard to sustain?

Subscribe to Finance of Football for more on MLS, soccer transfers and the business behind the game.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MLS is changing its playoff format again — but will the changes make the regular season matter more, or less?

In 2027, 16 teams will compete in a single-elimination playoff during MLS’s Sprint Season. Reports suggest the field could expand to 20 teams in 2028.

So how many teams should actually get in?

Michael LoRé and Asli Pelit debate whether MLS is making its playoffs more exciting or watering them down. They look at the trade-off between more games and higher stakes, and ask whether a long postseason gives fans, broadcasters and sponsors more to care about — or makes the regular season matter less.

They also consider what the 2027 format gets right, why seeding should carry real value, and whether USL’s planned promotion and relegation could bring a different kind of pressure to American soccer.

Fewer teams. Bigger stakes. A regular season that means something.

How many teams should make the MLS playoffs, and what format would you choose?

Subscribe to Finance of Football for more conversations about the business and future of soccer.

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For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

---

Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Cristo Fernández just made his USL Championship debut. The actor who plays Danny Rojas on Ted Lasso came off the bench for El Paso Locomotive in a move that gave the club a burst of attention at very little risk.

So is this the kind of moment that can help grow U.S. soccer, or is it just a good marketing story?

Michael LoRé and Asli Pelit look at Ted Lasso’s influence on the sport, from making soccer more accessible to American audiences to creating real world opportunities for clubs, brands and merchandise. They discuss whether the show can turn cultural attention into lasting interest in leagues like the USL and NWSL, and why its financial impact may be harder to measure than its cultural one.

They also compare Ted Lasso’s influence with Welcome to Wrexham and Drive to Survive, and ask what soccer needs to do to keep new audiences engaged.

In this episode:

• Why Cristo Fernández’s USL debut was a low risk, high reward opportunity

• Whether Ted Lasso is helping grow U.S. soccer or mainly creating a marketing moment

• How AFC Richmond merchandise and brand partnerships bring value to the real world

• How sports shows can make a game more accessible to new audiences

• What Ted Lasso has in common with Welcome to Wrexham and Drive to Survive

• Why cultural impact is easier to see than long term financial impact

Has Ted Lasso helped grow U.S. soccer, or is it mostly a marketing phenomenon? Tell us in the comments.

Subscribe to Finance of Football for the business, money and strategy shaping soccer in the United States and around the world.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

---

Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

MLS already has sponsors everywhere. Now it could put one alongside the name of the league itself.

Major League Soccer is reportedly exploring a league wide presenting sponsorship worth eight figures.

This would go far beyond another jersey sponsor, stadium deal or commercial partnership. A brand could become attached to MLS itself.

So what would that actually look like?

Michael LoRé and Asli Pelit break down what MLS would be selling, what a company would get for its money and which brands could realistically make sense as a league wide partner.

They also look at how European soccer has approached the same idea, including LaLiga EA Sports and McDonald’s Ligue 1, and why major American leagues such as the NFL and NBA have so far stopped short of putting a sponsor alongside the league name.

What we cover:

• Why MLS is exploring a league wide presenting sponsor

• What an eight figure MLS sponsorship would actually buy

• Which brands could make sense for the league

• How LaLiga and Ligue 1 have handled title sponsorships

• Why the NFL and NBA have resisted similar deals

• How a presenting sponsor could fit into the next era of MLS

• What fans might actually notice if a deal happens

Who would you want to see sponsor Major League Soccer?

Subscribe to Finance of Football for the business, money and strategy shaping soccer in the United States and around the world.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

---

Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What does Hello Kitty have to do with the business of women’s soccer?

Potentially, quite a lot.

NWSL clubs are increasingly using Hello Kitty and Sanrio collaborations to drive ticket sales, merchandise demand and fan engagement.

But the real opportunity goes far beyond selling a limited-edition blanket or T-shirt.

In this episode of Finance of Football, Michael and Asli examine how these promotions can bring new fans into stadiums, encourage them to arrive earlier and spend more, give clubs valuable customer data and potentially turn a one-off visitor into a long-term supporter.

They also look at why scarcity makes sports collectibles so powerful, what soccer can learn from Major League Baseball and other sports, and why established entertainment brands may offer teams a shortcut to reaching entirely new demographics.

What we cover:

• Why Hello Kitty is becoming a commercial tool for NWSL clubs

• How limited-edition merchandise creates scarcity and demand

• Whether theme nights actually sell additional tickets

• Why matchday spending can matter as much as attendance

• How clubs turn first-time visitors into repeat customers

• Why customer data may be the most valuable part of the strategy

• What sports can learn from collaborations with major entertainment brands

• How NWSL teams can reach younger fans and families

• Why Hello Kitty benefits from the partnership too

• Whether collaborations can create genuine long-term soccer fans

Follow Finance of Football for more on the money, strategy and business behind the world’s game.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

---

Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is soccer’s betting boom about to backfire?

The Premier League has entered a new era.

Betting companies can no longer appear as front-of-shirt sponsors after clubs agreed to phase out gambling brands from that prime piece of commercial real estate.

But gambling has not disappeared from English soccer.

Betting companies can still sponsor sleeves and training kits, while clubs search for technology, finance and other brands capable of replacing millions of pounds in gambling sponsorship revenue.

Meanwhile, American sports are moving in the opposite direction.

Since the repeal of PASPA in 2018, legalized sports betting has expanded rapidly across the United States, with leagues and teams increasingly partnering with companies including FanDuel, Fanatics and other betting operators.

MLS clubs have signed sportsbook partnerships, the NWSL has entered the betting market and gambling has become increasingly embedded in the way American fans consume sports.

But does betting genuinely create better fan engagement?

Or is American soccer building a potentially dangerous relationship with gambling just as English football begins pulling back?

In this episode of Finance of Football, Michael and Asli examine how gambling became such a major part of the soccer business and why the UK and US now appear to be heading in different directions.

They discuss the commercial value of betting sponsorships, the relationship between gambling and fan engagement and the growing concern around gambling addiction, particularly among younger fans.

The conversation also explores the rapid rise of prediction markets such as Polymarket and Kalshi.

These platforms argue that users are predicting outcomes rather than betting against a traditional sportsbook.

But when fans can put money on the outcome of sporting events, where exactly does prediction end and gambling begin?

Michael and Asli also examine the integrity risks surrounding sports betting, including athletes gambling on their own leagues, access to inside information and why leagues must carefully control which events users are allowed to wager on.

The UK appears to have reached a point where soccer had become too closely connected to gambling.

Could the United States eventually reach the same conclusion?

And as prediction markets become increasingly involved in soccer, are regulators prepared for what comes next?

Listen now to Finance of Football.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

---

Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is pay-to-play holding US soccer back?

Youth sports in America has become a $40 billion industry.

For families trying to navigate elite youth soccer, the costs can quickly reach thousands of dollars every year once club fees, tournaments, showcases, additional training and travel are included.

But despite millions of registered youth soccer players across the country, only a tiny percentage will ever reach the professional game.

So is America’s youth soccer system actually helping develop the country’s best players?

Or is pay-to-play preventing talented kids from ever getting the opportunity?

In this episode of Finance of Football, Michael and Asli are joined by Liron Unreich and Matt Tartaglia, co-hosts of Chasing the Game: Youth Soccer in America, to break down the complicated business of American youth soccer.

They discuss why the system has become so fragmented, the growing role of private equity and why families are spending increasingly large amounts of money chasing opportunities in college and professional soccer.

They also examine some of the biggest structural differences between the United States and traditional soccer nations.

Why are elite academies in Europe often heavily subsidized while American families are expected to fund much of the development pathway themselves?

Does the size of the United States make a European-style system unrealistic?

Could sponsorship, investment and fully funded academies reduce the financial barrier?

And does American soccer need a clearer pyramid connecting youth clubs, professional teams and the wider game?

The conversation also looks at the college soccer pathway, player burnout, promotion and relegation and why the US women historically enjoyed advantages that helped turn the USWNT into a global powerhouse.

Ultimately, pay-to-play may only be one part of the problem.

If the United States wants to consistently compete with the world’s biggest soccer nations, does the entire development system need to change?

Listen now to Finance of Football.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

---

Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you had millions to invest in U.S. soccer today, would you choose the NWSL or the USL?

That’s the debate at the center of this episode of Finance of Football.

Asli is investing in the NWSL. Michael is putting his money into the USL.

So who has the better investment?

The NWSL has experienced extraordinary growth, with rising franchise valuations, major expansion fees, some of the best women’s soccer players in the world and a landmark media rights deal.

But getting into the league is becoming increasingly expensive. Columbus’ new NWSL franchise reportedly cost $205 million just for the expansion fee.

The USL offers a very different proposition.

The barrier to entry is significantly lower, clubs can build strong identities in underserved local markets, and the launch of USL Premier in 2028 will introduce a new Division One league alongside a promotion and relegation system.

Could that create something American professional soccer has never really had before?

In this episode, Michael and Asli debate:

• NWSL vs USL as an investment opportunity

• Why NWSL franchise valuations are rising so quickly

• The scarcity value of owning an NWSL team

• Why women’s sports revenues continue to grow

• The importance of sponsorship and media rights

• Whether NWSL expansion fees are becoming too expensive

• Why Michael believes promotion and relegation could transform the USL

• The advantages of owning a soccer club in a smaller U.S. market

• How USL clubs build grassroots communities and distinctive brands

• The risks facing investors in both leagues

• What USL Premier could mean for the future of American soccer

• Where the biggest opportunity in U.S. soccer might be after the 2026 World Cup

The NWSL offers scarcity, elite talent and enormous commercial growth potential.

The USL offers a cheaper entry point, local market opportunities and a completely different vision for the American soccer pyramid.

So if it were your money, where would you invest: NWSL or USL?

Tell us in the comments.

And subscribe to Finance of Football for more on the money, ownership, media and business shaping soccer in the United States and around the world.

---

For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram

Asli - @brefootcontessa

Michael - @michale.lore

And follow the show…

On Instagram - @financeoffootballpod

On Facebook - /financeoffootball

---

Finance of Football - Nations and Numbers, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…

Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé

Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond

Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski

Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond,  Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky

---

Check out more of Frequency Machine’s podcasts - including Undercover Sports, a show about the wildest sports conspiracy theories, at frequencymachine.com

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.