In the first episode of 2026, Simon Evans is joined by Erik Stover, CEO of the New York Cosmos, who are about to begin their new life in USL and soccer market analyst Andre Da Costa. As well as examining the return of the Cosmos brand and the work being undertaken in New Jersey, we look at the recently announced plans for USL Premier and the broader ambitions for the introduction of promotion and relegation for USL.

The Bundesliga signed a 17-year partnership with Relevent Sports to boost their performance in the U.S. market and the broader Americas market. What is the strategy for the German league as they seek to enhance their business performance and profile in the Americas? Robin Austermann, head of Europe and Latam for the Bundesliga joins Simon Evans on The Soccer Business Podcast to break down that deal and the overall strategy for standing out in a crowded market of international soccer properties looking to establish themselves in the U.S market.

Alan Rothenberg was the President of US Soccer and took charge of the hosting of the 1994 World Cup in the United States. He then helped set up Major League Soccer and has been an influential figure in taking the game from the backwaters of the 1980's to the modern era.

Alan's new book, 'The Big Bounce - The Surge that Shaped the Future of U.S Soccer' is the inside story on the hosting of the 1994 World Cup and he joins host Simon Evans to discuss the book and his remarkable career as a true game-changer in the American soccer business.

This episode reviews the key decisions from the MLS Board of Governors meeting: MLS content will move from Season Pass into the Apple TV subscription bundle, and the league will shift to a new summer-to-spring calendar starting in 2027 with a transitional mini "sprint" season.

Host Simon Evans and guest Alex Silverman of the Sports Business Journal discuss the rationale behind the Apple deal changes, potential audience and revenue implications, how the new schedule affects transfer windows and players, and unanswered questions on playoffs, contract length and distribution.

Simon Evans interviews Court Jeske, a veteran soccer executive whose career spans MLS, USL and founding Nashville SC. They discuss his role leading the OKC Pro Soccer project, plans for a downtown, expandable 10,000–12,000-seat stadium, and the broader mixed-use development.

The episode covers community engagement, private partners (including Russell Westbrook and tribal stakeholders), commercial strategy, timelines for launch, and concerns over how the 2026 World Cup can be leveraged to grow lasting local support for American soccer.

Host Simon Evans is joined by Alex Silverman of the Sports Business Journal and Jonathan Tannenwald of the Philadelphia Inquirer to go over this week's main news items impacting the North American soccer industry.

LALIGA's Miami plans cancelled Apple TV and the MLS Playoffs - the F1 Factor? 2031 Women’s World Cup - the new Four Nations bid Brian McBride becomes GM of USL club Brooklyn FC NBA star Jimmy Butler invests in the NWSL's San Diego Wave.

Megan Oglesby of Carolina Core joins the podcast to discuss how she and her team created a new club from scratch in High Point, North Carolina.

Megan goes through each stage of the journey from the initial idea, due diligence, early steps, stadium work, creating player pathways and delivering a state-of-the-art training facility that has been earmarked by FIFA as a potential World Cup base for a team.

She also explains why she chose MLS Next Pro as the right league for the project over other alternatives and details the advantages of being an independent club in the Major League Soccer ecosystem.

Plus why WPSL Pro could be prove to be the 'perfect bridge' between lower league women's soccer and the top flight NWSL and how a thriving soccer club can be at the heart of a community and local economy.

In this episode we welcome a true architect of American soccer - Sunil Gulati.

Sunil is widely regarded as one of the most influential figure in the sport’s growth in the United States, having been involved in the administration of the game since the 1980’s and serving as president of the U.S. Soccer Federation from 2006 to 2018.

With over 30 years of experience at every level of the game, Sunil continues to shape the future of soccer business. He is a senior lecturer in economics at Columbia University and Chairman of UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body.

In this interview, Sunil looks at the growth of the game from the tough days of the 1980’s through the 1994 World Cup, the creation of Major League Soccer and the National Women’s Soccer League. He also gives us his thoughts on the prospects for USL and on the state of youth soccer. It’s a wide-ranging interview and I am sure you’ll find many insights.

Before we get down to this interview - if you enjoy this podcast make sure that you are subscribed to our weekly newsletter - The Soccer Business. You can sign up for free at thesoccerbusiness.com