Key Takeaways
- • MLS and KKR establish 50-50 joint venture called Hometown Soccer Holdings (HSH) to centralize commercial operations for MLS Next Pro, with final approval from MLS owners following development since early 2024.
- • HSH will acquire commercial rights for most MLS Next Pro teams and manage stadium development (targeting 6,000-8,000 seat multipurpose venues) in mid-sized markets, while MLS clubs retain full control of soccer operations including coaching, player development, and contracts.
- • Tom Glick (former Tepper Sports & Entertainment President) and Chris Klein (former Galaxy President) will operate HSH with central staff based in Charlotte; most of the league's 30 teams expected to participate, though MLS clubs retain the option to opt out.
- • HSH will oversee venue operations, branding, ticketing, sponsorship, merchandising, and finance functions across participating teams, positioning the venture as MLS Next Pro's primary commercial growth engine.
- • MLS Next Pro, a Division III sanctioned league that debuted in 2022, currently operates 30 teams (27 affiliated with MLS parent clubs and 3 independent operators), now entering its fifth season with centralized commercial infrastructure.
Summary
Major League Soccer and private equity firm KKR have formalized a joint venture to commercialize MLS Next Pro, the league's development division, through a newly created entity called Hometown Soccer Holdings. The partnership, approved by MLS owners following development that began in early 2024, establishes a 50-50 ownership structure between the two parties to centralize commercial rights management for most teams in the developmental league.
HSH will execute a multifaceted commercial strategy centered on relocating Next Pro teams affiliated with MLS clubs to nearby mid-sized markets where the venture will facilitate construction of multipurpose stadiums with capacity between 6,000 and 8,000 seats. The joint venture will assume responsibility for all commercial and operational functions including venue management, brand development, ticketing, sponsorship, merchandising, and financial operations across participating teams. Critically, MLS clubs will retain complete control over soccer operations, including coaching staff, player development, contract decisions, and travel arrangements—establishing a clear operational separation between commercial and competitive functions.
The venture will be led by Tom Glick, former President of Tepper Sports & Entertainment, and Chris Klein, former President of the LA Galaxy, who will establish a central management office in Charlotte to oversee league-wide functions and coordinate on-the-ground business staff in individual markets. According to MLS Next Pro President Ali Curtis, there is "overwhelming interest and support from our clubs" to participate in the new framework, though Curtis declined to specify exact participation numbers. Clubs maintain the discretionary option to retain independent control of their development team operations, though most are expected to participate.
MLS Next Pro, sanctioned as a Division III league within the U.S. Soccer pyramid, launched in 2022 and is currently operating its fifth season with 30 total teams—27 affiliated with MLS parent clubs and 3 operated by independent ownership groups located in High Point, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Bridgeport, Connecticut. The HSH partnership represents a structural consolidation designed to create professional infrastructure and revenue-generating capacity for the developmental league while maintaining individual MLS clubs' strategic control over player development and competitive outcomes.
HSH will execute a multifaceted commercial strategy centered on relocating Next Pro teams affiliated with MLS clubs to nearby mid-sized markets where the venture will facilitate construction of multipurpose stadiums with capacity between 6,000 and 8,000 seats. The joint venture will assume responsibility for all commercial and operational functions including venue management, brand development, ticketing, sponsorship, merchandising, and financial operations across participating teams. Critically, MLS clubs will retain complete control over soccer operations, including coaching staff, player development, contract decisions, and travel arrangements—establishing a clear operational separation between commercial and competitive functions.
The venture will be led by Tom Glick, former President of Tepper Sports & Entertainment, and Chris Klein, former President of the LA Galaxy, who will establish a central management office in Charlotte to oversee league-wide functions and coordinate on-the-ground business staff in individual markets. According to MLS Next Pro President Ali Curtis, there is "overwhelming interest and support from our clubs" to participate in the new framework, though Curtis declined to specify exact participation numbers. Clubs maintain the discretionary option to retain independent control of their development team operations, though most are expected to participate.
MLS Next Pro, sanctioned as a Division III league within the U.S. Soccer pyramid, launched in 2022 and is currently operating its fifth season with 30 total teams—27 affiliated with MLS parent clubs and 3 operated by independent ownership groups located in High Point, North Carolina; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Bridgeport, Connecticut. The HSH partnership represents a structural consolidation designed to create professional infrastructure and revenue-generating capacity for the developmental league while maintaining individual MLS clubs' strategic control over player development and competitive outcomes.
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