United Soccer Leagues LLC (USL)

What United Soccer Leagues LLC (USL) does

United Soccer Leagues LLC (USL) is the largest professional soccer league organization in North America, founded in 1986 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. USL operates a vertically integrated portfolio of league brands spanning youth (USL Youth, USL Academy), pre-professional (USL League Two, USL W League), and professional tiers (USL Championship at Division II, USL League One at Division III, Gainbridge Super League at Division I women's), with USL Premier, a new Division I men's league, slated for 2028. The organization includes 36+ professional member clubs and 150+ clubs across all tiers, reaching a population of 84 million+ through USL Championship alone, and was the first U.S. professional sports league to adopt a promotion and relegation system.

USL's core technology and operational infrastructure centers on USL Productions, a wholly owned subsidiary operating a state-of-the-art broadcast and content facility that produced and distributed more than 500 league matches and more than 1,000 hours of original content in 2024 to national partners, local affiliates, and international markets. The league runs national media partnerships with ESPN and CBS (expiring after the 2027 season) and a multi-year Gainbridge naming rights deal for its Division I women's league. Technology integrations include Vivenu (official ticketing), Kitman Labs (performance intelligence across all 25 Championship clubs), Spiideo and Veo (video analysis and AI-enabled recording), and SportsEngine Play (streaming and analytics) for pre-professional leagues.

USL's business model combines recurring media rights revenue, one-time franchise fees and licensing from club ownership groups across its tiers, advertising and sponsorship income (including naming rights and field-level signage), and capital infusions from institutional investors such as BellTower Partners and Weatherford Capital. The league sells team franchises to ownership groups in U.S. communities of 150,000 to one million population that lack local professional soccer, and the go-to-market spans enterprise franchise sales, direct-to-consumer fan engagement through national broadcasts, and event-driven promotion/relegation competition.

Name

United Soccer Leagues LLC (USL)

Legal name

United Soccer Leagues, LLC

Website

https://uslsoccer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

United Soccer Leagues operates the largest professional soccer league organization in North America, running multiple tiers (Championship D2, League One D3, Gainbridge Super League D1 women's) for 150+ clubs and reaching 84M+ people via ESPN and CBS media deals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Soccer League Operations

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Other Spectator Sports (711219)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sport-Specific Amateur Leagues & Circuits (Non-Professional) (MPAKACAJ), League-Owned Media Networks (e.g., NFL/MLB/NBA/Club Channels) (MPABAJAC)

Keywords

• Professional soccer leagues
• Soccer franchise operations
• Sports broadcasting
• Soccer league management
• Women's professional soccer

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Media Rights: National media partnership with ESPN and CBS platforms broadcasting all league matches on digital and linear channels. Media rights deals with CBS and ESPN expire after the 2027 season.
2. Franchise Fees and Licensing: Revenue from selling and licensing team franchises to ownership groups across multiple leagues (Championship, League One, League Two, W League, Super League)
3. Sponsorship and Advertising: Partnerships with official sponsors including naming rights (Gainbridge Super League), landscape supply, HR technology, ticketing, and various preferred suppliers
4. Strategic Investment: Capital infusion from institutional investors BellTower Partners and Weatherford Capital to fuel league growth and Division 1 expansion

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

United Soccer Leagues operates a vertically integrated, multi-tier professional and pre-professional soccer league organization in North America, selling and licensing team franchises across men's (USL Championship, League One, League Two, USL Premier) and women's (Gainbridge Super League, USL W League) divisions, plus youth pathways through USL Academy and USL Youth. The league supports 150+ clubs across 37 states with national media distribution through ESPN and CBS and in-house content production via USL Productions.

Product overview

The United Soccer League operates as a multi-tiered soccer league organization rather than a single unified software product. The portfolio consists of multiple league brands at different competitive levels: USL Championship (Division II professional men's), Gainbridge Super League (Division I professional women's), USL League One (Division III professional men's), USL League Two (pre-professional men's developmental), USL W League (pre-professional women's), USL Academy (youth development), and USL Youth (youth alignment). Supporting platforms include USL Productions (broadcast/content arm), the Preferred Supplier Program (vendor ecosystem), and USL Work Experience Program (talent development). Technology integrations include Kitman Labs (performance intelligence), Vivenu (ticketing infrastructure), Spiideo and Veo (video recording/analysis), and SportsEngine Play (streaming/analytics). USL Premier (Division I men's) is planned for 2028 as part of the new promotion and relegation system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gainbridge Super League: Division 1 professional women's soccer league providing opportunities for women in more communities.
• USL Championship
• USL League One
• USL League Two
• USL W League
• USL Academy
• USL Youth
• USL Premier

Products and services

• USL Championship Division II professional men's soccer league with 24 clubs across the continental United States, sanctioned by the U.S. Soccer Federation and reaching a population of more than 84 million through national media partnerships with ESPN and CBS.
• Gainbridge Super League Division I professional women's soccer league providing opportunities for women in more communities, with 8 initial clubs including Brooklyn FC, Carolina Ascent FC, Dallas Trinity FC, DC Power FC, Fort Lauderdale United FC, Lexington SC, Spokane Zephyr FC, and Tampa Bay Sun FC.
• USL League One Division III professional men's soccer league shaping the future of the game in the United States and Canada, targeting communities ranging from 150,000 to one million population with 17 teams competing in a single-table structure starting 2026.
• USL League Two Premier pre-professional men's soccer league with 143 clubs across 37 states, providing a platform for top emerging pre-professional and college players to showcase talent with thousands continuing careers in USL Championship, USL League One, MLS, and Europe.
• USL W League Premier pre-professional women's soccer league with over 90 clubs striving to use women's soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development.
• USL Academy Academy system featuring USL Academy Cup competition paired with the USL Academy League operating 15 divisions, providing a connected player development pathway from youth to professional levels for ages 10-18.
• USL Youth Youth soccer initiatives evolving from the historic Super Y League, providing alignment between USL's youth initiatives and the full ecosystem's youth-to-pro pathway.
• USL Premier New Division One men's professional soccer league slated for 2028 launch, forming the top tier of USL's interconnected three-tier professional system with promotion and relegation alongside USL Championship (Division II) and USL League One (Division III).
• USL Productions League's in-house broadcast and content arm featuring a state-of-the-art facility that produces and distributes more than 500 league matches and more than 1,000 hours of original content annually to national partners including ESPN and CBS, local affiliates, and international markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ league matches and 1,000+ hours of original content distributed annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Kitman LabscoreTechnology or Integration · 18 June 2026Multi-year agreement delivering gold-standard performance medicine technology to all 25 clubs across USL Championship. Expanded partnership from initial engagement with pre-professional teams.
• Best Western Hotels & ResortsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 June 2026Presenting partner of Hometown Heroes program entering year two, spotlighting five finalists across USL for leadership, service, and community impact.
• VivenucoreTechnology or Integration · 4 March 2026Vivenu selected as official ticketing platform providing improved reporting, fan profiling, and purchase behavior data. Partnership expected to democratize access to sophisticated ticketing tools for smaller clubs.
• SiteOne Landscape SupplyminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 20 January 2026Multi-year agreement as Official Landscape Supply Partner running from 2026 through 2028. Provides brand visibility in 100+ nationally broadcast USL matches per season through field-level LED signage.
• Tony Scholes (Former EPL Executive)coreOthers · 3 November 2025Former Chief Football Officer of English Premier League and CEO of Stoke City FC named President of new Division One men's league. Brings global soccer leadership experience to USL expansion.
• GainbridgeflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 22 April 2025Groundbreaking multi-year naming rights partnership introducing the Gainbridge Super League, marking a major milestone for women's sports and USL's Division 1 women's professional league.
• SpiideocoreTechnology or Integration · 5 March 2025Expanded partnership for streaming, data analytics, and scouting capabilities across pre-professional men's and women's soccer leagues. Builds on existing relationships with performance analysis and broadcasting tools.
• SportsEngine PlaycoreTechnology or Integration · 5 March 2025Expanded partnership for streaming, data analytics, and scouting capabilities across pre-professional leagues, reflecting growing investment in sports technology infrastructure.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Major League Soccer (MLS): Top-tier professional men's soccer league in the U.S. and Canada. Directly comparable to USL as a U.S.-based professional soccer league operator; USL Championship is sanctioned as Division II below MLS, and USL Premier (2028) is positioned as an alternative Division 1.
• National Women's Soccer League (NWSL): The established U.S. top-tier women's professional soccer league. Directly comparable to the Gainbridge Super League (USL's Division 1 women's property) — same sport, similar target audience, competing for players, sponsors, and broadcast distribution.
• Canadian Premier League (CPL): Professional men's soccer league operating in Canada at the Division I level (similar to USL Championship). Comparable to USL League One in scale, with similar lower-division positioning, mid-size market strategy, and parallel MLS-competition dynamics.

Others

• U.S. Soccer Federation: National governing body for soccer in the U.S. Comparable as the regulator and sanctioning body for U.S. soccer leagues, including granting USL Division II and Division I sanctioning; relevant as both partner and gatekeeper for USL's pyramid.
• Gainbridge (Group 1001): Insurance and financial services company that holds the naming rights to USL Super League. Relevant as USL's flagship naming rights partner and a comparable sports-sponsorship counterpart for evaluating league partnership economics.

Broad incumbents

• Liga MX / LIGA MX Expansion: Top professional soccer league in Mexico with deep broadcast deals and strong U.S. Hispanic audience. Comparable as a competing professional soccer property competing for U.S. soccer fans, sponsors, and Spanish-language media rights.
• English Football League (EFL) / EFL Championship: Lower-division professional soccer leagues in England organized in a promotion/relegation pyramid beneath the Premier League. Directly comparable as a model for USL's three-tier promotion/relegation structure with USL Championship, League One, and USL Premier.
• Minor League Baseball (MiLB): Multi-tier professional baseball league system in the U.S. with strong mid-size-market franchise model and minor league-to-MLB player pathway. Comparable as a multi-tier U.S. professional sports league operator with a developmental pyramid structure analogous to USL's pyramid.
• Endeavor / TKO Group / sports properties holding companies: Large sports and entertainment holding companies that own and operate multiple sports properties (UFC, WWE, PBR, etc.). Comparable as multi-property sports league operators with similar media-rights, sponsorship, and franchise-fee business models.

Emerging players

• USL League Two competitors / NISA (National Independent Soccer Association): Smaller U.S. independent professional and pre-professional soccer league competing for clubs in the U.S. soccer ecosystem. Comparable as an alternative lower-division property that competes with USL League One, League Two, and similar clubs for market share.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/USL_HQ
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCS6mjJ9fQZ02UtzvkE6yyDg
• Facebookfacebook.com/uslsoccer
• Instagraminstagram.com/USLSoccer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/united-soccer-leagues

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about United Soccer Leagues LLC (USL)