MLS Players Association
MLS Players Association is the exclusive collective bargaining representative for all current MLS players. The member-funded, player-governed nonprofit provides salary transparency, health and wellness programs, career development resources, and licensing/commercial partnerships for professional soccer players across the 30-team league.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersBethesda, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What MLS Players Association does
MLS Players Association (MLSPA) is the exclusive collective bargaining representative for all current Major League Soccer players, operating as a private, member-funded nonprofit headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. The organization is governed democratically through a 7-member Executive Board elected by Player Representatives from each of the league's 30 teams, supported by a small professional staff led by Executive Director Bob Foose. Membership is effectively mandatory under the Collective Bargaining Agreement with MLS, yielding a stable base of approximately 869 contracted players (2023 figure).
The MLSPA's core product suite is structured around labor representation and player services rather than technology. Anchor products include the annual Salary Guide (now in its 17th consecutive year of publication, providing Annual Base Salary and Annualized Average Guaranteed Compensation data for all MLS players), the CBA itself (the negotiated agreement covering wages, working conditions, free agency, and player protections), and the Free Agent List released ahead of each season. Supporting programs include the Player Plus: Media Academy (developed with USC Annenberg for sports-media career transition), Health and Safety resources (anchored by Assistant Medical Director for Player Wellness Dr. Samantha Sanderson Brown), the Play by Players podcast, and the Players Promise community engagement initiative.
Revenue mechanics are driven by member dues as the primary stream, augmented by emerging commercial licensing income. The organization has executed multi-year licensing deals with MatchWornShirt (announced 2026-03-13, covering authenticated match-worn memorabilia across all 30 teams), a landmark video game agreement with Konami for the eFootball franchise (2021-08-23), and a worldwide photography partnership with Gannett's Imagn (2021-05-11). Partnerships with the U.S. Soccer Foundation and Genesis Gives for mini-pitch installations extend the association's ecosystem into community development. Operating geographies are concentrated in the United States, with member services delivered directly through Player Representatives and the Bethesda-based staff; the current CBA expires in January 2028, with active negotiations around a calendar-format shift.
MLS Players Association firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- MLS Players Association
- Legal name
- MLS Players Association
- Website
- https://mlsplayers.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- MLS Players Association is the exclusive collective bargaining representative for all current MLS players. The member-funded, player-governed nonprofit provides salary transparency, health and wellness programs, career development resources, and licensing/commercial partnerships for professional soccer players across the 30-team league.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
MLS Players Association industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Sports Players Union
- NAICS
- Spectator Sports (71121)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional Sport Governing Bodies & League Sanctioning Authorities (MPAKAFAE)
Keywords
Where MLS Players Association is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bethesda
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
MLS Players Association business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Member Dues: As a players union, the MLSPA is funded through member dues paid by MLS players. The association does not generate revenue from product sales or services.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
MLS Players Association product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The MLS Players Association (MLSPA) serves as the exclusive collective bargaining representative for all current Major League Soccer players. It provides salary transparency through annual Salary Guides, access to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), player development and wellness programs, health and safety resources, and community engagement initiatives including the Players Promise charitable program.
Product overview
MLS Players Association is a democratic, player-run union serving as the collective voice for Major League Soccer players. The organization operates as a membership-based association offering core services including salary transparency through its Salary Guide (providing base salary and guaranteed compensation data for all MLS players), access to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, player programs supporting career development and wellness, and health and safety resources. Supporting offerings include the Play by Players podcast, Players Promise charitable initiative, and annual Free Agent List releases. The organization does not operate a traditional technology product platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Salary Guide Annual and semi-annual salary transparency report containing Annual Base Salary and Annualized Average Guaranteed Compensation data for all MLS players under contract. The guide empowers players and agents to negotiate wages reflecting their market value.
- Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) Access to the negotiated agreement between MLS players and the league covering wages, working conditions, free agency rights, and player protections.
- Player Programs Career development, wellness, and transition support programs for players including the Player Plus: Media Academy developed in partnership with USC Annenberg for sports media careers.
- Health and Safety Resources Medical and wellness support including mental health services through the Assistant Medical Director for Player Wellness role, addressing injury recovery, career transitions, and brain health.
- Play by Players Podcast A podcast series hosted by Bobby Boswell featuring conversations with MLS players about their careers, experiences on and off the pitch, and life after professional soccer.
- Free Agent List Annual release of players eligible for free agency ahead of each MLS season, enabling player mobility and negotiation rights.
- Players Promise Community engagement initiative showcasing player charitable work, including partnerships with U.S. Soccer Foundation for mini-pitch installations in underserved communities.
Companies that use MLS Players Association
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
MLS Players Association technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
MLS Players Association partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- USC Annenberg School for Communication and JournalismminorThe Player Plus: Media Academy is a program organized by U.S. Women's National Team Players Association and MLSPA in collaboration with USC Annenberg. The 2026 cohort of nine soccer athletes participated in an intensive three-day program covering broadcast journalism, podcasting, and personal branding with mentorship from journalism professors and industry professionals.
- NFL Players Association, MLB Players Association, NBA Players Association, NHL Players AssociationcorePlayer associations for major US sports leagues jointly filed comments with the CFTC urging a ban on prediction market contracts that could lead to player harassment and integrity risks.
- U.S. Soccer FoundationcorePartnership to deliver Musco Mini-Pitch Systems installations through the Safe Places to Play initiative. The Dallas installation marked the fifth mini-pitch delivered. The initiative has delivered over 850 mini-pitches nationwide with goal of 1,000 by 2026.
- Genesis Motor America / Genesis GivescoreGenesis Gives, Genesis Motor America's corporate social responsibility initiative, funded the Dallas mini-pitch installation at William Anderson Elementary School in partnership with U.S. Soccer Foundation and MLSPA.
- MatchWornShirtcoreMatchWornShirt signed multi-year licensing deals with MLS and MLSPA to cover all 30 teams with authenticated match-worn signed jerseys across regular-season games, playoffs, and All-Star games. OneTeam Partners served as the commercial agency brokering the MLSPA deal.
- OneTeam PartnerscoreOneTeam Partners acted as the commercial agency brokering the licensing deal between MLSPA and MatchWornShirt for authenticated memorabilia.
- KonamicoreMLSPA players appear in the licensed Konami eFootball video game franchise via a landmark video game agreement facilitated by OneTeam Partners.
- Gannett's ImagnminorImagn serves as the new worldwide official photography partner for MLS Players Association, providing professional photography services.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
MLS Players Association competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- National Football League Players Association (NFLPA): The NFLPA is the labor union for NFL players, making it the most structurally comparable US pro-sport player association. Same collective bargaining mandate, similar exclusive representation model, comparable salary transparency, group licensing, and member services programs.
- National Basketball Players Association (NBPA): The NBPA represents NBA players and operates the same exclusive collective bargaining model. Comparable in providing salary transparency, group licensing deals, career transition services, and a democratic player-elected leadership structure.
- Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA): The MLBPA is the labor union for MLB players — a direct peer in function (exclusive bargaining rep, salary data, player programs) with a much longer institutional history and stronger track record in labor negotiations.
- National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA): The NHLPA represents NHL players with the same exclusive collective bargaining mandate, member-funded model, and group licensing arm. It is a co-signatory with MLSPA on the 2026 CFTC prediction-market comment.
- National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA): The NWSLPA represents NWSL players — the most direct soccer-specific peer in the same US/Canada market. Shares the same collective bargaining fundamentals and the soccer-specific labor context, though on a smaller scale.
- U.S. Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA): The USWNTPA is the player association for the US Women's National Team and an active co-partner with MLSPA on the Player Plus: Media Academy program with USC Annenberg. Direct peer in soccer-specific labor representation and player services.
- Professional Footballers' Association (UK PFA): The UK PFA is the longest-established soccer players' union globally and the most mature soccer-specific peer. Operates an analogous salary transparency, member services, and collective bargaining model in the English football market.
Broad incumbents
- FIFPRO: FIFPRO is the global representative body for professional football players across 66+ national player associations. It is a broader incumbent that the MLSPA interfaces with on international transfer regulations and global commercial deals.
- World Players Association: World Players Association is the UNI Global Union affiliate representing athletes' interests globally. It is a broader incumbent in the player-side labor ecosystem that interacts with MLSPA on international policy and labor standards.
Others
- OneTeam Partners: OneTeam Partners is the commercial group-licensing agency that represents MLSPA (and other player associations) for IP and NIL deals. It is a service provider/partner rather than a peer, but the most adjacent commercial enabler in the player-association ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
MLS Players Association social profiles
Digital presenceMLS Players Association financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
MLS Players Association leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
MLS Players Association funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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MLS Players Association M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments3 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about MLS Players Association
What does MLS Players Association do?
The MLS Players Association (MLSPA) serves as the exclusive collective bargaining representative for all current Major League Soccer players. It provides salary transparency through annual Salary Guides, access to the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), player development and wellness programs, health and safety resources, and community engagement initiatives including the Players Promise charitable program.
Is MLS Players Association a public or private company?
MLS Players Association is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was MLS Players Association founded?
MLS Players Association was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is MLS Players Association based?
MLS Players Association is headquartered in Bethesda, United States, in the North America region.
How does MLS Players Association make money?
One revenue line is on record: member Dues.
Who are MLS Players Association's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA), National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA), National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA), U.S. Women's National Team Players Association (USWNTPA) and Professional Footballers' Association (UK PFA). Broad incumbents are FIFPRO and World Players Association. OneTeam Partners is listed as an others.
Does MLS Players Association have an API?
No public API is recorded for MLS Players Association.
What industry is MLS Players Association in?
MLS Players Association's product category is Professional Sports Players Union. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAFAE, Professional Sport Governing Bodies & League Sanctioning Authorities. Its NAICS code is 71121 and its SIC code is 8600.