Hometown Soccer Holdings

Name

Hometown Soccer Holdings

Legal name

Hometown Soccer Holdings

Website

https://hometownsoccer.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2026

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Sports Club Operations

NAICS

Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Spectator Sports (7112)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Association Football (Soccer) Leagues (MPAKAAAA)

Keywords

• Professional soccer clubs
• Stadium development services
• Sports commercial partnerships
• Developmental soccer league
• Multi-use venue operations

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Commercial Partnerships: Provides brands and partners with integrated access across clubs, venues, and markets, delivering scalable multi-platform partnerships. Serves as MLS NEXT Pro's commercial engine.
2. Stadium Development & Operations: Develops soccer-first, multi-use venues designed for year-round use. Revenue generated from venue operations, live events, and community programming.
3. Club Brand Development: Creates new club brands for MLS-affiliated teams that are specific to their home communities. Generates value through club ownership and brand commercialization.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hometown Soccer Holdings is a joint venture between KKR and Major League Soccer that serves as the commercial engine for MLS NEXT Pro. It builds and operates locally rooted professional soccer clubs with independent brands, develops soccer-first multi-use venues in partnership with municipalities, and sells integrated commercial partnership access across clubs and venues. Its mandate is to launch clubs in targeted markets, develop purpose-built stadiums, and strengthen the league's fan experience and commercial capabilities ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Product overview

Hometown Soccer Holdings (HSH) is an integrated platform and joint venture between KKR and Major League Soccer, formed to commercialize and scale MLS NEXT Pro. The platform operates through several interconnected components: the MLS NEXT Pro developmental league itself (with 30 clubs across North America), professional clubs that HSH builds and operates with local community identities, purpose-built stadiums and multi-use venues, commercial partnership opportunities offering multi-market reach and year-round engagement, best-in-class fan experiences from matchday to year-round programming, and player development pathways creating clear routes to MLS and international opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MLS NEXT Pro League Major League Soccer's official developmental league launched in 2022, providing a structured pathway for young talent to reach professional soccer, with 30 clubs across the U.S. and Canada and expansion to 34 clubs planned by 2027.
• Professional Clubs
• Stadiums and Infrastructure Soccer-first, multi-use venues developed in partnership with municipalities and civic leaders, designed for year-round use including sports, live events, and community engagement.
• Commercial Partnerships Platform Integrated platform providing brands and partners with multi-market reach, premium inventory, and year-round engagement opportunities across MLS NEXT Pro clubs, venues, and markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 255 players have progressed from MLS NEXT Pro to MLS first-team contracts
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Major League SoccercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026MLS and KKR formed Hometown Soccer Holdings as a joint venture to serve as MLS NEXT Pro's commercial engine. MLS contributes league infrastructure, 30 club network, and sporting development expertise while KKR provides capital investment and operating expertise. The partnership aims to support stadium development, create new club brands, and enhance fan experiences across new markets.
• MLS NEXT ProcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 April 2026Hometown Soccer Holdings operates as the commercial platform for MLS NEXT Pro, supporting the league's expansion from 30 clubs to 34 by 2027. The partnership focuses on stadium development in new communities, creating new club brands for MLS-affiliated teams, and enhancing fan experiences through high-energy matchday environments at fan-friendly venues.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• City Football Group: Multi-club soccer ownership platform (Manchester City, NYCFC, Melbourne City, etc.) with integrated commercial operations across multiple markets. HSH CEO Tom Glick previously served as Chief Commercial and Operating Officer at Manchester City FC, making the operating model directly comparable to HSH's club-and-venue platform.
• LA Galaxy: MLS first-division club with which President Chris Klein was associated for over a decade (President 2012-2023). Comparable as a high-profile MLS property with established brand, fan base, and commercial partnerships, providing a direct benchmark for HSH's club operations.
• United Soccer League (USL): U.S. professional soccer league system spanning multiple divisions (USL Championship, League One, League Two). Comparable as an alternative developmental and lower-division professional soccer league competing for U.S. soccer fan attention, player pipeline, and sponsor dollars.
• Charlotte FC: MLS expansion club launched in 2022 with KKR among its ownership group. CEO Tom Glick previously led Charlotte FC and Tepper Sports & Entertainment, giving direct precedent for HSH's club-launch playbook and KKR's sports investment pattern.
• Tepper Sports & Entertainment: Multi-property sports ownership group led by David Tepper controlling the Carolina Panthers (NFL), Charlotte FC (MLS), and related venues. Directly comparable given Tom Glick's prior role there, with similar multi-asset commercial integration across clubs and venues.

Regional players

• National Women's Soccer League (NWSL): Top-tier U.S. women's professional soccer league. Comparable as a competing professional soccer property in North America competing for sponsor dollars, broadcast inventory, and soccer fan mindshare across overlapping geographies.
• Liga MX: Top-tier Mexican professional soccer league, the dominant soccer property in North America by viewership and revenue. Comparable as a competing professional soccer property sharing the North American fan base, broadcast rights pool, and sponsor universe.

Broad incumbents

• Red Bull Soccer: Multi-club soccer ownership model (RB Leipzig, NY Red Bulls, Red Bull Bragantino) with vertically integrated talent development, brand-led marketing, and stadium operations. Comparable as a multi-club soccer platform with a proprietary player pathway analogous to MLS NEXT Pro.
• AEG (Anschutz Entertainment Group): Global sports and live entertainment company operating multiple MLS franchises (LA Galaxy, LAFC), stadiums, and commercial platforms. Comparable as an integrated multi-club, multi-venue sports operator with venue development capabilities analogous to HSH's stadium-led model.

Others

• Apollo Global Management (Sports Investments): Global alternative asset manager with significant sports investments. Comparable as a large-scale institutional capital provider pursuing sports-related commercial opportunities, analogous to KKR's role as financial sponsor in the HSH joint venture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hometownsoccer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hometown-soccer-holdings
• Instagraminstagram.com/hometownsoccer

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Hometown Soccer Holdings