Solid business developments for the USL reported here.
The growth continues, as teams across the league are up more than 30 percent on average in season-ticket sales compared to last season, according to USL President Jake Edwards, who is forecasting more than 2.5 million fans attending USL matches this year, a more than 20 percent increase from last year.
Sponsorship revenue for the clubs is up 45 percent compared to last year, Edwards said. Franchise values are steadily increasing as well, with Edwards noting that recent investments into teams are being valued at 3.5 to 5 times revenue multiples. USL expansion fees are currently set at $5 million and are expected to rise again next year, up from roughly $500,000 in 2013.
The league is negotiating extensions of its national media deals with ESPN and SiriusXM. According to industry sources, not only will the league’s new deal with ESPN provide additional exposure through ESPNU and ESPN2 broadcasts during the season — typically only the league’s final was shown nationally on linear television — the remainder of the league’s games are expected to be available on ESPN+ when the streaming product launches later this spring.