Finance of Football
Finance of Football
Podcast Description
Created and hosted by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé, Finance of Football is a podcast focused on The Business of the Beautiful Game.While football is the most popular sport on the planet, it hasn’t witnessed the same success in the United States … yet. But with the 2024 Copa América, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics coming to the country and continent, the money and interest in the game is expected to reach unprecedented heights and could be the catalyst that brings football to the forefront in the U.S.Each episode, we not only discuss and debate the how, but, more importantly, the why around the biggest topics, themes and trends in football, particularly in the U.S., while being joined by guests who can lend their expertise and experience to the conversation.Thanks for listening!– Asli and Michael
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast explores various themes including the financial dynamics of football in the U.S., women's soccer growth, and major legal controversies in the sport. Episodes like 'Mile High Momentum: Denver’s NWSL Debut' discuss the impact of NWSL expansion, while 'The Billionaire & The Burner Account' analyzes a significant antitrust lawsuit, highlighting the intersection of business and sports.
Created and hosted by The Athletic’s Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé, Finance of Football is a podcast focused on The Business of the Beautiful Game.
While football is the most popular sport on the planet, it hasn’t witnessed the same success in the United States … yet. But with the 2024 Copa América, 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, 2026 FIFA World Cup and 2028 Olympics coming to the country and continent, the money and interest in the game is expected to reach unprecedented heights and could be the catalyst that brings football to the forefront in the U.S.
Each episode, we not only discuss and debate the how, but, more importantly, the why around the biggest topics, themes and trends in football, particularly in the U.S., while being joined by guests who can lend their expertise and experience to the conversation.
Thanks for listening!
– Asli and Michael
“Distribution equals visibility. Visibility drives sponsorship. Sponsorship fuels payroll growth.”
That’s the new model powering the National Women’s Soccer League.
The league that launched in 2013 just trying to survive is now operating in a completely different financial reality. Ahead of 2026 — with the men’s World Cup on U.S. soil and the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil on the horizon — women’s soccer in America is no longer chasing legitimacy. It’s scaling.
Michael and Asli break down what changed.
The NWSL secured a reported $240 million multi-year media deal across CBS, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and Scripps. Linear viewership is up 22% year over year. Growth among women 18–34 is up 30%. Social audiences continue to surge.
Sponsors are following the eyeballs.
Atlanta’s incoming expansion team — owned by Arthur Blank — doesn’t debut until 2028 and has already signed a reported seven-year, $28 million front-of-kit deal with Aflac, believed to be the largest sponsorship in women’s sports history.
We revisit the league’s fragile early years, the 2021 governance crisis, and the restructuring that followed — including a landmark CBA introducing full free agency, revenue sharing, and stronger guardrails. Instead of collapsing, the league stabilized and accelerated.
Valuations are rising. Angel City FC sold for $250 million in just three seasons. Expansion fees continue to climb. Institutional capital, NFL owners, and tech investors are entering the space as a serious business play.
Meanwhile, global competition is intensifying. The Women’s Super League is aggressively pursuing American talent, pushing salaries and transfer fees higher.
With three months until the 2026 men’s World Cup kicks off, the spotlight on American soccer will be unprecedented.
For a league that has finally achieved stability, 2026 isn’t about momentum.
It’s about validation.
How big can NWSL scale from here?
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For more, follow Asli and Michael on Instagram
Asli – @brefootcontessa
Michael – @michale.lore
And follow the show…
On Instagram – @financeoffootballpod
On Facebook – /financeoffootball
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The Finance of Football, a Frequency Machine Podcast, is…
Written, Hosted, and Produced by Asli Pelit and Michael LoRé
Editing and Sound Design by Ryan Hammond
Mixing and Mastering by Julian Kwasneski
Executive Produced by Ryan Hammond, Stacey Book and Avi Glijansky
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