DSport has acquired the rights to telecast Miami Major League Soccer, launched by football superstar and former England and Manchester United’s David Beckham. He has launched his long-awaited Miami Major League super franchise. Miami has long been identified as a potential Major League Soccer expansion area, but it took Beckham nearly four years just to get Major League Soccer club there.
The team will play in a 25,000-seater, privately funded stadium, though it remains unclear when that will open – a very possible scenario is that the team begins play in 2020, and moves into its permanent home in time for the 2021 season. Part of the deal also is that Beckham's group will build a training centre and an academy focused on developing local players.
Beckham hopes to entice ‘big stars’ to his new venture as he believes that Miami is a breeding ground of talent. The Miami team is just one of five new expansion teams as Major League Soccer looks to expand to at least 24 teams by 2020. It aims to further increase this amount to 28 over the next decade.
By 2020, the additions of Atlanta United, Minnesota United, Los Angeles FC and a new franchise in Nashville will see Major League Soccer have 24 teams competing for the title. In December 2017, the Nashville expansion team was announced as part of the next phase, with the aim of growing the league to 28 teams.
Miami will be the 25th team and will play their debut season in MLS in 2020. Bids have come from three other cities to complete the remaining teams for the 28-team expansion: Cincinnati, Detroit and Sacramento. There has also been interest from Indianapolis, Charlotte, Raleigh and Phoenix.
Media Contact:
Ruchika Sharma
ruchika.sharma@kaizzencomm.com