The owner-operators of Major League Soccer have narrowed in on three finalists as next commissioner of the league: LAFC co-owner Larry Berg, former Fox executive David Nathanson and San Francisco 49ers and Leeds United executive Paraag Marathe, multiple sources confirmed to The Athletic.
MLS owners are expected to hold a vote in early August to decide which candidate will replace Don Garber, who has served as commissioner since 1999.
Puck News first reported the finalists.
A committee of owners chaired by LAFC co-owner Bennett Rosenthal and Columbus Crew owner Jimmy Haslam worked alongside Korn Ferry and The Miles Group to narrow down candidates as part of a succession plan. Other owners had not been formally informed of the list as of earlier this week, but discussion around the finalists was beginning to pick up at the board level.
An MLS spokesperson provided a brief statement: “Major League Soccer’s Board of Governors has been engaged in a comprehensive succession planning process. As part of that effort, a number of highly qualified individuals have been considered. The MLS Succession Committee is working with the Commissioner and the Board on this ongoing process.”
Garber’s contract runs through the end of 2027, but owners saw it as critical to begin a transition as early as possible, as the changeover in leadership comes at a critical point for MLS.
The league’s collective bargaining agreement with the MLS Players Association ends in January 2028, and the negotiation with the MLSPA comes as owners have already started making significant changes to how MLS operates.
League owners voted last year to flip the calendar beginning in 2027, which lines MLS up better with global transfer windows. The board also approved changes to the competition structure, which will impact both the regular season and postseason. MLS owners and executives are also studying major changes to its roster rules and regulations, specifically on how — and how much — teams will be able to spend on their senior rosters. Those changes will undoubtedly be tied to the new CBA. Notably, the agreement now expires in the middle of MLS’s first summer-to-spring season in 2027-28.
Larry Berg, right, shakes hands with Gareth Bale upon the star’s signing with LAFC in 2022 (Kirby Lee / USA TODAY Sports)
Berg is considered by some sources to be the favorite to replace Garber; however, MLS has seen more of a split at the board level on several key issues in recent years and those sources cautioned that there is no clear consensus on this vote.
The LAFC co-owner has been an active member of the board and co-chairs the sporting and competition committee, which handles high-profile sporting issues like roster rules and competition format.
Nathanson is a former Fox executive who oversaw the network’s successful bid to win the 2018, 2022 and 2026 World Cup rights. He is a minority owner in the Seattle Sounders and a director of the U.S. Soccer Foundation. His media background will no doubt be seen as a strength for a league that will be negotiating a media deal sooner than expected. Several sources pointed to the media rights negotiation as a vital part of picking any new commissioner.
One of the key drivers of sports league revenue is media rights, and it’s an area in which MLS has fallen behind its competition. The league is trying to get a better foothold not just in the domestic American sports marketplace, but also in the global football landscape. With increased competition on television from Liga MX, the Premier League and Champions League, as well as the German Bundesliga and Spanish La Liga, MLS has struggled to convert its strong local and in-person stadium experience into a commanding national television audience.
MLS’s current deal with Apple will end three years earlier than expected, in 2029, after the partners negotiated new terms last year, with MLS coming out from behind its MLS Season Pass subscription on Apple TV.
Marathe brings both NFL and international soccer experience. He has spent 25 years with the 49ers, serving as president of 49ers Enterprises and executive vice president of football operations. He has served as chairman of Leeds since the 49ers took majority ownership in 2023.
There is a strong NFL presence on MLS’s board of governors, including the Hunt and Kraft families, who were founding owners of MLS; as well as owners Stan Kroenke (Colorado Rapids), Arthur Blank (Atlanta United), Jimmy and Dee Haslam (Columbus Crew), David Tepper (Charlotte FC) and the Wilf family (Orlando City).
Garber was an NFL executive before being hired as MLS commissioner.
MLS will hold a board of governors meeting around the MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte on July 29. A vote is expected to occur after that board meeting at a later date, with owners expected to attend in-person to ratify the final decision.
