They've just signed a record domestic TV deal - $90m a year I believe. Clearly that is very small beer compared to what we see here, so you're not going to see more than the odd Frank Lampard in MLS for a good while. They could of course spend a fortune for the best players in the world, but it remains unlikely that a TV contract will cover those costs. Indeed, they are far more likely to go the way of the old NASL following that model.
Their model is working a treat - centrally owned, stadiums built with the sport in mind which enable them to control matchday revenue, and a collective bargain agreement that has just been negotiated that ensures the lesser North American players can earn a reasonable living playing in the league, even if they don't make it to stardom.
You have to remember where they've come from. After the NASL collapsed, nobody in the US watched the sport until the mid 90s. Nowadays, the sport is very much mainstream (World Cup viewing figures dwarf figures for all their traditional sports except the NFL), even if MLS isn't. But that league is inching towards the big 4 sports leagues now, bit by bit. Attendances will average over 20,000 this season, there is talk of stadium expansion, Atlanta have sold 19,000 season ticket deposits for when they start in 2017 and various cities are clamouring to join - Minneapolis even has two competing ownership groups.
It's now all about TV ratings. Once they can crack TV viewing figures (which remain minuscule), then the big TV contract money will come, then the multitude world class players in their pomp. Personally, I reckon MLS will be in the top 5 football leagues in the world in around 10-15 years time.
