Soccer United Marketing
A United States soccer marketing and commercial-rights company affiliated with Major League Soccer.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
Soccer United Marketing (SUM) is a for-profit sports marketing company established in 2002 as the commercial and promotional arm of Major League Soccer (MLS). Its work has centered on turning professional soccer and major international competitions in North America into commercially viable media, sponsorship, licensing, and live-event properties. The company has supported MLS by marketing league matches, developing sponsor relationships, promoting events, and managing commercial opportunities connected with the league and its clubs. SUM has also operated across the broader North American soccer ecosystem. Its portfolio has included commercial and broadcast rights for matches involving the Mexican men's and women's national teams played in the United States, as well as rights connected with international tournaments hosted or staged in the region. The company has assisted with the organization and promotion of competitions such as the North American SuperLiga, the Pan-Pacific Championship, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the CONCACAF Nations League. These activities positioned SUM between leagues, federations, national teams, broadcasters, sponsors, and event promoters rather than as a conventional consumer-facing brand. In 2016, SUM was selected as the exclusive worldwide marketing partner of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL for specified commercial activities, including the United States-hosted Copa América Centenario. The assignment expanded the company's role beyond MLS and gave it a central commercial position around one of the most significant soccer tournaments held in the United States at that time. SUM has also held commercial rights for MLS matches and Mexican national-team games played in the United States. Since 2018, SUM has held the rights to the Campeones Cup, an annual match between the MLS Cup champion and the Liga MX champion. In 2023, it launched Leagues Cup, an in-season competition involving clubs from MLS and Liga MX. The tournament represented a further effort to create a recurring North American soccer property with integrated competition, media, sponsorship, and event-marketing rights. SUM's institutional importance is closely linked to the development of MLS's single-entity structure and the league's long-term effort to establish professional soccer as a durable major-league business in the United States. The company has also been affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation (USSF), creating a close relationship among the federation, MLS, and SUM. That relationship attracted discussion about governance and conflicts of interest because individuals associated with MLS and SUM also held senior positions within USSF. In 2022, USSF and SUM ended their commercial-rights partnership, while stating that they would continue cooperating. SUM nevertheless remains associated with MLS and continues to function as a major commercial vehicle for North American soccer properties.
History
Soccer United Marketing was founded in 2002 as the for-profit marketing arm of Major League Soccer. Its creation reflected MLS's need for a centralized commercial organization capable of selling league-wide sponsorships, managing media and broadcast opportunities, promoting matches, and building the business infrastructure surrounding professional soccer in the United States. Rather than operating as a consumer-products brand, SUM functions as a rights-holder representative, event promoter, and sports-commercialization platform. The company's development has been closely connected with MLS's single-entity operating model. Under that structure, league-level commercial decisions can be coordinated across the competition and its participating clubs. SUM has therefore played a role in presenting MLS as a unified property to broadcasters, sponsors, and other commercial partners. Its responsibilities have included the commercialization, marketing, promotion, and operational execution of professional soccer events in the United States. SUM's scope broadened beyond MLS through work involving international teams and competitions. It has held commercial rights for MLS matches and for Mexican men's and women's national-team matches played in the United States. It also assisted with events involving North American soccer, including the North American SuperLiga, the Pan-Pacific Championship, the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and the CONCACAF Nations League. These activities gave the company experience in cross-border event promotion and in coordinating the interests of leagues, federations, national teams, broadcasters, sponsors, and venues. In 2016, SUM was selected as the exclusive worldwide marketing partner of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL for relevant commercial activities. The arrangement included the commercial rights to Copa América Centenario, which was hosted in the United States. The tournament was a major test of the country's ability to stage a high-profile international soccer event and gave SUM a prominent role in its commercial presentation. Since 2018, SUM has held the commercial rights to Campeones Cup, an annual match between the champions of MLS and Liga MX. The competition reinforced the company's role in developing recurring properties that connect the United States, Canada, and Mexico through club soccer. In 2023, SUM launched Leagues Cup, an in-season tournament involving clubs from MLS and Liga MX. The competition expanded the cross-border model from a single annual match into a larger tournament platform with integrated media, sponsorship, ticketing, and event-promotion opportunities. SUM's relationship with USSF has also been a significant part of its institutional history. The company and MLS were affiliated with the federation, and senior figures associated with the league and SUM held influential positions within the U.S. soccer administration. Analysts and journalists raised questions about the potential conflict between governing, league, and commercial roles, although the federation's conflict-of-interest framework included an exemption for constituent or affiliated entities. In 2022, USSF and SUM ended their commercial-rights partnership. Both organizations nevertheless committed to continued cooperation, and SUM remained associated with MLS and its wider commercial activities.
- 2023
Leagues Cup launches
[1]SUM launches Leagues Cup, an in-season club tournament involving MLS and Liga MX clubs.
- 2022
USSF commercial partnership ends
[1]The United States Soccer Federation and SUM end their commercial-rights partnership while retaining a commitment to continued cooperation.
- 2018
Campeones Cup rights begin
[1]SUM begins holding commercial rights for Campeones Cup, the annual meeting between the MLS and Liga MX champions.
- 2016
International commercial partnership expands
[1]SUM is selected as the exclusive worldwide marketing partner of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL for specified commercial activities, including Copa América Centenario in the United States.
- 2002
Soccer United Marketing is founded
[1]SUM is established as the for-profit marketing arm of Major League Soccer to commercialize, promote, and operationally support professional soccer properties.
Products and positioning
A specialized soccer-focused sports marketing and commercial-rights platform linking leagues, national teams, tournaments, broadcasters, sponsors, and live events across North America.
Sports marketing and media rights · 2002
MLS commercial platform
SUM markets and commercializes Major League Soccer as a unified league property. Its activities include sponsorship development, media and broadcast-rights commercialization, event promotion, and operational support for professional soccer matches and related league properties.
National-team commercial and broadcast rights
Mexican national-team rights
SUM has held commercial rights for matches involving Mexico's men's and women's national teams played in the United States. The offering connects national-team events with U.S. venues, broadcasters, sponsors, and soccer audiences.
Soccer competition rights · 2018
Campeones Cup
Campeones Cup is an annual match between the MLS Cup champion and the Liga MX champion. SUM has held the competition's commercial rights since 2018, supporting its promotion and commercial packaging as a cross-border club-soccer property.
Soccer tournament and event platform · 2023
Leagues Cup
Launched in 2023, Leagues Cup is an in-season tournament involving clubs from Major League Soccer and Liga MX. It extends SUM's cross-border commercial model into a larger tournament format combining competition, media, sponsorship, and event operations.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Leagues Cup launch
United States · Canada · Mexico
SUM launched Leagues Cup as a recurring cross-border club tournament connecting MLS and Liga MX teams and their commercial ecosystems.
- 2016Copa América Centenario commercial program
United States · International
SUM supported the commercial marketing and rights program for Copa América Centenario in the United States under its international partnership involving CONCACAF and CONMEBOL.
Brand decisions
2023
Launch of Leagues CupProduct launchBackground
SUM had developed cross-border soccer properties including Campeones Cup and sought to expand cooperation between MLS and Liga MX.
Action taken
SUM launched Leagues Cup as an in-season tournament involving clubs from MLS and Liga MX.
Aftermath
The tournament became a major commercial and competitive platform for the two North American leagues.
2022
End of USSF commercial-rights partnershipStrategyBackground
SUM and the United States Soccer Federation had maintained a close commercial relationship, alongside broader institutional ties among USSF, MLS, and SUM.
Action taken
The organizations ended their commercial-rights partnership and stated that they would continue working together.
Aftermath
SUM remained affiliated with MLS and continued its wider role in North American soccer marketing and rights commercialization.
Recent events
- 2023
Leagues Cup launches as an MLS–Liga MX in-season competition[1]
Product launch · Other
SUM launched Leagues Cup, an in-season club tournament involving every MLS and Liga MX club and designed as a recurring cross-border commercial and sporting property.
- 2022
U.S. Soccer Federation and SUM end commercial-rights partnership[1]
Other
The United States Soccer Federation and Soccer United Marketing ended their commercial-rights partnership while indicating that they intended to continue working together.
- 2018
SUM takes commercial rights to Campeones Cup[1]
Other
Soccer United Marketing began holding commercial rights for Campeones Cup, an annual match between the MLS and Liga MX champions.
- 2016
SUM selected as exclusive worldwide marketing partner of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL[1]
Other
Soccer United Marketing expanded its international commercial role through an exclusive worldwide marketing partnership involving CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, including commercial rights connected with Copa América Centenario in the United States.
Sources1 sources
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