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Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
What MLS can learn from the J League's growth in Japan
Major League Soccer has plenty to celebrate in its 30th season as the top domestic competition of the United States and Canada. Average attendance is as high as ever, and sponsors are flocking in record amounts to capitalize on the presence of global stars such as Lionel Messi, and the general growth of soccer in the US. Yet not all is well. Fan frustration continues to mount on a variety of issues. Media exposure is declining in the wake of a 10-year, $2.5bn media rights deal with Apple. Competition is mounting in the form of the USL, which plans to start a Division I league and institute promotion and relegation for the first time in the modern era of US soccer. And the possibility of a switch to the international fall-to-spring calendar has left supporters of northern clubs bewildered. Advertisement Many of the challenges MLS faces are born of its successes and rooted in the environment of the North American sports market, in which business interests more often than not reign supreme. But as MLS prepares to shape its future, commissioner Don Garber and his fellow executives would do well to look to Japan, where their J League counterparts have charted a different path to relevance in a country similarly reluctant to accept soccer. Related: An increasingly multicultural Japan have qualified for the 2026 World Cup Development first The 1994 World Cup was in some ways the genesis of both leagues: MLS was established as a condition for the US hosting the tournament, while the J League's 1992 founding came as Japan sought to improve its playing level and qualify for the World Cup for the first time (they eventually did so for the 1998 edition). Advertisement But while MLS started with 10 brand-new franchises under a single entity system, the J League's Original 10 were almost entirely established company teams that professionalized and adapted home town identities, representing the league's desire for each club to establish strong local relationships. 'I think what we've done better than the US is developing players,' J League chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura told the Guardian on 15 May – coincidentally, the anniversary of the league's inaugural kickoff in 1993. 'We've looked at how to get kids to play and create a professional pathway, and that's something that local clubs, schools and the Japanese soccer community have worked very hard to accomplish.' Those efforts have borne fruit: Japan have appeared in every men's World Cup since 1998 and were the first non-host to qualify for the 2026 edition in North America. The J League has expanded from 10 teams to 60 across three divisions since its formation, but lags far behind its European and pan-American peers when it comes to broadcast and sponsorship revenues as well as transfer-related income. 'Our challenge now is figuring out how to expand our business side,' Nonomura said. 'MLS has done really well as a business, but now they're figuring out how to build the base [of its developmental pyramid]. I think we both have an opportunity to succeed.' Post-Messi roadmap If the attention surrounding Messi's journey with Inter Miami feels familiar to Japanese soccer insiders, it's because the J League has been down this path before with another Barcelona legend, after the arrival of Andrés Iniesta at Vissel Kobe in 2018. Advertisement The former Spain captain's arrival sparked a wave of global interest in Japanese soccer and higher attendances across the country, even as Vissel – who had also signed German star Lukas Podolski and would later bring on David Villa – struggled to achieve consistent results on the pitch. While the Covic-19 pandemic meant the J League was unable to capitalize on 2019's record attendance it has successfully rebuilt its crowds despite the lack of a replacement superstar – something Nonomura chalks up to increased media investments that have seen domestic exposure quadruple in the post-Iniesta era, particularly in areas with second and third-division clubs that lack the top flight's resources. A core of that strategy has been to increase the number of games shown on television. That required negotiations with streaming service Dazn, the J League's official broadcaster since 2017, and like Apple a company that primarily deals in digital streaming. Today, J League games appear on Dazn as well as regional public broadcasters. Related: American investment in soccer will soon face a stern opponent: itself Advertisement 'I told Dazn that if they want to grow [their subscribers] they need to raise the level of interest, and to do that they have to raise the number of games on TV,' Nonomura said. 'Now there are more rural clubs that are seeing audience ratings of 5-10% and becoming major content pillars for local media.' Pandemic-era rules requiring clubs to collect attendees' contact information spurred the development of another key tool: A unified ticketing system backed by an app that allows the J League to centralize its marketing data. Free ticket giveaways geared to first-time viewers have paid dividends, with 30% of such recipients for games at Tokyo's National Stadium going on to attend additional matches during the 2023 season, according to the league. 'I think National Stadium games allow for a balance between European and American atmospheres,' Nonomura said. 'Behind the goals there's a lot of excitement, but elsewhere in the stadium it's more relaxed and fans are enjoying themselves.' Fans as stakeholders Next year the J League, which has always played through the summer, will undergo a dramatic transformation as it transitions to a fall-spring format. Like those who support MLS making a similar move, the hope is that the switch will benefit clubs by aligning their transfer windows with Europe and protecting players from the country's sweltering summer weather. Advertisement After two decades of resisting pressure from the Japan Football Association to make the switch, league officials began deliberating anew in 2023, kicking off a transparent, year-long process, complete with monthly media briefings and a listening tour that saw Nonomura visit clubs in snowy northern regions that would be most affected. In the end, just one team voted against the move. 'It was because we'd been debating this for 20 years – the idea that the calendar had to change in order for the league to grow – that we felt it was necessary to share this information with as many people as possible,' Nonomura said. 'And I think that because we made that effort, the number of people against the move decreased.' Related: MLS Year 30: A league at a philosophical crossroads as World Cups loom If MLS does go forward with the switch, Nonomura believes, they'll have an advantage in terms of the amount of funding they can invest toward the transition. But he insists that fans should be a part of the conversation. Advertisement 'I like that in the US you can take on new challenges quickly, but when it comes to very weighty matters [the discussion] shouldn't remain within the league,' he said. 'If you believe that fans and supporters are important stakeholders, I think you need to tell them what's being discussed and what you're aiming to achieve.' Establishing that trust is something Nonomura focused on in his nine years as president of Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, the J League's northernmost club and among its best-known abroad thanks to the signings of Southeast Asian stars such as Le Cong Vinh and Chanathip Songkrasin. 'In order to win you need enthusiasm from your fans, and in that sense they're like club staff. When we were in the J2, we'd go to Sapporo Dome and present our financial situation and say, 'This is what our revenue looks like now, but to raise it over the next five years we need your support to help win games,' and that's how we built our base. In that sense, to grow the J League it's very important that our fans be aligned with the direction we want to take.' Together in the top five Though he admits that he is 'envious' of MLS's financial power, Nonomura sees a future in which both the North American circuit and the J League can stand together among the best leagues in the world. Advertisement '[MLS] is refreshing because it's a different approach to traditional soccer culture like promotion/relegation and a focus on building up grassroots,' he said. 'It's motivating, in a way. But I'm sure they look at what we're doing in Japan and see things they're envious about. 'I think if we maintain a good relationship and continue to grow, right now the top five leagues are in Europe, but one day maybe it will be three from Europe, plus [MLS] and the J League.' One gap that the J League hopes to narrow with MLS in the next few years is in the boardroom: The league established Sports Human Capital, its own business school, in 2016 under then-chair Mitsuru Murai. Nonomura himself – a former player, TV commentator, club president and now chair – is emblematic of how Japanese soccer has raised its initial crop of sporting executives nearly from scratch, in contrast to MLS's ability to draw from deep ranks of talent across the American sports business landscape, including Garber, who was once the senior VP of NFL International. 'The league's reached adulthood, but there's lots of ways we can still grow,' Nonomura said. 'After all, I'm 53, and there were so many things I didn't understand at 32 that I do now.'
Arab News
3 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Zico says Ancelotti just the man to take Brazil back to the top
KASHIMA, Japan: Carlo Ancelotti's track record of getting the most out of Brazilian players makes him the best man to take the national team back to the top, football legend Zico told AFP. The Italian Ancelotti has vowed to make five-time World Cup winners Brazil champions again next year after becoming the first non-Brazilian to coach the side in six decades. He nurtured Brazilians such as Vinicius Junior at Real Madrid, helping to turn the 24-year-old from a figure of fun because of his inconsistent end product into one of the Spanish league's biggest stars. Zico is one of the best players ever to pull on Brazil's iconic yellow shirt and believes Ancelotti's understanding and experience make him the ideal man for the job. 'Ancelotti played with Brazilian players, he has been a champion coach with Brazilian players at several teams and he's always praised Brazilian players and put them in a position to help him,' Zico told AFP in Japan, where the 72-year-old is an adviser to J. League club Kashima Antlers. 'He has a great understanding, he loves football and his approach to football is very much in line with Brazilian thinking. 'So I think he can be successful for this reason, he can help Brazilian players thrive with his knowledge, his ability and his expertise.' At 65, Ancelotti has five Champions League titles under his belt and has managed the cream of Europe's clubs including Juventus, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. He is taking the reins of a national team for the first time and becomes Brazil's first foreign-born manager since 1965. Zico says Brazilian coaches are no longer in vogue around the world, pointing to declining numbers of his compatriots in former hotspots like Africa, Saudi Arabia and Japan. Zico, who has coached in several countries including Uzbekistan, Iraq and India, believes the Brazilian federation had little choice but to look overseas. 'Now is not a good time for Brazilian coaches, not just in Brazil but all over the world,' he said. 'Now, when it comes to the Brazil team, if you're going to bring someone in, bring the best. As I see it, Brazil brought the best. 'For me he's the best, so I don't see anything to complain about.' Brazil have yet to clinch their place at next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico, and are currently fourth in the South American qualifying table. Ancelotti is their fourth coach since Tite stepped down following the quarter-final loss to Croatia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Italian faces some tricky fixtures in World Cup qualifying, with games at Ecuador and Bolivia still to come. But Zico believes Brazil can be one of the main contenders for the trophy if they avoid the unthinkable and book their place in the tournament. 'I think Brazil have a chance if Ancelotti manages to do a good job in the short time he has,' he said. 'I think Brazil could become one of the contenders for the title. Why not? I don't see any team in the world today as favorites.'
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Bristol City forward Hirakawa called up by Japan
Bristol City forward Yu Hirakawa has been called into Japan's senior squad for the first 24-year-old is part of the squad for World Cup qualifiers against Australia and Indonesia next joined Bristol City on loan from J-League club Machida Zelvia in July before making the move permanent in scored two goals in 19 Championship appearances for the Robins this season and has previously featured for Japan's under-22 and under-23 became the first nation to qualify for the 2026 World Cup in March and the games against Australia and Indonesia are their final matches of the qualification stage.
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
How J League's grassroots strategy offers a blueprint for Major League Soccer's growth
Japan's J League (via Getty Images) As Major League Soccer marks its 30th year, the league continues to experience growing pains—most notably in media visibility, grassroots development, and fan trust. In the Pacific, Japan's J League provides an interesting template, having weathered similar challenges in a nation formerly apathetic towards soccer. From the development of players to open governance, the transformation of the J League provides lessons for MLS's future. J League's long-term plan provides timely lessons for Major League Soccer The J League, established over three decades ago, has proven to be a model for consistent, community-based expansion in Asia. Established in 1992 as a way of increasing the likelihood of Japan qualifying for the FIFA World Cup—a dream achieved in 1998—the J League has grown from a 10-club league to 60 clubs over three divisions. It has managed to do so in a market where baseball and sumo previously dominated the sport altogether. The J League opted for an approach rooted in community engagement. The original clubs were mostly corporate teams that rebranded to become hometown symbols. According to J League chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura, this identity shift was crucial to building a foundation of youth development and loyalty: 'We've focused on getting kids involved and creating a pathway to professionalism.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Switch to UnionBank Rewards Card UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo The comparison with MLS is stark. American soccer is thriving commercially—due to massive sponsorship agreements and a record $2.5 billion media rights contract with Apple—but still drawing ire for youth accessibility and exposure in the media. Most notably, the closed-partnership character of Apple's streaming contract has been criticized for waning visibility. At the same time, Japan's J League gained broad visibility through negotiations with Dazn to increase coverage within digital and local TV. Even rural second-division clubs now receive regional ratings of 5-10%, making them necessary media content. As MLS considers adopting a fall-spring calendar, the J League experience provides both warning and encouragement. After years of opposition, Japanese authorities decided to switch starting next season. But they did it through an open one-year consultation with clubs, supporters, and the media. And the outcome? Every team but one voted in support. Nonomura underlined the need for fans to be engaged in transformational choices. "If fans are stakeholders, they should be informed of what is being discussed," he stated, referencing his experience as managing director of Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo as an example of creating alignment between clubs and society. Also read: Who is Shohei Ohtani's Girlfriend? Exploring the personal life of the New York Mets' Superstar As Major League Soccer enjoys financial strength and rising stature, it trails in realms where Japan's J League has made subtle, steady gains—developing young players, engendering public confidence, and diverse policymaking. The two leagues followed different trajectories from modest origins. But if MLS hopes to fully become a member of the global elite, it might find its strongest move is to watch and learn from Japan's patient game. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
The Guardian
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
What MLS can learn from the J League's growth in Japan
Major League Soccer has plenty to celebrate in its 30th season as the top domestic competition of the United States and Canada. Average attendance is as high as ever, and sponsors are flocking in record amounts to capitalize on the presence of global stars such as Lionel Messi, and the general growth of soccer in the US. Yet not all is well. Fan frustration continues to mount on a variety of issues. Media exposure is declining in the wake of a 10-year, $2.5bn media rights deal with Apple. Competition is mounting in the form of the USL, which plans to start a Division I league and institute promotion and relegation for the first time in the modern era of US soccer. And the possibility of a switch to the international fall-to-spring calendar has left supporters of northern clubs bewildered. Many of the challenges MLS faces are borne of its successes and rooted in the environment of the North American sports market, in which business interests more often than not reign supreme. But as MLS prepares to shape its future, commissioner Don Garber and his fellow executives would do well to look to Japan, where their J League counterparts have charted a different path to relevance in a country similarly reluctant to accept soccer. The 1994 World Cup was in some ways the genesis of both leagues: MLS was established as a condition for the US hosting the tournament, while the J League's 1992 founding came as Japan sought to improve its playing level and qualify for the World Cup for the first time (they eventually did so for the 1998 edition). But while MLS started with 10 brand-new franchises under a single entity system, the J League's Original 10 were almost entirely established company teams that professionalized and adapted home town identities, representing the league's desire for each club to establish strong local relationships. 'I think what we've done better than the US is developing players,' J League chairman Yoshikazu Nonomura told the Guardian on 15 May – coincidentally, the anniversary of the league's inaugural kickoff in 1993. 'We've looked at how to get kids to play and create a professional pathway, and that's something that local clubs, schools and the Japanese soccer community have worked very hard to accomplish.' Those efforts have borne fruit: Japan have appeared in every men's World Cup since 1998 and were the first non-host to qualify for the 2026 edition in North America. The J League has expanded from 10 teams to 60 across three divisions since its formation, but lags far behind its European and pan-American peers when it comes to broadcast and sponsorship revenues as well as transfer-related income. 'Our challenge now is figuring out how to expand our business side,' Nonomura said. 'MLS has done really well as a business, but now they're figuring out how to build the base [of its developmental pyramid]. I think we both have an opportunity to succeed.' If the attention surrounding Messi's journey with Inter Miami feels familiar to Japanese soccer insiders, it's because the J League has been down this path before with another Barcelona legend, after the arrival of Andrés Iniesta at Vissel Kobe in 2018. The former Spain captain's arrival sparked a wave of global interest in Japanese soccer and higher attendances across the country, even as Vissel – who had also signed German star Lukas Podolski and would later bring on David Villa – struggled to achieve consistent results on the pitch. While the Covic-19 pandemic meant the J League was unable to capitalize on 2019's record attendance it has successfully rebuilt its crowds despite the lack of a replacement superstar – something Nonomura chalks up to increased media investments that have seen domestic exposure quadruple in the post-Iniesta era, particularly in areas with second and third-division clubs that lack the top flight's resources. A core of that strategy has been to increase the number of games shown on television. That required negotiations with streaming service Dazn, the J League's official broadcaster since 2017, and like Apple a company that primarily deals in digital streaming. Today, J League games appear on Dazn as well as regional sports networks. 'I told Dazn that if they want to grow [their subscribers] they need to raise the level of interest, and to do that they have to raise the number of games on TV,' Nonomura said. 'Now there are more rural clubs that are seeing audience ratings of 5-10% and becoming major content pillars for local media.' Pandemic-era rules requiring clubs to collect attendees' contact information spurred the development of another key tool: A unified ticketing system backed by an app that allows the J League to centralize its marketing data. Free ticket giveaways geared to first-time viewers have paid dividends, with 30% of such recipients for games at Tokyo's National Stadium going on to attend additional matches during the 2023 season, according to the league. 'I think National Stadium games allow for a balance between European and American atmospheres,' Nonomura said. 'Behind the goals there's a lot of excitement, but elsewhere in the stadium it's more relaxed and fans are enjoying themselves.' Next year the J League, which has always played through the summer, will undergo a dramatic transformation as it transitions to a fall-spring format. Like those who support MLS making a similar move, the hope is that the switch will benefit clubs by aligning their transfer windows with Europe and protecting players from the country's sweltering summer weather. Sign up to Soccer with Jonathan Wilson Jonathan Wilson brings expert analysis on the biggest stories from European soccer after newsletter promotion After two decades of resisting pressure from the Japan Football Association to make the switch, league officials began deliberating anew in 2023, kicking off a transparent, year-long process, complete with monthly media briefings and a listening tour that saw Nonomura visit clubs in snowy northern regions that would be most affected. In the end, just one team voting against the move. That process was transparent 'It was because we'd been debating this for 20 years – the idea that the calendar had to change in order for the league to grow – that we felt it was necessary to share this information with as many people as possible,' Nonomura said. 'And I think that because we made that effort, the number of people against the move decreased.' If MLS does go forward with the switch, Nonomura believes, they'll have an advantage in terms of the amount of funding they can invest toward the transition. But he insists that fans should be a part of the conversation. 'I like that in the US you can take on new challenges quickly, but when it comes to very weighty matters [the discussion] shouldn't remain within the league,' he said. 'If you believe that fans and supporters are important stakeholders, I think you need to tell them what's being discussed and what you're aiming to achieve.' Establishing that trust is something Nonomura focused on in his nine years as president of Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo, the J League's northernmost club and among its best-known abroad thanks to the signings of Southeast Asian stars such as Le Cong Vinh and Chanathip Songkrasin. 'In order to win you need enthusiasm from your fans, and in that sense they're like club staff. When we were in the J2, we'd go to Sapporo Dome and present our financial situation and say, 'This is what our revenue looks like now, but to raise it over the next five years we need your support to help win games,' and that's how we built our base. In that sense, to grow the J League it's very important that our fans be aligned with the direction we want to take.' Though he admits that he is 'envious' of MLS's financial power, Nonomura sees a future in which both the North American circuit and the J League can stand together among the best leagues in the world. '[MLS] is refreshing because it's a different approach to traditional soccer culture like promotion/relegation and a focus on building up grassroots,' he said. 'It's motivating, in a way. But I'm sure they look at what we're doing in Japan and see things they're envious about. 'I think if we maintain a good relationship and continue to grow, right now the top five leagues are in Europe, but one day maybe it will be three from Europe, plus [MLS] and the J League.' One gap that the J League hopes to narrow with MLS in the next few years is in the boardroom: The league established Sports Human Capital, its own business school, in 2016 under then-chair Mitsuru Murai. Nonomura himself – a former player, TV commentator, club president and now chair – is emblematic of how Japanese soccer has raised its initial crop of sporting executives nearly from scratch, in contrast to MLS's ability to draw from deep ranks of talent across the American sports business landscape, including Garber, who was once the senior VP of NFL International. 'The league's reached adulthood, but there's lots of ways we can still grow,' Nonomura said. 'After all, I'm 53, and there were so many things I didn't understand at 32 that I do now.'
