After another extension Thursday, tonight at 11:59 ET is now the deadline for Major League Soccer’s owners to reach a deal on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement with the MLS Players Association. If there’s no deal and no extension to the negotiating period, the MLS owners will terminate the CBA and lock out the players.
The owners want to extend the current CBA by two seasons, meaning if the league sees a boost in popularity and revenue after the 2026 World Cup, the players won’t see any of that until after the 2027 season. Because of big losses in revenue last season caused by the pandemic, ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle reports the owners are looking for between $100 million and $110 million in concessions.