The growing U.S. soccer economy

Make Me Smart

Today, we’re talking about one of Kai Ryssdal’s favorite topics: soccer! The sport’s U.S. audience is only expected grow, especially as the country gets ready to host the World Cup in 2026. Paul Tenorio, soccer writer for The Athletic, said access to the sport has changed dramatically for Americans over the last decade. On the show today, Tenorio explains why soccer is gaining a new audience, what lessons American stadiums can learn from mistakes at the recent Copa América tournament, and how legendary player Lionel Messi is bringing eyes and money to the game in the United States.

Then, we’ll get into how companies are using troves of data to target different consumers, and why this “surveillance pricing” has caught the attention of the Federal Trade Commission. And, what a travel editor got wrong about repeat travel.

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “The Messi Effect – How One Single Player Will Impact Soccer In America” from Forbes
• “‘It was inhuman’: Why the Copa America final was delayed and dangerously close to disaster” from The Athletic
• “U.S. Soccer Fans Are Younger, More Diverse Than Fans of Other Sports” from Morning Consult
• “What Messi’s MLS, Apple, Adidas deal means for everyone else” from ESPN
• “You’re not going crazy — you may actually be paying higher prices than other people” from CNN Business
• “FTC Issues Orders to Eight Companies Seeking Information on Surveillance Pricing” from the Federal Trade Commission
• “Why Is the US Deficit So Big? Depends on Who You Ask” from Bloomberg
• “What the bond market’s telling us, or not, about Biden’s withdrawal” from Marketplace

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