Emily Sonnett & Sam Mewis on Money, Media and Life After Playing

Sam Mewis signed her first pro contract for $15,000. Ten years later, the league she came up in has free agency, purpose-built stadiums and a wave of brands that had never touched sport before.

In this episode, I spoke to two USWNT world champions, Emily Sonnett and Sam Mewis. We discussed how they turned a sport that barely had a league into a career, what it takes to build a team around you as a pro, and how they're planning for life after the final whistle.

We talk about:

What a pro career looked like a decade ago compared to now, from Sam's $15,000 rookie deal to free agency

How endorsements and brand deals work, and why the national team has always been the gateway

Why Sam started a podcast mid-career and how it grew into her role as editor-in-chief of The Women's Game at Men in Blazers

Emily's plan to stay in sport through scouting, roster strategy and the business side of the club

Why brands that have never been in sport before are now coming into women's soccer, including the National Pork Board partnership

What Kansas City's stadium shows about the economics of owning your own venue

Where the game will be in ten years, from training facilities and player care to media coverage

#nwsl #uswnt #womenssoccer #soccerbusiness