Donald P. Garber[1] (born October 9, 1957) is an American sports executive who has been the commissioner of Major League Soccer (MLS) since 1999.

[2] Garber has spent his entire career in the sports industry, working in a variety of capacities in marketing, events, television, and league administration prior to becoming MLS commissioner.

[3] In addition, the league has seen significant increases in every metric – including team valuations, attendance, sponsorship, and digital and social media engagement.

[9] Garber has received numerous other industry honors, and in 2011 was named by the Los Angeles Times as one of the top sports commissioners.

In 1992, he was appointed the NFL's senior vice president of business development and was responsible for a variety of television, special event and marketing activities.

One of his first moves as commissioner was to bring the league more in line with the international standard, eliminating the shootout and having the referee keep the time on the field.

Garber has emphasized gradual, sustained growth of the league over decades rather than attempting grandiose moves to win headlines.

On December 7, 2001, Garber met with club owners at the Colorado ranch of Philip Anschutz in order to establish a plan to ensure the league's survival.

The entire summit led by Garber at the Anschutz ranch is regarded as a critical moment in the eventual rise of MLS.

[17] Following the Columbus Crew's lead, and after the summit at Anschutz's ranch, MLS clubs soon began building soccer-specific stadiums.

[18] In 2003, the "cathedral of American Soccer," the Home Depot Center (now known as Dignity Health Sports Park), was built to house the Los Angeles Galaxy, and both senior national teams.

SUM's first deal was the purchase of the English-language rights to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups for $40 million and to have the games broadcast on ESPN, splitting advertising revenue with the network.

In 2016, the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) selected SUM to market and service its worldwide sponsorship rights.

[24] As the league expanded and established a footprint across North America with successful clubs in Seattle, Portland, Toronto, New York, and Atlanta, among many others, team valuations have soared.

For example, Seattle won MLS Cup in 2016 in part behind the strong play of 26-year-old midfielder Nicolás Lodeiro, who was signed as a Designated Player.

[29] When Atlanta United FC won MLS Cup in 2018, its Designated Players were 19-year-old Ezequiel Barco, 23-year-olds Miguel Almirón and Josef Martínez, and 22-year-old Hector Villalba.

Players registered for at least 1 year in an MLS youth program became eligible to sign a pro contract with that team without entering the SuperDraft.

In January 2017, MLS extended its deal with TSN for five years and signed a new five-year contract with the French language network TVA Sports.

This was in the wake of a banner year for Canadian teams in MLS in 2016, as Toronto FC defeated the CF Montreal in the Eastern Conference Final.

MLS has announced that starting in 2020, the league will remove its logo from the right sleeve of jerseys, allowing teams to sell a 2.5-by-2.5-inch square ad to corporate partners.

[44] Inter Miami CF is owned by a diverse group of global entrepreneurs, including Jorge Mas and David Beckham.

[46] In 2007, Garber formed MLS WORKS, the league's community outreach initiative, dedicated to addressing important social issues affecting young people throughout the United States and Canada.

In 2022, the league announced that it had taken out a $25 million loan from a syndicate of eight Black banks, which will provide the financial institutions increase lending power with the goal of helping reduce the racial wealth gap.

It is our hope this will raise awareness of the importance of Black-owned banks and their impact on the economy.”[63] Garber is married, has two adult children and lives in Montclair, New Jersey.

He is Vice President of Hope and Heroes, an organization raising funds and creating programs for pediatric cancer patients at the New York Presbyterian Hospital.