LA Galaxy's Tom Braun on Leveraging Business Acumen for the Team's Remarkable Turnaround, MLS Title Push

American soccer fans anticipate a boom in their sport as the World Cup heads to Los Angeles in 2026. In LA, Galaxy fans are already seeing an uptick in interest, but not as much from the upcoming event; instead, it is due to the team's turnaround success this season.

After missing the postseason last year, the Galaxy played their way to the top of the West ahead of the MLS postseason, winning a game of inches against the second-place team, the intracity-rival LAFC, for top seeding.

The Galaxy proved that their year was more than a stroke of luck, beating the Colorado Rapids 5-0 on Saturday. 

It was an incendiary start in the first round of the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Tom Braun, the President of Business Operations and Chief Operating Officer of the Galaxy, rose to the top of the club in an unconventional journey, much like the Galaxy's incredible ascent.

The man integral to the Galaxy's turnaround spoke with OutKick to share his journey and what he anticipates for the team's postseason run.

CARSON, CA - OCTOBER 26: Omir Fernandez #11 of Colorado Rapids battles Marco Delgado #8 of Los Angeles Galaxy during the match against Colorado Rapids at Dignity Health Sports Park on October 26, 2024 in Carson, California.  The Los Angeles Galaxy won the match 5-0  (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)

"I've been with the club for about ten, 11 years now. And just the growth of soccer in North America, in the States is pretty spectacular. Right," Braun shared.

"We're now becoming a league of choice for a lot of the biggest players in the world. They're choosing our league and it's showing. Right. And our fans are responding to it."

Aside from missing the postseason, the Galaxy also faced a tug-of-war to win over soccer fans in LA, especially with LAFC gaining steam in the market.

"Los Angeles is a complicated market," Braun admitted. "It's it's always been a complicated market, right? We're competing against two of every sports team in all the major leagues right now, in addition to competing with everything else that Los Angeles has to offer."

Braun welcomes the battle for engagement among LA soccer fans.

"When teams compete against each other, it builds the fan base and creates rivalry between the two teams. So it's great."

In 2023, Braun was named the 2023 Street and Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal’s Forty Under 40. The former investor pivoted to earning an MBA at the University of Southern California, which did not necessarily open the doors he expected but landed him into a prominent role for the Galaxy.

CARSON, CA - OCTOBER 26: Dejan Jovelji #9 of Los Angeles Galaxy celebrates his second goal during the match against Colorado Rapids at Dignity Health Sports Park on October 26, 2024 in Carson, California.  The Los Angeles Galaxy won the match 5-0  (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)

"What is interesting about me is that I chose sports because I met a woman who became my wife, and it was her passion to be in sports," Braun admitted. "She was the one who convinced me that sports was a really cool path. I went back to business school after finishing my degree in finance with the hope and the desire to find myself in sports."

Braun was along for the ride when LA won its fifth Philip F. Anschutz Trophy in 2014; now pursuing their sixth title this postseason.

"I started at AEG as an unpaid intern. I was an unpaid intern back in 2013. I was maybe the last unpaid intern at AEG, and my first role was overseeing data and analytics for the L.A. Kings and the L.A. Galaxy at the time. I was fortunate enough that in my first year in sports, I was able to win two championships, one Stanley Cup with the Kings and one MLS Cup with the Galaxy. 

"What I learned in that period in the 10 years I've been in the Galaxy is that it is hard to win championships. But I've been fortunate enough to be with the club for so long. But maybe I took for granted early on how easy it was to win championships in the first year."

With an unconventional rise to the top within the club, Braun needed personal wisdom to stick to his path but still be along for the ride.

So, what's his biggest advice for someone who's trying to climb that ladder in the sports business?

"Deliver a finished product or not," Braun said with confidence. "Another one is always be available. We work in sports, working all hours. I think there are opportunities for everybody in sports, in particular at AEG and with the Galaxy. There are options for anybody and anybody willing to raise their hand and really, really put in the work."

With the 2026 World Cup coming to LA, what kind of opportunity does Braun foresee to build up the Galaxy's fan base, which is already catching momentum?

"This will be the biggest event in the history of the world. You're going to have so many teams, and with so much attention paid to the World Cup in '26, that. For us, this is great timing for us to be where we are with our team and our staff because we're on this rise. I think we're now moving into a pivotal moment where the sport will explode even further."

And what message does Braun have for hopeful Galaxy fans this postseason?

"Don't sleep on the LA Galaxy," Braun stated. "We have a very large fan base who have been waiting for this moment. I'm excited for them to feel something they may haven't felt in a long time. 

"The energy behind the Galaxy is there. Soak it up, enjoy it and hopefully, this team can go far."

CARSON, CA - OCTOBER 26: John Nelson #14 of Los Angeles Galaxy celebrates his goal during the match against Colorado Rapids at Dignity Health Sports Park on October 26, 2024 in Carson, California.  The Los Angeles Galaxy won the match 5-0  (Photo by Shaun Clark/Getty Images)

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