# What activity volumes help buyers judge coverage and workload?


### How many domestic matches should coverage claims address?

| Competition and period | Scheduled regular-season inventory | Calculation and dated source |
|---|---:|---|
| MLS, **2026** | **510 matches** | 30 clubs × 34 games ÷ 2. [MLS 2026 league description](https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/about-major-league-soccer-x4174), checked **3 November 2026**. ([mlssoccer.com](https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/about-major-league-soccer-x4174)) |
| NWSL, **2026** | **240 matches** | 16 clubs × 30 games ÷ 2. [NWSL 2026 rules](https://images.nwslsoccer.com/image/private/t_q-good/prd/tstudhfledlk7z8ygtzd.pdf), checked **3 November 2026**. ([images.nwslsoccer.com](https://images.nwslsoccer.com/image/private/t_q-good/prd/tstudhfledlk7z8ygtzd.pdf)) |
| Combined, **2026** | **750 matches** | Desk sum of the two scheduled inventories; excludes playoffs and cups and includes Canadian MLS participation |
| MLS Sprint Season, **2027** | **210 regular-season matches**, calculated | 30 clubs × 14 games ÷ 2. Schedule announced **29 October 2026**. [MLS](https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/major-league-soccer-announces-2027-sprint-season-schedule). ([mlssoccer.com](https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/major-league-soccer-announces-2027-sprint-season-schedule)) |

These are **fixture denominators**, not verified supplier-delivery counts. For an in-season audit, use matches completed by the agreed cut-off and allow for the contracted delivery delay; do not mark future fixtures as missing data.

Report separately:

- Full matches with playable footage.
- Matches with the required event fields.
- Matches with usable tracking-derived fields.
- Matches whose player identities join correctly.
- Matches available within the agreed turnaround time.

### What does international transfer activity tell us?

**It establishes recruitment activity, not the size of the scouting-software market.** FIFA’s snapshot for **1 June–2 September 2026**, published **3 September 2026**, reported:

| Measure | Reported figure | Relevant limitation |
|---|---:|---|
| Women’s international transfers globally | **1,406**, up **19.2%** against the previous record | Global cross-border activity, not NWSL transactions alone |
| Women’s international transfer-fee spending globally | **US$28.6m** | Transfer consideration, not intelligence spending |
| US clubs’ women’s international transfer-fee spending | **US$2.9m** | Association-level figure; do not relabel as an NWSL-only total |
| Men’s international transfer-fee spending globally | **More than US$9.89bn** | Not MLS spending and not supplier revenue |

Source for all four figures: [FIFA, 3 September 2026](https://inside.fifa.com/transfer-system/media-releases/world-cup-2026-impact-mid-year-transfer-window). ([fwctickets.fifa.com](https://fwctickets.fifa.com/transfer-system/media-releases/world-cup-2026-impact-mid-year-transfer-window?utm_source=openai))

A useful counterweight to a blanket growth narrative: FIFA’s **2025 mid-year women’s table** recorded **US$4.21m** of US spending. Comparing that with US$2.9m in the 2026 snapshot gives an approximately **31% decline**, using rounded published values, despite global growth. This is a directional comparison, not a statement about recruitment-data budgets. [FIFA 2025 table](https://inside.fifa.com/transfer-system/transfer-reports?tab=Women%27s+mid-year+transfer+snapshot+2025). ([inside.fifa.com](https://inside.fifa.com/transfer-system/transfer-reports?tab=Women%27s+mid-year+transfer+snapshot+2025&utm_source=openai))