You have to respect what they're doing in the USA. They have firmly controlled their league with the franchise system and managed a slow growth - both in terms of teams and audience.
Each of the teams has a salary cap to manage wages. The guys don't make much with annual salaries being around what many of our players make weekly. To attract and retain some top players like Henry, Donovan and Keane, they have a Designated Player, who would earn around 1-2 million pounds per annum. This week, the LA Galaxy held onto the league's best defender by promoting him to DP status: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/aug/19/robbie-keane-omar-gonzalez-galaxy
As they make more money, they will be looking to expand that pool to maybe 4-5 players. The system has two benefits: it creates some parity and it controls wage growth.
It's a far cry from the hurlyburly of European football where tycoons are making it impossible for self-sustaining clubs to compete. If only there was a way for UEFA to legally impose salary caps across their member states.
