On Independence Day, 82,110 screaming fans packed the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, blowing past Super Bowl LVII’s attendance of 67,827 just months earlier. More shockingly, the record-shattering turnout was only for a regular season Major League Soccer (MLS) match, as soccer’s popularity soars at the expense of traditional American sports.
Last year, the 2022 FIFA World Cup final drew 26 million U.S. viewers on linear TV–more than the NBA Finals (13 million), the World Series (12 million), PGA Finals (10 million), Stanley Cup (5 million), and even the Winter Olympics (12 million). In fact, a mere group-stage World Cup match, U.S.A vs. England, was watched by some 15 million American viewers.
[MLS] is the one and only traditional sports league that attracts the same demographics as streamers, including Gen Z males. In fact, it has the youngest audience among all legacy leagues…
As part of Apple’s $2.5 billion, 10-year worldwide deal with MLS, the tech giant has launched an MLS Season Pass within the Apple TV app. Apple TV Commissioner Don Graber describes it as “a game changer,” streaming all the games live, with no blackouts, across Apple devices in 100+ countries.
In a groundbreaking deal, Apple brokered an unprecedented revenue-sharing agreement with soccer superstar Lionel Messi. It spurred him to join Inter Miami CF, further driving soccer’s explosion in the U.S.
It’s no wonder that when fighting back tears of joy in Messi’s debut post-game interview, David Beckham (co-owner of Inter Miami CF) said, “It is such a moment for this country and for this league.” It was also a major moment for Apple, who scored big with their investment in the beautiful game that’s on the verge of taking over America.
