MLS had a "heck of a season" in 2023, which is why AD AGE ranked the league No. 4 on its Marketers of the Year list. AD AGE's Jon Springer noted this was the first year of a 10-year, $2.5B deal to broadcast all MLS matches through Apple TV, the "first all-streaming deal for major U.S. sports." The league "established or renewed" 20 corporate sponsorship deals, "headlined by a renewal with its biggest sponsor" Adidas, worth a reported $830M over six years. Lionel Messi's move to join MLS delivered MLS a "generational talent while attracting the attention of millions the world over." It also delivered "a more attractive audience for advertisers," with Season Pass viewers 10 years "younger on average than MLS’s cable TV watchers." The streaming deal "had other benefits," as it allowed for a "reliable new schedule -- every game was scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. local time, and only on Wednesdays and Saturdays." The schedule also "had a positive impact at the ticket window," with attendance up, no-shows down and the amount of money fans spent at games up. MLS Deputy Commissioner Gary Stevenson: “For a league that is focused on doubling our fan base in the next five years, it’s a really important marketing initiative” (AD AGE, 12/11).
