One Year After Messi Signing, MLS Continues Fan, Sponsor, Revenue Growth
Monday, July 22, 2024 at 02:07PM By Barry Janoff
UPDATED Aug. 1, 2024: Discount Tire has signed with MLS Inter Miami CF as a presenting partner and as the club's official tire retailer.
July 22, 2024: As the league hits its one-year anniversary of Lionel Messi signing with Inter Miami CF, Major League Soccer said it is continuing to ride the wave of success it experienced in 2023 thanks in large part to his presence.
Messi’s first MLS game was on July 21, 2023 — he scored the winning goal with a stoppage-time free kick after coming off the bench before a sold-out home stadium that included LeBron James and Serena Williams — immediately giving credence that a seminal moment in MLS history had taken place.
According to MLS, “Following a record season in 2023 that saw new highs across key business metrics, MLS' momentum continues in 2024.
“Along with record-setting attendance, new corporate sponsors and revenue continue to grow at record levels. Throughout the properties of MLS and Soccer United Marketing — the league's commercial arm — many prominent companies spanning various industries have signed on as sponsors of MLS and SUM properties during the first half of 2024.”
According to the league, “Among the key drivers of the continued surge are the second season of the league's partnership with Apple, Lionel Messi's second year with Inter Miami, the arrival of new international stars, and the ongoing influx of dynamic young talent from MLS academies and throughout the world."
MLS said partnership revenue for MLS and SUM properties has increased by 10% compared to 2023, and that MLS teams have also seen a 10% rise in club sponsorship revenue from last season.
MLS team sponsorship revenue reached a record $587 million, a 15% year-over-year increase.
Leading the the growth were the finance, healthcare and insurance brands, which spent $92 million, $79 million and $47 million, respectively, according to the 2023 MLS Marketing Partnerships Report from global sports and entertainment intelligence platform SponsorUnited.
In total, 17 new partners have signed on as sponsors of MLS or SUM properties, including Michelob Ultra and Beats by Dre.
The MLS Web site lists 25 league corporate partners. Most of them are activating this week during the All-Star Game and events in and around Lower.com Field in Columbus, OH.
Lead broadcast partners in the U.S. are Apple and Fox Sports.
Since Messi joined Inter Miami, the club has signed deals including a multi-year, multi-level pact with JPMorgan Chase to include naming rights to the team’s 21,500-seat venue, located in Fort Lauderdale, now known as Chase Stadium; Royal Caribbean International, Visa, Lowe’s, Duracell, Trapiche Wintery, Ketel One Vodka and National Beverage Corp. LaCroix sparkling water.
On its Web site, Inter Miami lists five Main Partners, ten Premium Partners, 24 Official Partners and three League Partners: adidas, BodyArmor and Continental.
Inter Miami played in MLS’s highest single attendance to date this season, 72,610, set April 13 during a win over Sporting Kansas City in Arrowhead Stadium.d
A club-record crowd of 65,612 were in Gillette Stadium April 27 when Inter Miami defeated New England Revolution.
Messi leads all players in jersey sales at the 2024 MLS All-Star Break, as he did at the conclusion of the 2023 season. “Jersey sales have grown by 17% over 2023 at MLSstore.com, establishing record-breaking sales,” according to MLS.
MLS said Inter Miami has become the most-followed North American sports team on TikTok (8.9 million followers) and the third most-followed on Instagram (17.1 million followers) behind the NBA’s Golden State Warriors (32 million -plus) and Los Angeles Lakers (25 million).
Real Madrid leads all teams worldwide with 165 million followers on Instagram.
MLS said traffic on the league's Web site is up +102% year-to-date over 2023. MLS said this includes the highest single-day traffic in MLSsoccer.com's history when the Inter Miami vs. El Salvador preseason match was streamed live on the site on Jan 19.
The league said other key drivers of the continued surge are “the introduction of two new rules — Off-Field Treatment Rule and Timed Substitution Rule — has generated additional interest among soccer fans.”
MLS said it is also seeing the impact of last year's inaugural Leagues Cup tournament “as each MLS club secured 5,000 new fan records as a result of the in-season tournament.”
Midway through the season, MLS said it has “achieved record attendance numbers driven by clubs creating more unique fan friendly ticket packages and game day experiences.
“Consumer research also indicates the league's strategy of consistent start dates and times with the majority of games on Saturdays plus select Wednesdays has positively impacted attendance.”
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