Regular season records for MLS attendance and sponsorship revenue were set.

• Nearly 11.5 million fans attended Major League Soccer games during the regular season, setting a new record.
• A year after the league introduced a new club performance unit, headed by Chris McGowan, clubs began to experience growth.
• The league concluded its regular season this weekend and recorded increased fan engagement on social media as well as record sponsorship revenue.

Lionel Messi's presence in Major League Soccer helped the league set regular season records for attendance and sponsorship.

The Major League Soccer (MLS) has been attracting famous athletes such as Messi and Luis Suárez, and leveraging the increasing popularity of the sport in the U.S. to strengthen its fan base after almost 30 years of operation. Additionally, MLS has established a corporate team to assist clubs in implementing new business strategies.

The 2024 MLS regular season saw an increase in attendance, with an average of 23,234 attendees per match, the highest ever. This represents a 5% increase from the previous year and a 14% increase from 2022. In total, nearly 11.5 million people attended MLS matches during the regular season, which ended this past weekend, marking the highest attendance in league history.

Although MLS has fewer attendees compared to other U.S. professional sports leagues, such as the National Basketball Association with over 22.5 million attendees during the 2023-2024 regular season, MLS is gaining momentum.

In the previous season, Inter Miami of the MLS signed Messi, resulting in an increase in attendance, merchandise sales, and fan engagement. Despite Messi playing fewer games this season due to an injury, the halo effect from the greatest of all time has persisted.

This weekend, Inter Miami finished the season with 74 points, breaking the MLS record for most goals in a season, and Messi scored a hat trick for the first time with the U.S. league. The MLS playoffs start this week.

But it wasn't just on-the-field talent that made the difference.

Since joining the league in June 2023, Chris McGowan has been serving as executive vice president and chief club performance officer, leading the new unit that advises and develops strategies to improve clubs' performance, particularly on the business side.

McGowan's primary focus this season was on constructing his team, but he also devised a plan for identifying key areas and establishing connections with other clubs. His role is similar to that of a consultant, offering recommendations that the teams can either adopt or reject.

The New York Red Bulls received assistance from McGowan and his unit in making decisions regarding premium seating for their stadium this season.

"We facilitate sustained growth by providing valuable resources to clubs, including sharing best practices quickly and efficiently," said McGowan. "By providing timely information to clubs for making informed business decisions, we have streamlined the process and improved efficiency."

Kicking off new records

The bigger audience is drawing bigger sponsorship dollars.

The MLS and Soccer United Marketing (SUM) signed 18 new sponsorship partners this season, resulting in a 13% increase in sponsorship revenue year to date. Additionally, sponsorship revenue at the club level also increased by 13% for the same period.

League- and club-level sponsorship revenue both reached records.

The jersey of Messi's Inter Miami was the most popular in the league, with it being the highest-selling jersey in the league. Additionally, it was the top-selling jersey globally for Adidas in individual player sales, as stated by the MLS.

The league experienced a significant increase in its social media following on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, with TikTok seeing a 26% growth, YouTube a 21%, and Instagram a 10% increase since the beginning of the year.

On TikTok, Inter Miami was the most followed North American sports team with 9.4 million followers, while on Instagram, they were the third most followed with 17.2 million followers.

The MLS has been concentrating on expanding its international audience and presence, as other sports leagues in the U.S. have done. Recently, it signed an agreement with German digital media platform OneFootball to offer highlights, statistics, and other content to a global audience.

Unlike other professional sports leagues in the U.S., the MLS has a unique media rights deal that limits its TV viewership to its own platform, the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Since Messi joined the league, the audience for MLS Season Pass has increased, although viewership data isn't available.