Major League Soccer enters its 24th season with a new champion (Atlanta United FC), a new club (FC Cincinnati), a new playoff format (single elimination), a new local broadcaster in D.C. (FloSports), and a new esports partner (Twitch).
A few other major changes—relaunching the MLS app and moving the out-of-market TV package to ESPN+—will start their first full seasons, after mid-year launches in 2018. MLS claims the youngest fan base in North America and views innovation as its mandate.
SportTechie runs down all the top technology storylines to keep you current with MLS in 2019.
Streaming
Streaming technology will play a bigger role for MLS than for any other major North American sports league this year. Subscription service ESPN+ will carry games in other markets—though DAZN Canada will stream the MLS package north of the border—and is also the local broadcaster for the Chicago Fire. Three franchises (Seattle Sounders, LAFC, and Orlando City SC) have local deals with YouTube TV, and D.C. United is beginning a new contract with FloSports.
Furthermore, MLS and Twitter are entering the second season of a three-year agreement. Last year, the social site streamed 22 MLS matches and attracted nearly 14 million viewers. For the LAFC-LA Galaxy MLS rivalry match, Twitter introduced a fan-controlled camera in one corner of the pitch. Digital distribution of videos, particularly to international audiences, have been “off the charts,” according to the league, since MLS partnered with WSC Sports.
Revised App
MLS is building up its reimagined app with new enhancements in 2019. The app will customize for a user’s favorite club and now integrates the Fanatics-operated MLS Store and ticketing via Ticketmaster and SeatGeek. More updates to improve a fan’s game day experience in and around the stadium are in the works. An integration with ESPN+ is also in discussion.
Sports Betting and Data Rights
This will be the first full MLS season since the Supreme Court overturned PASPA last May, providing states a pathway to legalized sports betting. MLS has not yet announced any major betting partnerships, though big league competitors the NBA, the NHL, and MLB have teamed with MGM Resorts on licensing official data, and even the NFL announced Caesars Entertainment as its first casino partner. That will likely change imminently, however, as MLS commissioner Don Garber recently told Sports Illustrated that the league is “about to announce a relationship with a new gaming company that will sponsor the league.” Garber also indicated there would be a new “data relationship” to inform betting.
MLS/Twitch eMLS
The soccer league’s esports circuit, eMLS, launched last year and is getting a boost in 2019 from Amazon-owned Twitch via a one-year agreement first reported by Bloomberg. The most recent eMLS event drew a reported 342,000 unique viewers.
R/GA Accelerator
MLS and R/GA Ventures partnered last June on a soccer technology accelerator specifically geared toward developing products for the league. The first class of companies is currently in the program. MLS and R/GA are also part of a broader sports incubator called Global Sports Venture Studio that includes MLB, the NHL, and UEFA.