Without a doubt, 2023 has been a year for the books for Major League Soccer, a league whose arguably unrivaled momentum has grown exponentially since its 1996 founding. The sky’s-the-limit tone of MLS’ blockbuster 2023 season was set late last year, with the announcement of Apple’s groundbreaking 10-year, $2.5B global partnership with the league, which kicked off in February and allows fans to stream every MLS match through the AppleTV app.

While the deal underscored MLS’ burgeoning clout in the pro sports landscape, Inter Miami’s signing of Argentine superstar and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi in July—arguably the biggest coup in professional soccer in recent memory—was a literal game-changer for the league. Besides the immediate impact of the “Messi Effect”—his debut drew the largest single channel audience for a soccer match on linear television since 2004, while Inter Miami’s social media following exploded nearly 800% to 26M—his arrival elevated the league to new heights overnight, cementing its position as arguably the pro sports league to watch worldwide, whose future potential—given its global audience of 5B fans, and counting—seems literally boundless.

Attendance and average team valuation—up 27% and 85% since 2019, respectively—set new records this season. But it’s the unparalleled consumer demographics of the league’s ever-expanding audience that has brands across an array of industries piling on at a breakneck pace. With an average age of 37.4, MLS boasts the youngest, most diverse fan base in North American sports—67% of which are Gen Zers and Millennials, 77% are digitally native, and 31% are Hispanic. MLS counted 33 league-level sponsors in 2023, including 10 that came aboard in the past year. In February, adidas, the league’s most tenured sponsor, extended its partnership through 2030—making it the apparel company’s longest-ever investment in North American sports.

Currently, brands from 23 categories are active MLS partners, driving team sponsorship revenue up 15% to nearly $590M in 2023—a number that’s sure to climb further in the run-up to North America’s hosting of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will spotlight pro soccer’s dazzling ascent in the US like never before.

As the sport’s dynamism continues to surprise and dazzle fans everywhere, we’re excited to present our 2023 MLS Marketing Partnerships Report. Jointly authored by SponsorUnited’s Marketing, Research & Insights, and Analytics departments, it encompasses more than 800 brands, 2,200 sponsorship deals, and over 23,000 sponsorship assets from February 1st  2023 through November 10th, 2023.

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