MLS Marketing Partnerships 2024

As one of the fastest-growing professional sports leagues in North America, Major League Soccer (MLS) continues to redefine its position in the global sports landscape. With an increasingly diverse fan base and a commitment to innovation, MLS offers brands a unique platform to engage with audiences across the US and beyond. As international players, high-profile signings, and global sponsorships elevate the league’s profile, MLS has become an ideal platform for brands seeking to connect with passionate and multicultural fans.

Methodology:

This report offers an in-depth analysis of brand sponsorships, endorsements, and social engagement across the MLS and its athletes for the 2024 season, encompassing more than 1,800 brands, 2,500 deals, and 26,400 social posts.

In addition to traditional sponsorship deals, the total number of team deals could also include individual brands that are part of a parent company portfolio; deals signed at the league level (but that include team signage); and/or sponsorship deals signed through third-party agencies. In cases where a parent company secures a sponsorship deal and provides exposure for multiple sub-brands, the exposure of each sub-brand is counted as a separate, individual deal.

Sponsorship pricing data is from SponsorUnited's recently launched SPND product and reflects the most recently completed season for the league. SponsorUnited’s SPND product estimates sponsorship deal pricing using a proprietary algorithm, which combines AI technology with multiple data sources, continually refining estimates based on new inputs. The SponsorUnited model integrates all platform-tracked marketing assets, rights holder characteristics, market and category trends, and over $13.3 billion in actual sponsorship deal transactions.

Social data was collected using SponsorUnited's proprietary social media tracking metrics—specifically Total Engagement—and compiled from property or person-controlled accounts on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter), TikTok, and LinkedIn. Sponsorship data was gathered from multiple sources, including observed brand placements in-game and during broadcasts, team websites, and official announcements.

This report was jointly authored by SponsorUnited's Marketing, Business Intelligence, and Analytics teams, using data from February 1, 2024 to to October 20, 2024. Data for this report was sourced from the SponsorUnited SaaS platform, which tracks and analyzes sponsorship activity across MLS, its teams, and its athletes.

About SponsorUnited:

Launched in 2018, SponsorUnited is the leading global sports and entertainment intelligence platform, delivering actionable data and insights to build stronger marketing partnerships. We provide unrivaled knowledge across the sponsorship and media landscape so our clients can make impactful decisions that drive business.

With over 403,000 brands, 2.2 million deals, and 21.1 million data points across sports, entertainment, media, and talent, our SaaS platform enables brands, rights holders, and agencies to partner more effectively. By delivering real-time trends, on-demand research, and the most comprehensive data available, we connect the entire sponsorship ecosystem and are rewriting the partnership playbook.

‍