On Saturday, MLS’ reigning champion Los Angeles FC will look to win back-to-back titles, facing off against the Columbus Crew in the 2023 MLS Cup. The championship game of the 28th Major League Soccer season will take place at Lower.com Field in Columbus at 4 p.m. ET.
The Crew is coming to the final after finishing the season 16-9-9, while the Black and Golds went 14-10-10.
More from Sportico.com
But no matter who comes out on top Saturday, MLS will wind up a winner this season. With lucrative broadcast and sponsorship deals, global superstars and record attendance, the league experienced unprecedented growth in 2023.
New Broadcast Deal and New Sponsors
MLS started its 28th season with a new broadcast deal with Apple. The 10-year, $2.5 billion deal meant an approximate 400% increase in revenue for the league versus the previous agreement, giving Apple the right to show every MLS game with no blackouts in 100-plus countries. MLS commissioner Don Garber described the pact as “a game-changer.” It is unknown how many people subscribed to MLS Season Pass. Apple and the league do not share subscriber numbers, but in a recent earnings call, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the season pass delivered on all of the company’s expectation. The league reported record viewership numbers and a 5% attendance increase to over 10 million attendees during the inaugural Leagues Cup this summer. Nearly 12 millions fans have attended MLS games this year, a league record to date.
More eyeballs meant more sponsors for the league. According to SponsorUnited, a leading global sports and entertainment intelligence platform, MLS saw a 16% surge in sponsorships this season compared with last year, and total sponsorship revenue soared to a record $587 million, a 15% year-over-year increase. The average number of sponsorships per team also rose from 65 to 75, with over half of the teams registering double-digit increases in deals signed.
“The [sponsorship] surge is a remarkable testament to the league’s rising prominence and their ability to leverage the global excitement of the World Cup, Messi’s star power and the Apple partnership,” Bob Lynch, SponsorUnited’s founder and CEO, said. “Additionally, it’s important to remember that the league’s investment in aggressive club expansion has been pivotal in driving fan engagement and revenue growth.”
This season’s finalists, Columbus and LAFC, are among the top MLS teams in terms of sponsors. The Crew sits on fourth place…