Major League Soccer (MLS), the premier soccer league in the United States, has announced a new global partnership with OneFootball, a leading soccer media platform. This collaboration is set to expand MLS's reach and appeal on an international scale.
Under this agreement, OneFootball will broadcast highlights from MLS games, as well as content from its developmental league MLS NEXT Pro and youth category competition MLS NEXT. This means that fans around the world will have access to key moments and insights from these competitions.
The deal also includes ancillary content, providing viewers with additional information about matches, teams, players and more. All of this content will be available across OneFootball's platforms including its website, mobile app and partnered internet TV services such as Yahoo Sports.
MLS joins club advisory board
In addition to broadcasting rights for game highlights and other related content, the partnership also involves MLS acquiring a stake in OneFootball. As part of this investment deal, MLS will join the "Club Advisory Board" at OneFootball - an advisory body comprising major soccer clubs and stakeholders worldwide. This board includes prestigious members like Germany’s national soccer federation DFB along with renowned clubs such as Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Real Madrid, FC Barcelona, and Manchester City, among others. By joining this board, MLS further solidifies its position within global football governance structures.
According to Seth Bacon - Executive Vice President of Media at MLS - one primary objective behind this partnership is expanding their global reach ahead of several major upcoming competitions hosted by the US. These include FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup along with 2026 World Cup matches which is being co-hosted by Canada Mexico alongside USA.
MLS executive vice president of media, Seth Bacon, said:
“As MLS continues to grow its relevance on a global scale, we are excited to work with OneFootball to provide fans around the world access to the amazing action in MLS each week. This collaboration provides an excellent platform to help further showcase all the momentum behind MLS to a young, tech-savvy, global audience and to further our mission of elevating the profile of MLS, and we look forward to working together with OneFootball to deliver compelling and engaging content to fans worldwide.”
OneFootball's extensive network makes it an ideal partner for achieving these goals; it already has partnerships with approximately 130 clubs worldwide. Several of these clubs became shareholders in the company after it acquired digital media platform Dugout in 2020.
OneFootball and Yahoo Sports
OneFootball's partnership with Yahoo Sports, a subsidiary of the web services and digital media company, has resulted in a co-branded content hub that was launched in March as part of OneFootball's growth strategy for North America. This hub is now active and accessible to fans in both the US Canada.
This partnership between MLS and OneFootball represents an exciting development for soccer fans globally. It not only promises to bring more visibility to MLS but also provides an opportunity for fans around the world to engage more deeply with American soccer.
