TikTok Renews Content Partnership With MLS

TikTok has renewed its media partnership with Major League Soccer (MLS), which will see the U.S.-based soccer league continue to share exclusive content to the app.

TikTok signed its original partnership with MLS back in 2023, which has seen the league build a strong following in the app, which it’s now looking to expand on with this refreshed agreement.

As explained by TikTok:

“TikTok has become a go-to platform for soccer fans, offering everything from behind-the-scenes content to live match highlights, fan reactions, and creative edits. This extension builds on the success of initiatives like last year's groundbreaking ‘Player Spotlight: Messi,’ where TikTok, in partnership with Apple TV and MLS, exclusively streamed a live feed of Lionel Messi during his debut MLS Cup Playoff match for Inter Miami CF.”

That partnership was a big win for the app, and the first time that TikTok had delved into live sports coverage.

It wasn’t full match coverage, as such, with a Messi-dedicated feed. But it pointed to the popularity of soccer in the app, with the stream garnering 150k concurrent viewers at peak.

Indeed, TikTok says that millions of soccer fans are “already thriving” in the app:

“There are 14.8 million posts using #soccer, with nearly 9 million posts in 2024 alone. MLS' growing international presence on TikTok, with 65% of its fanbase outside the US (TikTok internal data, 2024) reflects the league's global appeal and engagement with fans around the world.”

As noted, the renewed MLS deal will see more exclusive league content shared to the app, while it will also help to solidify TikTok as a key league sponsor, and home for MLS discussion.

And while MLS is still much smaller than European soccer leagues, with so many EU stars also playing in the U.S. competition, interest in the league is rising, which could bode well for the app.