How MLS and Liga MX will build on year 2 of a historic rivalry with Leagues Cup 2024

After a hugely successful debut in 2023, the clubs, stars and fans of Major League Soccer (MLS) and Liga MX are ready for Leagues Cup Act Two. And brand partners are excited to build on their own year one successes. On July 26, exactly 100 days from today, Leagues Cup 2024 will begin. MLS and Liga MX will pause their regular season schedules for a 77-match tournament between all 47 clubs across four weeks, bringing three countries and two leagues together to crown one champion after the final match on August 25. Global superstar Lionel Messi and the Inter Miami CF “galacticos” will be back to defend their title. While there were high expectations for the inaugural year of this annual competition, no one predicted the way it would play out. Messi made his MLS debut during the early matches of Leagues Cup, generating intense excitement and bringing eyeballs to the tournament in person, across linear television on TelevisaUnivision, Fox Sports, TSN and RDS in Canada, Mexico and the U.S., and streaming live in more than 100 countries and regions during the first year of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. Although Leagues Cup is much more than Messi, the Argentine gave the tournament not only global visibility, but immediate credibility. Instant brand equity with a wide variety of fans Whether it was the Messi effect, the unique tournament structure—with no ties—the high-scoring matches or the 11-round penalty kick final match, 94% of U.S. sports fans said the inaugural Leagues Cup matches were entertaining, and roughly 80% of MLS and Liga MX fans say they plan to watch the 2024 tournament, according to Leagues Cup fan research.¹ Who are those fans? In year one, Leagues Cup was not only a vehicle to reach passionate soccer fans, but also connected with casual sports fans as well. In addition to MLS fans—younger, multicultural, digitally connected²—and followers of Liga MX—the most watched soccer league in the U.S.³, who skew very heavily Hispanic and Mexican and cross generations⁴—the tournament attracted general sports fans interested in the four-week competition and global stars. Those fans also responded to Leagues Cup’s brand partners. In addition to strong brand lift and amplification overall, research by Soccer United Marketing (SUM) and Dentsu Sports Analytics found that equity was established in year one for Leagues Cup. Featuring Leagues Cup marks and logos in brand creative collectively delivered impact and scored especially well with Gen Z and millennials, female fans and Hispanics (see infographic). (Click image to enlarge) Also, according to the research from Dentsu Sports Analytics, Leagues Cup fans say integration of Leagues Cup marks and logos across the marketing mix makes them feel a brand is higher quality (95% of fans) and trustworthy (94% of fans). Cutting through the clutter in year one Another study by SUM and MarketCast found that 57% of Leagues Cup fans had high familiarity with the tournament’s official partners, exceeding MarketCast’s 51% benchmark across the major North American Sports Leagues⁶—and two-thirds of fans said the official partners added value to their experience and thus support partners in return. Those founding Leagues Cup partners, including Adidas, AT&T, Coors Light, Bodyarmor, Geico, Gillette, Gran Centenario and X World Wallet, participated in a variety of ways—from Coors Light’s on-package, in-store promotion to Geico’s “Man of the Match” platform across broadcast, digital and social channels. “Geico is proud to return as a founding partner of Leagues Cup,” said Kate Jalkut, VP of marketing at Geico. “To highlight how customers get more insurance options and services, our brand will introduce new opportunities for fans to receive additional content and engagement while cheering for their favorite MLS and Liga MX teams and players this summer. Leagues Cup represents a summer peak of soccer fandom, as the two leagues come together to bring fans more opportunities to see the best of the best compete.” That soccer fandom has attracted new partners as well who promise to elevate Leagues Cup further and amplify the tournament in a whole new way, like Frito-Lay and Rockstar Energy. “We’re looking forward to fueling the growing passion for fútbol in store, at home and on-site during the tournament with Lay’s, Sabritas, Gamesa and Rockstar Energy Drink,” said Antonio Escalona, senior VP and general manager of PepsiCo Foods North America’s Hispanic Business Unit. “One way we plan to enhance the game-watching experience this year is by giving fans the opportunity to win tickets to matches via our point-of-sale equipment and a custom microsite. Beyond being an official snacks and energy drink partner of Leagues Cup, we want to add to the excitement of the tournament and participate in the fandom with our consumers.” More than soccer? The 2024 tournament will be promoted via a new brand campaign, tagged “More than soccer. This is Leagues Cup.” that kicked off in March. For Marcela Garcia, Leagues Cup’s new VP of brand, the campaign seeks to build on last year’s success by educating and exciting fans.⁵ “Our first job is to continue to educate our fans about what Leagues Cup is, and how unique it is,” Garcia said. “But the campaign also is an incredible opportunity to connect with the population in the U.S. that is younger and more diverse, and that tends to be more engaged with soccer. We really hope to build on the key elements of Leagues Cup and continue cementing the foundation of what soccer is in this country.” In a nod to the in-stadium music and rituals that are integral to soccer culture around the world, the Leagues Cup team soon will debut a new tournament anthem created by a renowned Latin producer. “It will be high energy and it will be very fun!” Garcia said. The tournament’s format has been tweaked for year two. A regional hub model will be implemented to minimize travel for the Liga MX clubs. All 47 teams will be ranked by performance and divided into three tiers. The top three Liga MX clubs will also be granted regional status during the group stage, with the regional hub locations continuing for clubs that move through to the semifinals. The reigning Liga MX champion also will be rewarded with a pre-determined hosting venue for the knockout stage. Leagues Cup 2024 will offer additional storylines for brands to promote and fans to watch: Can another club dethrone Inter Miami? Will a Liga MX club take the crown in 2024? Which clubs will qualify for the CONCACAF Champions Cup—and how will these teams position themselves for the newly expanded FIFA Club World Cup, to be hosted in 2025 by the U.S.? “This is an incredible opportunity to build on the passion of soccer fans and to continue elevating the game of soccer in North America,” Garcia said. “The passion that exists on all sides of the borders of our three countries is actually very similar. There’s more that binds us than separates us when it comes to soccer culture.” Sources 1. Finch x Soccer United Marketing Custom Leagues Cup Brand Health Study, 2023. 2. YouGov Profiles+ USA, December 2023 | MRI-Simmons, Fall USA Study, 2023. 3. Nielsen x TelevisaUnivision, 2023. 4. MRI-Simmons, Fall USA Study, 2023. 5. Dentsu Sports Analytics x Leagues Cup Amplification Study, 2023. 6. MarketCast x Soccer United Marketing Sponsor Impact Study, 2023. About Leagues Cup Leagues Cup represents a monumental new chapter for North American soccer. Since 2023, Major League Soccer and Liga MX pause their regular seasons each summer and all 47 first division professional clubs in the U.S., Mexico and Canada compete in the World Cup-style, official Concacaf sanctioned tournament, which qualifies the top three finishers to the Concacaf Champions Cup. In 2023, MLS' Inter Miami CF became the first-ever Leagues Cup champion. Leagues Cup 2024 will kick off Friday, July 26, and will feature 77 games hosted at stadiums throughout the U.S. and Canada, with the Final taking place on Sunday, August 25. Fans in over 100 countries and regions will be able to watch Leagues Cup on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. MLS Season Pass is available on billions of devices through the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com. Fans can also access MLS Season Pass from the Apple TV app on Apple Vision Pro, where they can watch games alongside other apps in their physical space; within an Environment, so the screen feels 100 feet wide; and in Spatial Audio for an even more immersive viewing experience. In addition, TelevisaUnivision, FOX Sports, TSN and RDS will be the linear broadcast home for select Leagues Cup matches. About Liga MX Liga MX is the first division of Mexican soccer, composed of 18 clubs from across the country and headquartered at La Casa del Fútbol, a sports and office complex in Toluca, Mexico. Liga MX was founded in 2012 to give a new vision to the Primera División format and the structure of the other divisions. Mexico's main competition ranks among the top 10 Leagues in the world in terms of attendance and squad value. Liga MX is also composed of Liga MX Femenil, Liga Expansión MX and the U-20, U-18, U-16 and U-14 tournaments. Visit www.ligamx.net for more information. About Soccer United Marketing Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the commercial arm of Major League Soccer (MLS), is the pre-eminent commercial soccer enterprise in North America, overseeing the commercialization, marketing, promotion and operational execution of the region’s most successful soccer entities. SUM holds the exclusive rights to MLS, Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup, the Mexican National Teams for the U.S. market (MexTour and MexTour W), Copa Angelina and CONCACAF Properties (including CONCACAF Gold Cup, CONCACAF Nations League Finals, CONCACAF Champions Cup, and CONCACAF W). In addition, SUM held the promotional and commercial rights to the highly successful 2016 Copa America Centenario. About Major League Soccer Headquartered in New York City, Major League Soccer—celebrating its 29th season in 2024—features 30 clubs throughout the United States and Canada, including a new expansion team in San Diego that will debut in 2025. All MLS, Leagues Cup, and select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches can be watched through MLS Season Pass, available on the Apple TV app on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com. MLS Season Pass features the most expansive and accessible lineup of programming ever for MLS fans. For more information about MLS, visit mlssoccer.com. For more information about the Apple TV app, visit apple.com/apple-tv-app.

How MLS and Liga MX will build on year 2 of a historic rivalry with Leagues Cup 2024

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