Major League Soccer’s new deal with Apple’s Beats headphones

A new partnership between Major League Soccer and Beats by Dr. Dre envisions turning warmups into playlists. The deal, announced today, will see Beats produce custom-designed headphones for players on eight MLS clubs to wear on the pitch before and after games. The move further connects the sports league to music culture, while moving Apple-owned Beats ever closer to the growing sport of soccer, company executives said. The agreement also calls for MLS players to be featured in Beats brand marketing campaigns, which will be amplified on social media by Beats and MLS, and designates Beats as the official consumer audio products partner of the league. Apple is already a key MLS partner, having an exclusive agreement to broadcast all the league’s games over Apple TV. Ad Age Leading Women Luncheon Join us Aug. 7 in New York as we recognize this year’s honorees Buy your ticket today Beats are a culture driver, an influential brand, and “badge” for their wearers, Camilo Durana, executive VP, Apple partnership, properties, and events for Major League Soccer, said in an interview. The custom headphones produced by Beats feature the colors and logos of the eight selected teams, and are not available at retail. Having players wear them conspicuously on the field will drive interest in what players are listening to, giving the league the opportunity to market its players through music, Durana said. These playlists will be available on Apple Music, which MLS is already using to promote itself and its clubs. “One of the things we’re focused on is building our stars, and one of the ways of doing that is building great connections with fans is by showcasing their personalities,” Durana said. “As fans see them on the field we’re going to continue to use the power of our Apple partnerships to build playlists and make them accessible to fans, promote them on social and on broadcasts, and give fans an insight as to what’s happening on the field as players are prepping with Beats headphones.” Look back: The Messi marketing effect Headphones can drive curiosity around how athletes use music to gain focus, calm nerves, or inspire them to compete, said Chris Thorne, chief marketing officer of Beats. “There’s tons of interest around ‘I see my favorite athletes wearing these headphones warming up, but what’s in them?,’” Thorne said, noting that longtime Beats endorser LeBron James has been known to play classical music in his headset. ‘The youngest fan base in sports’ Beats is producing custom-designed headphones for Atlanta United, Columbus Crew, Inter Miami, Los Angeles FC, Nashville SC, New York City FC, St. Louis City SC and Toronto FC. More are on the way. “I think we’ll get to all 30 teams pretty quick,” said Thorne. MLS’ 2024 season opens on Feb. 24. MLS until now has not done an on-field accessory deal beyond a partnership with Adidas for its uniforms, Durana said. But they too can have a music connection: Nashville FC did a special Johnny Cash-inspired kit last year and the Seattle Sounders in 2021 honored native son Jimi Hendrix with a “purple haze” jersey. “Music is a core part of who we are and it’s an important part of our fans’ lives,” Durana said. “We have the youngest fan base in sports, and it’s diverse, multicultural, urban and tech-savvy and music is important to them. So as we build our league and our clubs and their brand locally, music is at the center of their lives.” Athlete partnerships and custom headphones are not new for Beats, which has long been associated with football and basketball, including a long relationship with James. Beats sees soccer as a means to connect with MLS’s young fan base, while positioning itself to benefit from the wave of high-profile soccer events coming to the U.S. beginning with Copa America this year, the FIFA World Club Cup in 2025 and the FIFA World Cup in 2026. “Soccer is having a huge growth movement in the U.S. right now, and what’s most exciting for us is, a lot of that growth is happening with youth and Gen Z,” Thorne said. “We’re really trying to connect with Gen Z and having a lot of success, and a lot of the growth in MLS is coming from that group.” Check out the latest Ad Age events and award programs

Behind Major League Soccer’s new deal with Beats

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