CASE STUDY 009: Major League Soccer’s Bonus Material and The Apple TV Content Library
Beautiful BTS, strong storytelling, and creative cuts. But have you heard of MLS Team “Presents” or MLS Team “Central”?
2023 marked the beginning of a 10-year $2.5 billion contract between Apple and Major League Soccer. The guaranteed $250 million a year paid to The MLS was a significant increase on the $90 million it was receiving for domestic TV rights prior. Simultaneously, the deal returned the ownership of all content production responsibilities to The MLS. We can debate whether placing The MLS behind a paywall in exchange for $2.5 billion over 10 years was the right thing to do for the league and game in this country till the cows come home. We intend to do that, but not now. In this case, we would like to discuss the surprisingly enthralling content the MLS’ in-house teams and clubs are cheffing up behind the scenes to promote the narratives central to creating a real culture around this league.
In the MLS Apple TV library, without access to MLS season pass (a relatively steep $14.99 per month), you can select any of the 30 MLS clubs and proceed to watch a series of weekly 2-9 minute videos that dive deep on team culture, behind the scenes access, off-field club initiatives, and more. The videography is top quality at times. The stories are uniquely intriguing. These short-form content pieces provide a window into the soul and ambitions of these clubs that we have rarely had access to with respect to the game of soccer in the United States. The intention of these pieces is without a doubt aimed at drumming up fandom and buy-in from prospects. Call us soft, but we think it's working. Don’t get us wrong, the quality of the content varies pretty dramatically between teams, but watch three episodes from your local team and tell us you aren’t in the slightest more inclined to google when the next home game is. Now the question is, removed from the cumbersome Apple TV library (and we aren’t talking about the odd organic social media post here and there), would this content drive more impact for the league with a digital multi-channel approach? Here at Studio 14, we certainly think so.
What do you think?
