TikTok and Major League Soccer (MLS) have announced a multi-year partnership that will bring exclusive content, in-app programming, and more to the app. The financial terms of the agreement have not been disclosed.
Throughout the season, fans will be able to search for “MLS” on TikTok and access the “MLS Hub,” which will feature new content from MLS clubs and players. Fans can also access the MLS website with more information on game schedules and scores from the hub. The company is also working with the MLS to give users access to MLS content and clips to integrate their favorite moments into the content they create.
As part of the partnership, TikTok and MLS are launching a new Club Creator Network, where TikTok creators will be paired with MLS clubs to create content during the regular season and off-season. Creators and MLS clubs will collaborate to share behind-the-scenes moments that can only be found on TikTok.
As an official partner of MLS, TikTok will be integrated into every MLS game throughout the season through various in-stadium branding. TikTok is also the co-hosting sponsor of eMLS Cup, the League’s esports tournament.
TikTok notes that football content is thriving on the platform as views for #football have increased by more than 500% in the past two years, from 40 billion in February 2021 to over 267 billion today.
The partnership comes as TikTok has doubled the sports content for its platform. A few weeks ago, the company began testing a dedicated feed for sports content, alongside separate feeds for fashion, gaming, and food. While TikTok’s For You feed already shows you sports content if you’ve expressed an interest in it, the new dedicated feed puts sports content more at the forefront.