• Loading stock data...
Thursday, November 6, 2025
Tune in Nov. 12 at 1 p.m. ET for Future of Sports: Stadium Sophistication. Register now

2022 MLS Cup Draws Near-Record Viewership

  • Saturday’s championship match averages 2.155M viewers.
  • That’s up 38% from last year.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Major League Soccer drew its biggest audience in 25 years for the 2022 MLS Cup.

LAFC’s win over the Philadelphia Union Saturday generated 2.155 million average viewers across Fox Sports and Univision in the U.S., according to sources.

The championship match’s combined viewership (English and Spanish) was up 38% from last season — the second-best number since the league was formed in 1996 and trailing only the D.C. United vs. Colorado Rapids match in 1997.

Only the UEFA Champions League Final on May 28 drew more viewers on English language TV among club soccer matches this season. 

  • The match ranked fifth all-time in English language viewership.
  • Univision delivered the second-highest Spanish language viewership ever. 
  • On linear TV, Fox posted its second-most-watched MLS Cup in its history.
  • The telecast was the most-viewed Union match of all time in the Philadelphia TV market, and in the Los Angeles market, it ranked as the second most-watched LAFC match.

The numbers didn’t stop there: MLSsoccer.com posted its highest traffic since 2017, and the hashtag #MLSCUP peaked at No. 1 on Twitter Worldwide and No. 1 in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and the United Kingdom.

This all builds on MLS’ best regular season to date: The league drew record attendance numbers (over 10M) and Disney networks saw the highest average viewership (356,000) for people aged 2 and up.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

YouTube TV Loss Weighs on ABC’s CFB Ratings While Fox Sees Lift

Oklahoma-Tennessee drew just 4.8 million Saturday night.

NWSL Investor Monarch’s Next Move Is German Soccer

The firm already owns the maximum three stakes in NWSL teams.
Oct 18, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; FC Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes (1) warms up prior to the first half against Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BC Place.

Inside the Investment Playbook of MLS Goalie Maarten Paes

Paes’s portfolio includes TGL and a Pro Padel League team.

MLB Caps Big Year With 27.3M Viewers for World Series Game 7

Fox generates a historic audience total for the dramatic World Series conclusion.

Featured Today

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin stands on the field following the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium

College Football’s Coach Buyout Bonanza: All Your Questions Answered

Schools owe their fired coaches millions in buyouts—and it isn’t over.
Oct 13, 2024; Chicago, IL, USA; Susanna Sullivan of the United States of America finishes seventh in the Chicago Marathon at Grant Park
October 31, 2025

More Races, More Money: The New Calculus for Pro Marathoners

More races per year mean more money—but the math isn’t simple.
Oct 28, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani (17) pitches during the fifth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays during game four of the 2025 MLB World Series at Dodger Stadium.
October 31, 2025

Shohei Ohtani Card Market Is Surging—With No Signs of Slowing

Cards have spiked hundreds of thousands of dollars from their initial value.
September 21, 2025; Santa Clara, California, USA; NFL commissioner Roger Goodell before the game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals at Levi's Stadium
October 26, 2025

NFL Fall Meeting: 7 Big Topics Among Team Owners 

Media, facilities, and labor highlight some of the key areas of concern.

ESPN Personalities Grapple With Fallout Over YouTube TV Blackout

Pat McAfee lashes out at part of ESPN’s corporate strategy.
November 4, 2025

CBS Draws 30.8M for Chiefs-Bills, the NFL’s No. 2 Audience of 2025

The Bills’ win is the NFL’s second-most-watched game of 2025.
November 4, 2025

CFP Rankings Show Is Latest Disney–YouTube TV Dispute Casualty

ESPN remains dark for the service’s 10 million subscribers.
Sponsored

How HOKA is Reimagining the NIL Relationship

On Location is redefining the Olympic experience by creating lasting connections beyond the Games.
Michael Jordan and Mike Tirico
opinion
November 4, 2025

Why the Jordan Rules Now Apply to Sports Media

Other networks have tried and failed to recruit Jordan since he retired in 2003.
November 3, 2025

World Series Ratings Show Nearly Half of Canada Watched Game 7

The Canadian network generates massive viewership for the dramatic games.
[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Sep 26, 2025; Bethpage, New York, USA; Former basketball player Michael Jordan watches during the four-balls on the first day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.
November 3, 2025

Michael Jordan Could Do 2-3 More NBC Interviews: Sources

As one source says, “I don’t think it’s one sitdown—but it’s not 15 either.”
November 3, 2025

World Series Game 7 Is Most-Watched Since 2017 in Initial Ratings

Early data points to a historically large U.S. audience for Game 7.