• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

MLS Goes Digital For New All-Star Skills Challenge

Jul 27, 2019; Chicago, IL, USA; D.C. United forward Wayne Rooney (9) kicks a corner kick against the Chicago Fire during the first half at SeatGeek Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
MLS digital streaming ASG skills comp
Photo Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

With a lineup that includes well-known current MLS players Wayne Rooney, Carlos Vela and Nani as well as Atlético Madrid’s Koke and João Félix – who joined the club this summer as the second-most expensive teenager in soccer transfer history – MLS is hoping that its reborn All-Star Skills Challenge event catches the attention of soccer fans across the globe.

The league’s media strategy for the event is betting on that being the case, with MLS hoping to engage audiences across the globe with a wide-ranging distribution plan around the event – one MLS calls one of the broadest digital-first distributions of an event in North American sports. 

“This is an event we have been planning, talking about and dreaming about for a long time; as it started to become a reality, we felt we were creating a first-of-its-kind event for soccer, and a first-of-its-kind experience for fans,” said Seth Bacon, MLS senior vice president of media. “We want to make sure we’re delivering on that in a big way.”

The event, to be held on July 30 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando as part of the league’s multi-day all-star celebration, was designed in collaboration with popular soccer skills specialists F2 Freestylers, who have more than 20 million followers across their social media channels. The event will see the nine participating players participate in three events –  shooting, touch and volley, and passing. Judges for the event include U.S. Women’s National Team and Orlando Pride player Alex Morgan and former Brazilian National Team and Orlando City SC player Kaka.

Bacon and MLS is hedging that the combined star power and uniqueness of the event will draw in viewers, and has aimed to ensure it is made as available and as easily as possible.

Not only will all five of MLS’s North American rights holders carry the event digitally – ESPN via ESPN3, Fox via FOXSports.com, the Fox Sports app and the FOX Now app, TSN via TSN.ca, Univision via TUDN.com and TVA on TVASports.ca as well as linear – the league will also distribute the event on its website and on its app.

MLS also went a step further, striking deals with both Twitch and Twitter to stream the event on MLS channels on those platforms. The event will also appear live on Pluto.TV, the free streaming television service that MLS launched a channel on in May. Internationally, DAZN, ESPN International and the league’s other global television partners will combine to bring the skills competition to more than 170 countries in total.

READ MORE: How Wayne Rooney Added Millions of Additional Brand Value for D.C. United and MLS

“One of the things that I think is most appealing about this skills competition is that we think it has the ability to attract soccer fans, fans who tune in for the viral nature of sports and just general sports fans who want to see great athletes do great things,” Bacon said.

To try to make the 90-minute event even more engaging, MLS will forego commercial breaks, and instead go with non-stop coverage. Bacon said that during any downtime in the competition, there will be on-field interviews with the players, discussions with the judges and highlights from celebrities in attendance. On the Twitter and Twitch broadcasts, there will also be attempts to engage that audience on their respective platforms during the event.

To further that, the league will utilize 12 cameras for the event, and will have eight players mic’d on the field

Bacon declined to say if the league had an expectation for viewership across all of the platforms, rather saying that the league is judging its success by having its “broadcast and digital partners promote and engage with the content in real-time – we think can bring in a big audience.”

READ MORE: MLS Opens Jersey Sponsorship Category To Sports Betting Brands

MLS will also look to grow that audience post-event: Bacon said that the broadcast, as well as social content and highlights, will be distributed across the league’s platforms.

“A key for success in our mind will be if the day after or two days after, there are still moments where people are saying, ‘did you see what happened at the MLS Skills Competition?’,” Bacon said.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 14, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) makes a reception defended by Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) during the fourth quarter of the game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Sets Early NFL TV Ratings Mark

Several new milestones are established with the big early-season matchup.

Manfred Says New MLB Rights Deal ‘Replicated’ Money From ESPN Opt-Out

Rob Manfred spoke at the Front Office Sports Tuned In summit.
Dec 25, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Netflix Christmas GameDay cake seen after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium.

‘We Didn’t Get a Test Run’: Greg Olsen on Netflix NFL Christmas..

Greg Olsen said the game was uncharted territory for him.

Featured Today

Premier Lacrosse League

‘The Circus Is Coming to Town’: Why Upstart Leagues Start on Tour

In their ambitious plans, a traveling schedule is only temporary.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
September 13, 2025

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.
September 11, 2025

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
exclusive

ESPN, Fox One Added 1M Sign-Ups in First 10 Days After Launch

The two high-profile streaming services have strong starts with consumers.
Jul 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Injured Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks on from the bench during the first half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at United Center.
September 15, 2025

WNBA Ratings Rise 3% in 2025 Despite Clark’s Absence

Caitlin Clark played in just 13 of 44 regular-season games.
Greg Olsen
September 16, 2025

Greg Olsen on Tom Brady’s Raiders Role: ‘More Power to Him’

This season, the NFL has relaxed the special Brady broadcasting rules.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon (25) breaks up a pass intended for Washington Commanders wide receiver Noah Brown (85) on Thursday, September 11, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 27-18.
September 15, 2025

Amazon Shatters Previous Ratings High for 1st NFL Game

“TNF” viewership surges 35% compared to the 2024 season average.
Las Vegas Aces
September 15, 2025

WNBA Playoffs Face ESPN Fall Crunch For Final Time

The games will be spread across three networks next year.
September 15, 2025

Chiefs’ Fall to 0–2 Dims the Spotlight on NFL’s Top TV Draw

The NFL’s most-watched team sinks to a new low since Patrick Mahomes arrived.
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) pursues Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.
September 12, 2025

College Football Enters Week 3 Up 21% in TV Ratings

Total college football viewership across all networks is up big.