• Loading stock data...
Friday, August 29, 2025
Front Office Sports Honors winners are here! View the 2025 winners
exclusive
Media

MLS, U.S. Soccer Score Content Distribution Deal With Bleacher Report

  • Bleacher Report will develop premium soccer content and highlights around MLS and U.S. Men’s National Team and U.S. Women’s National Team matches.
  • The deal will pay MLS and U.S. Soccer a rights fee, and bring another major media company into the fold as they look towards new media rights deals after 2022.
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports

MLS and U.S. Soccer have signed a new multiyear deal with Bleacher Report to develop and distribute soccer content through B/R-owned platforms, such as B/R Football.

The new agreement, which runs through 2022, aims to create another avenue for soccer fans to consume content, as well as get MLS and U.S. Soccer content in front of potential new fans.

“We have tremendous momentum as a league right now — and that momentum leads to more people looking for more MLS content in more —and different — places,” said MLS Senior Vice President of Media Seth Bacon. “We believe this new distribution platform will allow us to reach these new, highly engaged soccer fans and continue to push our growth trajectory in the right direction.”

B/R Platforms started to roll out MLS content during the league’s MLS is Back tournament, and will continue as MLS looks to conclude its regular season this fall.

Other efforts will include featuring highlights from U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Team matches, as well as additional new programming.

“This agreement doubles down on our commitment to U.S. soccer and growing a consequential fanbase here domestically where we see the biggest opportunity in capturing the hearts and minds of a new generation of soccer fans,” said Raphael Poplock, Bleacher Report senior vice president of new business development.

“B/R Football is the #1 brand for a young, vibrant, diverse, mobile-first generation of soccer fans globally and that is because we deliver content designed specifically with them in mind,” he said.

Bacon said MLS views this new deal as “additive” to its existing linear media partners in North American of ESPN, Fox, Univision, TSN and TVA.

“The content and features we bring to life on B/R Football will only be additive as we build more interest in MLS. It will create a bigger pool of people looking to consume content and, ultimately, our live matches,” he said.

The new deal, brokered by Soccer United Marketing, will also pay MLS and U.S. Soccer a six-figure rights fee and brings another major media company into the fold for MLS as it looks towards its next round of media rights deals in 2022, according to industry sources.

There is also potential for additional revenue from this deal through brand content opportunities, sources said.

Bacon declined to comment on the financial terms of the deal, but said it “allows MLS to engage with soccer fans in even more creative ways.” The league and B/R are also working on a new all-access documentary series that will debut across B/R Football channels.

Poplock said Bleacher Report is aiming to “reinforce our B/R Football vertical with a rich MLS [and] USSF library to elevate U.S. soccer in a meaningful way.”

He also noted that it will provide “unique sales solutions for MLS and U.S. Soccer sponsors interested in reaching this avid fanbase.”

“We will continue to take our best-in-class approach in creating branded content and mutually explore other revenue opportunities across experiential, eCommerce and original programming,” Poplock said.

Turner, Bleacher Report’s parent company, does not currently have any U.S. soccer media rights after opting out of its deal with UEFA around Champions League earlier this year, forgoing the remainder of this season and next.

However, Turner has shown interest in being involved in the next round of MLS rights negotiations, according to sources. MLS and U.S. Soccer currently receive roughly $90 million a year for its U.S. national media rights, a number the league is looking to increase significantly. CBS Sports, which had previously acquired the U.S. English language UEFA rights for the 2021-2022 season and beyond, stepped in for the interim. Univision holds the Spanish language U.S. rights.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Fox, YouTube TV Reach Deal, Avoiding CFB Blackout

Saturday’s Texas-Ohio State college football game will be fully distributed
United

Manchester United Knocked Out of Cup by Team With $2.6 Million Payroll

United’s team payroll is almost 100 times larger than Grimsby’s.
exclusive

Shannon Sharpe Adds James Harrison, Joe Haden Show to Media Empire

Sharpe is back to business after settling a multimillion-dollar lawsuit this summer.

The Next Chapter in the Network Battle for College Football Dominance

Saturday’s Texas–Ohio State matchup is the next chapter.

Featured Today

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
August 24, 2025

The Honey Deuce Effect: How Tennis Perfected the Signature Cocktail

Sold every 1.5 seconds, they total more than $12 million in sales.
Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) warms up as the Texas Longhorns prepare to play the Clemson Tigers in the first round of the College Football Playoffs at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium.
August 23, 2025

Schools Are Hesitant to Allow PE Into Their Athletic Departments

Regardless of budget, schools don’t believe the risk is worth the reward.
Oct 2, 2024; Rosemont, IL, USA; Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti speaks with the media during the 2024 Big Ten Women’s Basketball media day at Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.
August 22, 2025

‘Not Ready to Jump In’: Power 4 Commissioners Aren’t Sold on PE

Top leaders in college sports have yet to see a satisfactory proposal.

NFL Preseason Sees 17% Jump in TV Ratings, Best Since 2018

Average audiences for the exhibition games increase sharply from last year.
ESPN
August 27, 2025

Disney Sues Sling TV Over $5 Day Passes Granting ESPN Access

Newly introduced short-term subscriptions spark a legal challenge.
Tom Brady
August 27, 2025

NFL Continues to Loosen Tom Brady Restrictions

Brady will be able to attend production meetings–remotely–this season.
Sponsored

Gareth Bale on MLS vs EPL, Retirement & Buying Cardiff City

Gareth Bale shares his post-soccer business playbook.
August 27, 2025

FCC Chair Joins Fox–YouTube TV Fight With Big Game on the Line

The Trump appointee is now involved in another media carriage fight.
Aug 24, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Tommy Fleetwood holds the FedExCup Trophy on the 18th green after winning the TOUR Championship golf tournament.
August 26, 2025

PGA Tour TV Ratings: Fleetwood’s Breakthrough Caps Playoff Surge

Sunday’s final round drew nearly 4.5 million viewers on NBC.
August 26, 2025

NFL Sunday Ticket Debuts Monthly Plan—but at a Steep Cost

Previously, fans had to purchase the service for the entire season.
August 21, 2025

Fox Enters Streaming Wars With Leaner, Sports-Heavy Approach

A different strategy marks the arrival of the network’s streaming service.