Key Takeaways:
- Major sporting events create valuable entry points for new fans, providing rights holders with a great opportunity to turn temporary interest into lasting engagement.
- Organizations that build on the success of major events with a steady stream of short-form storytelling are better positioned to convert global attention into long-term audience growth.
- AI-powered content creation enables organizations to scale real-time storytelling across channels, helping maintain momentum long after the spotlight fades.
In a sense, the challenge facing Major League Soccer (MLS) after the 2026 FIFA World Cup mirrors that of other organizations: turning short-term attention into long-term fandom. The difference, of course, is the level of attention an event like the World Cup generates. And the expectations it raises.
Expectations were already sky-high before the tournament. “The 1994 World Cup changed soccer in North America. The 2026 World Cup is going to take it to an entirely new level,” said Norm O’Reilly, dean of the College of Business at the University of New England and co-author of the book The Rise of Major League Soccer: Building a Global Giant. “And MLS will be the biggest beneficiary of that growth.”
The league didn’t wait long to try to capitalize on that growth. A couple of days before the WC final, it launched its largest-ever marketing campaign under the tagline “Thanks World, We’ll Take It From Here,” featuring current and former MLS stars, including Lionel Messi and David Beckham. In addition, 22 of the league’s 30 teams are running a promotion called “First Match on Us,” that gives out free tickets to fans who have never attended a match.
“The World Cup has over-delivered on everyone’s expectations, on and off the field,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “There’s more social media buzz, media coverage and higher ratings than we remotely expected when we won the bid in 2018. I believe it’s been rocket fuel for the sport, setting the stage for where we, as a sport and a league, can go. It showed there’s a huge market here.”
A Market on the Rise
The soccer market in the US was growing even before the World Cup. Data published in May by research firm YouGov revealed that:
- Since mid-2022 – before the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar – the share of Americans who say they actively follow soccer has increased from 8% to 12%.
- In the year preceding the World Cup, an average of 12% of Americans have described themselves as avid soccer watchers.
- 30 days before the World Cup kicked off, 14.4% of Americans said they would give up time to follow the event – up from 7.6% in the lead-up to the previous tournament.
As the tournament unfolded, the excitement over the sport only grew. An Ipsos poll conducted June 26-28 found that 57% of Americans expect the World Cup to increase interest in soccer in the US, and 49% of World Cup viewers said the tournament has increased their personal interest in soccer.
“One of the most important fans that we need to grow collectively in our league is that core sports fan that also likes soccer,” said Brian Bilello, president of the New England Revolution. “In 1994, I don’t think those fans were open to that. They were just like, ‘Ah, soccer sucks.” That doesn’t really exist as much anymore.”
The Conversion Journey
While MLS hopes its newest marketing campaign can convert core sports fans who also like soccer, its executives are aware that post-World Cup growth will be a gradual process. “A consumer is not going to see an MLS advertisement and buy a ticket or tune in to their first match,” said Radhika Duggal, the league’s CMO. “It takes time to build up passion for the players or the club, and we’re spending a lot of energy and effort trying to nurture that.”
This effort includes collecting data from World Cup fan zones across the US and Canada and using it to promote the league and the sport in the next couple of years. “If the World Cup was somebody’s first chapter, we want to be the second chapter,” said Joe Stetson, CCO at Red Bull New York.
The MLS chapter will be marketed mainly through “the volume of content that we create and the speed at which we create it,” said Duggal. “We’re creating content to be distributed across a huge volume of channels: social, website, app, MLS season pass, on broadcast, third-party distribution partners. A lot of what we create is match highlights, clips, telling player stories, and those things all happen in the moment.”
If past results are any indication, providing fans with short-form content in real time is a recipe for success. Through the first three months of the 2026 season – before it paused for the World Cup – MLS recorded increases in audiences across platforms:
- The league averaged 7.9 million live match viewers per week on streaming and linear channels, an increase of 62% year-over-year.
- MLS and club social channels reached nearly 113 million followers globally, a 14% year-over-year increase.
- MLS and club social accounts generated 5.71 billion impressions through May across Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and X – up 17% year-over-year.
Turning Moments Into Momentum
The lesson extends far beyond MLS and the World Cup. Major events create rare windows to introduce new audiences to a sport, but turning curiosity into lasting fandom requires a steady stream of relevant storytelling. Short-form content is especially valuable here, keeping the conversation alive, highlighting personalities, and giving newly interested fans countless reasons to come back for more.
AI-powered content creation platforms make this approach sustainable. By instantly transforming live action into highlights, player stories, and platform-ready clips that can be distributed across every digital touchpoint, they help organizations stay present throughout the fan journey instead of relying on a single marketing campaign. If this strategy takes hold, the predictions may yet come true, and MLS really could reach an entirely new level.
Actionable Insights:
- Prepare a post-event content strategy before major competitions begin, ensuring new fans have compelling reasons to stay engaged after the event ends.
- Use short-form videos to extend tournament momentum, spotlighting players, rivalries, and storylines that encourage casual viewers to keep following your sport.
- Collect and activate first-party fan data during major events to deliver personalized content and guide new audiences toward your owned platforms.
