Major League Soccer Hopes to Replicate Formula One’s Streaming Boom—But Will It Work?
Major League Soccer is trying to buy cultural relevance. Apple TV’s new docuseries, Onside: Major League Soccer, is the latest bet—but will anyone outside hardcore fans care?
The eight-part series, which debuted Friday, promises a behind-the-scenes look at the league’s biggest personalities, emerging stars, and internal drama. It’s MLS’s attempt to recreate the streaming-driven success of Formula 1: Drive to Survive, the Netflix docuseries widely credited with reviving open-wheel racing in the United States.
The stakes are high. Apple is in year three of a $2.5 billion, decade-long deal to stream every MLS game, but so far, it has been tight-lipped on audience numbers. Estimates suggest MLS games average 71,000 viewers per match—hardly enough to move the needle.
“This opportunity is perfect,” said Sola Winley, MLS’s executive vice president overseeing the project. “Access that fans generally wouldn’t see about Major League Soccer is the way for fans to get closer to our game.”
Access alone, however, doesn’t guarantee a hit.
A League in Search of a Narrative
Paul Martin, co-creator of Drive to Survive, thinks he can make MLS compelling—even if the world isn’t convinced yet.
“In sports, the day job—the winning of the MLS Cup or the winning of the Monaco Grand Prix—is far more important to those people than your documentary,” Martin said. “You have to get them to forget the cameras are there.”
Onside follows players like Galaxy midfielder Riqui Puig, FC Cincinnati defender Matt Miazga, and 14-year-old Philadelphia Union phenom Cavan Sullivan, providing an intimate look at their journeys. But there’s a difference between telling a great story and making people care. Formula One had a built-in spectacle: exotic locations, billionaire team owners, feuding drivers. MLS has a lot of hard-working athletes and a league still trying to prove itself internationally.
“Internationally, there is a sniffiness about MLS,” Martin admitted. “‘It’s football, but it’s not quite the football we know.’”
The Messi Effect—And Its Limits
MLS has one true marketing cheat code: Lionel Messi. But a docuseries can’t rely on him alone.
The Argentine superstar transformed ticket sales and global attention when he joined Inter Miami last year. The league saw record growth in attendance, with more than 11.45 million fans attending games in 2023, an average of 23,234 per match.
But that popularity hasn’t transferred to Apple TV, which is entering its third season broadcasting MLS games. If fans aren’t watching the live product, what are the chances they’ll tune in for a behind-the-scenes version of it?
A Streaming Gamble
MLS and Apple’s future depends on streaming. About 35% of MLS fans are between 18 and 29—the demographic most likely to consume content through platforms like Apple TV. And traditional TV rights are fading.
“In 10 years, I don’t know if we’ll even have conventional broadcasters in sports,” said Joseph Recupero, a former sports documentary filmmaker. “Sports will have gravitated all to streaming.”
But streaming is also ruthless. Apple isn’t a sports network; it’s a tech company that will cut losses if the numbers don’t add up. If Onside doesn’t move the needle, what happens to MLS’s big bet?
A Test for the Future
MLS will monitor audience feedback, and Winley hinted at a second season next winter. If Apple is happy, the cameras will keep rolling. If not? Well, soccer fans can always go back to watching Messi—at least as long as he’s still around.
If it flops, well—there’s always Messi highlights on YouTube.
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