There’s a new multi-year partnership in town, the TikTok and MLS partnership, as announced by the social media network last week. MLS, Major League Soccer, is a men’s professional national soccer league with 29 clubs in the US.
The partnership is designed to engage soccer fans on the app, TikTok and the top professional soccer league in the US are collaborating. Nevertheless, behind the scenes, initiatives to impose limitations on the app’s functionality in the US and the UK are stepping up.
Crucial details of the TikTok and MLS partnership
Here are some crucial details about this new partnership you need to note.
The partnership is longterm
The new alliance will last for several years, despite the fact that the duration of the agreement has not been publicly disclosed. The partnership will encourage TikTok users to interact with the MLS app via exclusive content, events, game highlights, in-app initiatives, and stadium activations at matches around the US.
TikTok will also join the MLS as an official partner
Following this partnership, TikTok will also join the MLS as an official partner. The app will therefore be promoted throughout all MLS games this season through a variety of activations, such as in-stadium branding and TikTok-MLS content shown on stadium screens. The league’s yearly esports competition, eML Cup, will include TikTok as a co-presenting sponsor.
According to Harish Sarma, TikTok’s global head of sports and gaming, From tifos to club rivalries, MLS fans are passionate about the game and use TikTok to react to their favorite moments throughout the league. They also build a community of fans and connect with the passion and authenticity of the soccer world. TikTok is excited to work with MLS to advance soccer entertainment while providing fans with exclusive access to the game they adore.
Club Creator Network is key in the partnership
As part of the collaboration, TikTok and MLS will introduce a new Club Maker Network. The Club Creator Network, which will match TikTok producers with MLS clubs to create exclusive content for the app during the on and off seasons, is an important feature of the new collaboration. Using honest video content only available on TikTok, the program aims to give fans an inside look at their favorite teams and players.
David Bruce, brand and integrated marketing senior vice-president for Major League Soccer, said that The Club Creator Network with TikTok is perfect for MLS’ mission to produce its version of the global game. According to Bruce, MLS is excited that captivating material created by young, forward-thinking creators will raise awareness of its clubs, players, games, and important events. The brand will be able to increase engagement with current and potential fans everywhere in the world if its able to make MLS materials available to fans in fresh and inventive ways so they can contribute to its brand story on TikTok.
The partnership will facilitate the production of original videos
In addition to the Club Creator Network, TikTok and MLS will collaborate to produce original videos and features that will be made accessible to all users via the Library in-app production hub. The goal is to give content producers fresh ways to incorporate MLS events into their original work.
On TikTok, users will be able to navigate to the new MLS Hub by simply searching “MLS” on TikTok. They can then find a variety of content from the league, specific clubs, and the players themselves.
Circumstances surrounding the TikTok and MLS partnership
MLS has already engaged with TikTok brand activations. After joining the app in 2020, it has amassed a following of over 1.2 million users. The LA Galaxy, Inter Miami CF, LA FC, Atlanta United FC, and a few other MLS teams also actively engage on the platform. The league increased its investment in its TikTok campaign last year when it revealed a partnership with TikTok celebrity Noah Beck, who has about 34 million followers, to co-create original soccer content and engage MLS fans.
TikTok is becoming a popular destination for MLS and soccer fans to consume content and learn more about their favorite clubs and players. According to TikTok, the number of people watching #soccer has increased by 500% in the last two years, from 40 billion in early 2021 to over 267 billion now. Soccer enthusiasts are probably a significant demographic for TikTok to target.
Bottomline
TikTok is a channel that many advertisers are finding to be more and more lucrative thanks to its over a billion monthly active consumers. In reality, the amount spent on advertising on the platform is increasing at a fast pace: according to Digiday, the amount spent on advertising on TikTok increased by 20% from the first three quarters of 2022 through the fourth quarter of that year.
Despite TikTok’s soaring popularity among users and advertisers, it is under increasing international scrutiny. The Biden administration recently threatened the company recently with a ban in the US if it didn’t agree to sell. Congress is moving forward with efforts to outlaw the software from sale in the American market. However, the UK government said this week that it would forbid the installation of the program on devices used by the government across the pond.
