In mid-February, ahead of the start of the 2024/5 season, Major League Soccer (MLS) unveiled a multi-year tie-up with Beats (By Dre) which will celebrate the intersection and connection between music and sport with players wear Beats headphones and earphones on the pitch pre- and post-match and club-custom products.
MLS clubs will all benefit from custom Beats headphones – exclusively created for the teams and their players. For the start of the 2024 season, Beats teamed up with eight franchises – Atlanta United, Columbus Crew, Inter Miami, LAFC, Nashville SC, NYCFC, St. Louis City SC, and Toronto FC – to produce custom headphones. The other club-specific products will follow as the partnership evolves.
MLS players will also feature in Beats’ brand and product marketing campaigns which will be amplified across both Beats and MLS’ platforms. Indeed, the alliance was introduced on 19 February through a PR push and a digitally-led campaign spearheaded by a social spot featuring a montage of players – one from each of the initial eight bespoke headset franchises.
The players each juggle a ball while wearing their team’s home kit and a pair of Beats to the tune of an instrumental version of MILANO Extras ‘Throw A Fit’.
Kicking off the season with our new partnership ⚽️ Beats is honored to join Major League Soccer. pic.twitter.com/aM3dHM5R5Q
— Beats by Dre (@beatsbydre) February 19, 2024
“For more than a decade, Beats headphones have been chosen by the world’s top athletes to help them get game ready and heighten their focus, while also allowing them to show off their style and personality,” said Chris Thorne, Beats’ CMO. “We are extremely excited to join forces with the MLS, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic sports leagues in the world. Beats will be working closely with the MLS clubs and top players to deliver amazing experiences throughout the upcoming season.”
“Major League Soccer is proud to partner with Beats, a global culture driver, during this period of growth for our League and our sport in North America,” said Camilo Durana, MLS EVP Apple Partnership, Properties and Events. “Music inspires our players, our supporters, and our communities. We’re excited to work alongside Beats and its premium products to strengthen the connection between sound, expression, and the world’s game.”
The Apple-owned Beats brand has a strong heritage in sports marketing through both official partnerships and athlete endorsement deals. The tie-up makes corporate sense too as parent company Apple is the MLS’ main marketing and media anchor partner. The league’s 29th season kicks off on 21 February alongside the second season of MLS Season Pass available in more than 100 countries on billions of devices on Apple TV, the Apple TV app, on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com.
The alliance between MLS and Beats comes as the league accelerates its reach with interest spiking around Lionel Messi’s first full season with Inter Miami and the second season of Leagues Cup.
In fact, soccer in North America is undergoing a period of serious growth: while 2024 also sees a Copa America, 2025 will see the Concacaf Gold Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, followed by the 2026 Men’s FIFA World Cup being played in Canada, Mexico and the USA.