"Of course, we can't confirm those numbers because every trillion-dollar streamer protects its viewership data like it's Area 51. And every time someone with knowledge of the data talks about the data, we have no reason to believe what they say because, well, they have no reason to tell us the truth. Just take MLS commissioner Don Garber's comments from earlier this season that viewership is up "almost 50% compared to last year.""
"That's all despite the league getting exactly what it wanted: Lionel Messi just had the greatest season in MLS history. In short, Messi scored more non-penalty goals and generated more expected assists than anyone ever has. Not only that, he got Inter Miami to the MLS Cup final after winning the team won its last three games by a combined score of 13-1."
Most MLS matches were placed behind Apple TV and MLS Season Pass paywalls, resulting in fewer visible viewers for the league in the final full season before the 2026 World Cup. Streamers keep viewership figures private, leaving reported numbers unverifiable and claims—such as the commissioner saying viewership rose "almost 50%"—contradicted by falling league-wide attendance. Lionel Messi produced the greatest season in MLS history, scoring more non-penalty goals and creating more expected assists than anyone before, and he led Inter Miami to the MLS Cup final after the team won its last three games by a combined 13-1.
Read at ESPN.com
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