COLUMBUS, Ohio — MLS commissioner Don Garber said 2023 has been «a transformational year for our league,» hailing the media partnership with Apple, record attendance and the arrival of Lionel Messi to Inter Miami.
Speaking to reporters during his annual state of the league address Friday, Garber said MLS set a record for total attendance at almost 11 million and reached new highs for digital and social media engagement and merchandise sales. — Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Without supplying specific metrics, Garber quoted Apple CEO Tim Cook as saying on a recent earnings call that the company was beating its expectations for subscriptions.
He also referenced comments by Apple senior vice president for services Eddy Cue that multiple games drew over 1 million viewers.
Garber added that it's still early days for the partnership. «What we're focused on is the amount of subscriptions that we're selling, the amount of time that those people who are watching those games in front of and behind the paywall are spending on our broadcasts,» Garber said. «How are they engaging with that content?