Major League Soccer hit the jackpot when Lionel Messi decided to play for Inter Miami, but it still has work to do to become the most popular league in the country. According to World Soccer Talk, there are two soccer leagues with more viewers than MLS in the United States.
By accumulating the TV and streaming viewership reported by Nielsen as well as numbers shared by broadcasters and streaming services, WST found out the Premier League leapfrogged Liga MX as the most-watched soccer league in the US.
With a large Mexican audience across the country, Mexico’s top-flight held the top spot for a while. But the English first division has reportedly set a record in terms of viewership last year, with the top five most-watched Premier League games in the US all taking place in 2023. Liga MX, on the other hand, is understood to have suffered a 12% decrease in viewership.
The most-watched soccer leagues in the US, ranked
Based on the numbers shared by broadcasters in addition to the Nielsen report, World Soccer Talk ranked the most popular soccer leagues in America based on viewership during 2023:
- Premier League
- Liga MX
- Major League Soccer
- LaLiga
- NWSL
- Bundesliga
- Serie A
- Ligue 1
MLS still sees growth with Messi’s arrival
While the Premier League and Liga MX are above MLS in viewership, the league has experienced a significant growth with Messi joining Inter Miami. While there have been no reports on views for single MLS matches, MLS Season Pass subscribers have reportedly risen to over one million.
In addition, Nielsen reported that Messi’s Inter Miami debut against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup had 1.75 million viewers on Univision.
