A record breaking 4.6 million viewers tuned in to watch Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami down Thomas Müller's Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2025 MLS Cup last Saturday.
The showpiece fixture, staged at Miami’s Chase Stadium, was expected to draw significant interest from around the globe, and broadcast audiences delivered in a big way in what is a huge boost to the growth of the game in the U.S.
Messi bagged two assists to claim the 47th trophy of his glittering career, earning his first MLS Cup title win as Miami ran out 3–1 winners against the Whitecaps, who were also beaten in the Concacaf Champions Cup final earlier this year.
The final was broadcast globally and fans from over 100 countries tuned in on Apple TV, the league’s official broadcast partner, with no blackouts worldwide. In addition to Apple TV, the final was aired on TSN and RDS in Canada, as well as TNT and HBO Max in Mexico, combining for over 3.6 million viewers.
In the U.S., Nielsen’s Panel-only data shows 994,000 viewers for match coverage across FOX and Fox Deportes.
The 2023 MLS Cup between Columbus Crew and LAFC averaged 890,000 viewers across Fox and Fox Deportes, while the 2024 matchup between the LA Galaxy and the Red Bull New York averaged only 468,000 across the same channels, according to Sport Business Journal.
In the previous deal under ABC and Unimas/TUDN, the 2022 MLS Cup between LAFC and the Philadelphia Union drew over 2,155,000 American viewers, the last time the marquee match cracked the 2-million mark. The 2021 clash between New York City FC and the Portland Timbers on ABC and Unimas/TUDN drew 1,515,000 viewers.
Within 2025’s lofty viewership, the game attracted the youngest MLS Cup audience ever, with 70% of the Apple TV audience under 45 years old. Viewers spent an average of 70 minutes watching the match.
In addition to those watching on television, the match saw 21,500 pack into Inter Miami’s temporary home, Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, and an additional 20,452 attend the official Whitecaps watch party at BC Place, which broke a record for the largest MLS Cup watch party in history.
Were MLS Cup Playoffs a Potential Preview?
The final was the culmination of a significantly more popular playoff season for MLS viewership, with an average of 711,000 tuning in per match across the postseason, a 23% boost from 2024, despite the majority of games being behind the Apple TV paywall.
The numbers could also be a preview of what is to come in MLS viewership. The league and broadcast partners lifted the requirement to subscribe to the MLS Season Pass for the playoffs, including the games, from a regular Apple TV (formerly Apple TV+ +) subscription, paving the way for more casual fans to consume the league.
That shift will continue into the 2026 season, and all MLS season ticket holders will also receive an Apple TV subscription to watch games, as well as access to the rest of the premium Apple TV library.
Some matches will continue to be broadcast on linear partners, including TSN, RDS, FOX Sports and FOX Deportes in 2026, but games will be more accessible than they have been since the start of the MLS and Apple TV deal in 2023.
The 2026 MLS regular season begins on Feb. 21 with a 13-game slate, highlighted by the MLS Cup champions Inter Miami visiting Son Heung-min’s LAFC at the Los Angeles Coliseum.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Lionel Messi, Inter Miami’s Momentous MLS Cup Win Smashes Viewership Records.