Messi Magic Propels Inter Miami to Historic MLS Cup Victory, Shattering TV Ratings
An unprecedented 4.6 million spectators watched Lionel Messi's Inter Miami defeat Thomas Müller's Vancouver Whitecaps in Saturday's 2025 MLS Cup championship match.
The premier event, held at Miami's Chase Stadium, was anticipated to generate substantial global attention, and viewing figures exceeded expectations in what represents a major advancement for soccer's development in the United States.
Messi contributed two assists to secure the 47th championship of his illustrious career, capturing his inaugural MLS Cup victory as Miami triumphed 3–1 over the Whitecaps, who also suffered defeat in this year's Concacaf Champions Cup final.
The championship match was televised internationally with supporters from more than 100 nations watching on Apple TV, the league's primary broadcasting partner, without any regional restrictions globally. Beyond Apple TV, the final aired on TSN and RDS in Canada, plus TNT and HBO Max in Mexico, totaling over 3.6 million viewers.
Within the United States, Nielsen's Panel-only statistics indicate 994,000 viewers for match programming on FOX and Fox Deportes.
The 2023 MLS Cup featuring Columbus Crew versus LAFC drew an average of 890,000 viewers on Fox and Fox Deportes, while the 2024 contest between LA Galaxy and Red Bull New York attracted just 468,000 across identical networks, per Sport Business Journal.
Under the former agreement with ABC and Unimas/TUDN, the 2022 MLS Cup featuring LAFC against Philadelphia Union attracted over 2,155,000 American viewers, marking the last occasion the championship exceeded the 2-million threshold. The 2021 encounter between New York City FC and Portland Timbers on ABC and Unimas/TUDN garnered 1,515,000 viewers.
Among 2025's impressive viewership numbers, the match attracted the most youthful MLS Cup audience on record, with 70% of Apple TV viewers being under 45 years of age. Spectators watched for an average duration of 70 minutes.
Beyond television audiences, the match welcomed 21,500 fans to Inter Miami's temporary venue, Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, plus an additional 20,452 attendees at the official Whitecaps viewing event at BC Place, establishing a new record for the largest MLS Cup watch party ever.
Did MLS Cup Playoffs Offer a Glimpse of the Future?
The championship represented the peak of a considerably more popular postseason for MLS viewership, with an average of 711,000 viewers per match throughout the playoffs, representing a 23% increase from 2024, despite most games being exclusively available through the Apple TV subscription service.
These figures may also indicate future trends in MLS viewership. The league and broadcasting partners removed the MLS Season Pass subscription requirement for playoff matches, making games accessible through a standard Apple TV (previously Apple TV+) subscription, enabling more casual supporters to follow the league.
This change will extend into the 2026 campaign, and all MLS season ticket members will receive an Apple TV subscription for game access, plus entry to the complete premium Apple TV content library.
Certain matches will remain available on traditional broadcast partners, including TSN, RDS, FOX Sports and FOX Deportes in 2026, but games will be more readily available than they have been since the MLS and Apple TV partnership began in 2023.
The 2026 MLS regular season kicks off on Feb. 21 with a 13-match opening day, featuring the MLS Cup champions Inter Miami traveling to face Son Heung-min's LAFC at the Los Angeles Coliseum.