MLS Launches Pioneering MLS Innovation Lab

Major League Soccer announces the launch of MLS Innovation Lab, a program designed to shape the future of sports through the identification of  startups and advanced technologies to help develop the next generation of athletes, enhance the fan experience and drive continued growth for the League and its Clubs. MLS Innovation Lab is the latest initiative from Major League Soccer.

MLS recently became the first major sports league with a global digital streaming agreement when it formed a ten-year partnership with Apple that reimagined how soccer fans consumed games – with no blackouts and all matches on a single platform. MLS Season Passdelivered new enhanced live match broadcasts all in 1080p as well as thousands of hours of premium content to a young, digital savvy, global audience. The 2023 season also saw the start of Leagues Cup, a partnership with Liga MX and Concacaf, the first in-season tournament by a major professional league in North America. MLS is also creating the next generation of live enhanced data feeds with Sportec to power MLS Season Pass. In recent years, MLS has been at the forefront of video review in soccer – with the MLS Video Review program later mirrored by other leagues around the world – and MLS was the first major men’s league in North America to return to play during the COVID-19 pandemic when it hosted the MLS is Back tournament in 2020.

This approach by MLS is the driver behind the creation of MLS Innovation Lab. MLS Innovation Lab gives companies the chance to test their products in real-world environments throughout the MLS ecosystem including MLS NEXT FEST, Generation adidas Cup, MLS NEXT Cup and the MLS NEXT All-Star Game presented by Allstate, among others.

With thousands of matches per year, MLS NEXT Pro, MLS NEXT and MLS GO offer a breadth of testing opportunities for participating companies and each year, a group of high-potential companies will be invited to immerse themselves in this unique testing environment, fostering rapid development of novel products and technologies. MLS will provide direct access to its expertise, and network, ensuring accelerated development for participants.

Following an evaluation process which vetted hundreds of companies, six companies from across the globe were chosen to be included in the program’s inaugural cohort. MLS Innovation Lab officially kicked off in December at MLS NEXT FEST in Arizona, where each of the six companies began their journeys by testing and showcasing their respective products and capabilities in a live setting.