How did the MLS prepare for the new season?

With the MLS kicking off its new season on February 25th comes the culmination of a fascinating process that has worked for the past few months to build up organic anticipation and excitement. The USMNT’s performances at the recent World Cup and the preparations for the 2026 tournament have created serious momentum for American football and the MLS. Armed with news, changes, and innovation, the league is ready to take 2023 by storm, aiming to surpass the likes of the NHL and MLB, and cement itself as a force to be reckoned with in the world of US professional sports.

If you are an MLS fan - or at least, someone on the lookout for the league’s endeavors - you will certainly have noticed interesting social media activity. The MLS is trying to create a feeling of excitement by emphasizing everything that has changed since the 2022 season, and their Instagram page is at the very forefront of this ingenious strategy. Recapping all of the biggest offseason moves, for instance, has advertised some of the best players that have recently joined the MLS. 

Brazilian playmaker Evander is fresh off 50 goals and nearly 40 assists in 4 and a half seasons for Danish club Midtjylland, and will debut for the Portland Timbers on Sunday against Sporting Kansas City. Georgios Giakoumakis joins Atlanta United after two seasons as the top goalscorer in the Eredivisie and Scottish Premiership, while one of the most promising talents of Belgian football - Dante Vanzeir - is now a New York Red Bull. With the MLS aggressively distancing itself from the infamous label of “retirement league”, it is imperative that social media accounts shine full light on these exciting transfers, and prepare fans for new stars and the quality that they will bring.

There are many other novelties that will define the 2023 season, such as the ground-breaking Apple TV MLS Season Pass and the expansion team in St. Louis. The MLS’ Instagram page is in fact plagued with posts dedicated to the new Apple collaboration especially, aiming to draw record audiences. But all this above pales in comparison to the volume of visibility and publicity devoted to this season’s new jerseys. With football and fashion as close as they have ever been, the MLS understands that a big part of a new season are the new kits, which is why the league has taken on the job of heavily endorsing and promoting each team’s new threads. 

This type of unified, league-wide publicity is nothing but new in the world of football. The kit reveals are sponsored by the league itself and every single club and their jerseys for the 2023 season have their own space on the MLS Instagram page. With elaborate graphics and art surrounding them, a feeling of “new” and “fresh” has taken over thanks to this strategy. Football fans all over the world know the excitement associated with the release of new jerseys, and the MLS aims to translate this new kit excitement into strong viewership numbers and stadium attendance for the 2023 season.

To try and add to the buzz and commotion that new jerseys can garner, the MLS has also decided to give each kit an individual name that ties into cultural significance. Atlanta United has “the 17s kit”, dedicated to the club’s supporters, known in fact as “17s”. There is also Nashville SC with their “Man in Black Kit”, celebrating late singer Johnny Cash, a true legend for the city of Nashville, while D.C. United decided to release the “Cherry Blossom Kit” to honor one of Washington D.C.’s main symbols: the cherry tree. A unique approach for a unique league, the MLS has worked hard to promote the upcoming season. Now, it’s time to relax, enjoy some “soccer” in action, and hope for an unforgettable 2023 season.