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The MLS All-Star Game might feel like an anachronism or a superfluous midseason distraction, but people watch. And as long as people watch, a league starved for TV viewers will keep staging it.
Last year’s matchup between all-star teams from MLS and Liga MX drew around 1.6 million U.S. viewers on FS1 and TUDN, a total that was a bit higher than that for the MLS Cup final played three months later and broadcast on ABC. It’s also a figure that leaves the league’s regular season ratings in the dust. And since an audience means a sequel, MLS and Liga MX are planning a rematch. A Liga MX team will be the All-Star opponent once again in this year’s event at Minnesota United’s Allianz Field, MLS announced Thursday. The game will be played Aug. 10.
The MLS vs. Liga MX All-Star format is another piece of the ambitious agreement between the two circuits which is anchored by the expanded Leagues Cup tournament scheduled to debut next year. It also includes the Campeones Cup—the annual super cup match that’ll be hosted by MLS champion New York City FC this summer—and now the All-Star Game. In 2021, the MLS All-Stars outlasted their Liga MX counterparts on penalties after a 1-1 tie in Los Angeles.
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While last year’s TV audience was about twice as large as the one from 2019 (the 2020 game was canceled), when Atlético Madrid easily defeated the MLS All-Stars in Orlando, it was fueled almost entirely by the Spanish-language broadcast. FS1’s return was the lowest English-language total in All-Star history. The overall number was good, however, and approached the record 1.9 million who tuned in to see Real Madrid play the All-Stars in Chicago.
MLS surely will be hoping that the recent reset of the cross-border rivalry sparked by the U.S. national team’s three competitive wins last year will attract a few more viewers to ESPN in August. An earlier All-Star kickoff and a victory for the Seattle Sounders in the upcoming Concacaf Champions League finals against UNAM Pumas might help as well.
“Last year’s match between the MLS All-Stars and the Liga MX All-Stars was the most competitive MLS All-Star Game ever, and we’re pleased to renew the rivalry between the two leagues this summer,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said. “Our partnership with Liga MX has brought out the best in both leagues on and off the field, and I have no doubt the intensity will be even higher for the rematch in Minnesota.”
The MLS vs. Liga MX format is a departure from the one that served MLS pretty well in 2005-19, when a European club (usually English) would play the MLS All-Stars as part of its preseason preparation. Whereas all-star events in other sports became more focused on gimmicks and the increasing departure from anything that resembled a real game, MLS tried to add a bit of competitive pride to the proceedings. It worked for a while. Scoring totals were reasonable and nine of the 15 MLS vs. European club matches were decided by one goal or penalties. International trumped intramural.
There was a sense, however, that the format had run its course. The novelty faded a bit as TV viewership for most MLS All-Star games fell below the 1 million mark. Over the past 10 matches, only those against Manchester United (2011), Bayern Munich (2014) and Real Madrid (2017) broke that barrier. There aren’t many clubs of that stature out there, and the increasing cooperation between MLS and Liga MX made the decision to alter the format a relatively obvious one.
“For Liga MX it was a great experience to play in the MLS All-Star Game for the first time last year. The players gave their all to represent our league and everyone enjoyed an unprecedented game,” Liga MX president Mikel Arriola said. “The opportunity to relive this experience in 2022 is exciting and fills us with pride.”
Allianz Field opened in 2019. The 19,400- seat venue in St. Paul, Minn. has hosted the frigid World Cup qualifier between the U.S. and Panama in early February, as well as two 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup games and two U.S. women’s national team friendlies. This year’s All-Star celebration will include a concert, community initiatives and then a skills challenge the night before the game.
