On 12/12, Major League Soccer announced that over 4.6 million viewers tuned into the final, where Argentine superstar Lionel Messi claimed his first North American national championship title. This viewership was recorded across traditional television channels in the US and Canada, alongside the Apple TV platform. However, no third-party data has yet confirmed the figures specifically for Apple TV.

Specifically, MLS stated that the vast majority of the MLS Cup 2025 final's viewership, 3.6 million, came from the Apple TV platform and MLS Season Pass subscribers, as well as TSN and RDS channels in Canada, and international partners like TNT and HBO Max in Mexico. Additionally, MLS reported that 29 playoff matches leading up to the conference finals averaged 711,000 viewers.

Messi lifts the MLS Cup 2025 after Inter Miami defeated Vancouver Whitecaps 3-1 in the final at Chase Stadium on 6/12. *Photo: Reuters*

Apple's failure to release specific data makes it impossible to independently verify MLS's claims, and no third party has confirmed these figures. MLS further disclosed that over 70% of Apple TV viewers across more than 100 countries are under 45. The final also set a record with 798 million social media interactions, marking a 532% increase year-over-year.

In addition to the paid Apple TV platform, the MLS Cup 2025 final aired on US channels Fox and Fox Deportes. Traditional television viewership for this segment more than doubled compared to the previous year, though it did not exceed the 2022 record of 2.155 million viewers. Preliminary data from Nielsen, a global measurement and market research company, indicated 994,000 viewers across these two television platforms. This represents a significant increase from the disappointing 468,000 recorded last year and also surpasses the 890,000 from 2023.

However, Nielsen is currently delaying the release of official figures to investigate a potential issue with its newly updated "Big Data Plus Panel" sample. This method is considered more accurate and typically boosts audience figures by a few to several tens of percent, depending on the event.

"We believe the Big Data + Panel is delivering the most accurate measurement for sports and television to date", Nielsen stated in October. "Collaborating with our partners, we have developed a modern measurement system that merges the power of Big Data with a reliable demographic sample. We are integrating robust datasets: over 75 million cable set-top boxes and smart TVs, alongside a sample of over 100,000 individuals representing the US population. We have also enhanced our out-of-home measurement sample, which now covers the entire US and accounts for collective viewing in homes, bars, restaurants, and hotels."

Consequently, viewership numbers on Fox and Fox Deportes are anticipated to rise once Nielsen releases its final data. However, these figures are still expected to be lower than those MLS reported for the Apple TV platform.

In Canada, 283,000 television viewers watched the match, making it the fourth-highest viewership in MLS Cup history, surpassed only by the three occasions when Toronto FC, a Canadian team, reached the final. When combined with Fox's preliminary data, approximately 1.277 million people watched the game via traditional television channels in the US and Canada.

In the MLS Cup 2025 final, Messi's two assists propelled Miami to a 3-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps, securing the championship.

Hoang Thong (according to New York Times)