INDUSTRY aimed to position the Leagues Cup as a premier North American soccer event, captivating fans with the intense rivalry between MLS and Liga MX teams. By offering a direct path to the CONCACAF Champions Cup, INDUSTRY sought to elevate the tournament's status on the global soccer stage. To realize this vision, INDUSTRY focused on the following:
The Leagues Cup campaign was a comprehensive effort to create a cultural movement around the tournament, going beyond traditional marketing strategies. INDUSTRY established a brand identity rooted in three core values: unity, rivalry, and audacity. These values reflect the essence of North American soccer and provided the foundation for our creative approach.
Our creative platform, "More than Soccer, This is Leagues Cup," highlighted the tournament's significance as a celebration of cultural diversity, the passion of all 47 participating clubs, and the intense rivalry within North American soccer. This slogan served as a guiding principle for all aspects of their campaign.
Campaign highlights:
Our campaign stood out for its ability to merge soccer’s competitive spirit with a celebration of cultural diversity. By integrating diverse musical talent, engaging visuals, and a compelling brand narrative, we transcended traditional sports marketing and positioned Leagues Cup as a significant cultural touchstone in North American soccer.
The 2024 Leagues Cup set new benchmarks in attendance, media coverage, and social media engagement. A record 1.3 million fans attended the tournament, with an average of 17,000 per match, reflecting a 3% year-over-year growth. The Guadalajara vs. San Jose match alone attracted over 50,000 fans, setting a new Leagues Cup attendance record. The opening weekend saw a 24% increase in turnout compared to the previous year. Overall, attendance grew 3% in 2024 vs. 2023. Media coverage soared with over 364 billion earned media impressions across more than 84,000 articles, fueled by high-profile moments that generated significant pre-tournament buzz. Overall earned media saw a 47% increase in 2024 vs. 2023. Positive or neutral earned mentions increased by 26%. On social media, the tournament saw a 12% rise in engagement, totaling over 17 million interactions, and gained 437,000 new followers—a 7% increase from 2023.
In addition to these benchmarks, the 2024 Leagues Cup saw an average of 344,000 average viewers from the United States per match, with a total of 10.8 million total U.S. linear viewers. An additional 15.3 million total linear viewers in Mexico watched the matches, with over 750,000 average viewers in Mexico per match. LMX and MLS matches had a higher viewership than MLS vs. MLS or LMX vs. LMX.
The Leagues Cup music video garnered over 567K views on YouTube and the anthem received more than 105K listens on Spotify.
