by The power of streaming was proven when Formula One cars were racing down Las Vegas Boulevard two months ago. Specifically, it showed the popularity of Drive To Survive, the Netflix docuseries that changed F1, especially in the United States. Almost every celebrity and public figure with a Wikipedia page attended the Las Vegas Grand Prix in November – and it was clear that Major League Soccer was watching.
MLS will be the subject of its own show like Drive To Survive – produced by the same film makers (Box To Box Films) – in 2024 with an eight-part series promising to offer “a definitive, never-before-seen programme. look into the league.” MLS players and coaches can now look forward to becoming reality TV stars.
If done right, it could be as big for MLS as signing Lionel Messi. The Argentinian’s arrival at Inter Miami last summer was remarkable for a league that was open about its desire to be one of the best in the world. There were more eyes on MLS this year than ever before as Messi Mania took over the United States. The new series will provide a different prism through which to view the league though.
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Content is at the forefront of the modern era of sport and this has been recognized by MLS, through its partnership with Box To Box Films and its record $2.5bn broadcast deal with Apple TV. However, MLS needs engaging, must-see content to make it all worthwhile. Their series needs to stand out in an increasingly crowded market.
All other sports are chasing the Drive To Survive effect. Box To Box Films has also produced golf (Full Swing), cycling (Tour de France: Unchained) and tennis (Break Point) equivalents and Amazon’s All or Nothing franchise has also followed Arsenal, Juventus, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur. like the Brazilians. and the German national teams. And that’s just in soccer – he has also documented the Arizona Cardinals, Carolina Panthers, Dallas Cowboys, Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Toronto Maple Leafs and All Blacks.
ESPN even produced a docuseries focusing on Los Angeles FC in 2019. However, We Are LAFC was so bland it was as if it was directed by a boardroom of marketing executives. The same could be said of the Messi Meets America show on Apple TV which was so stupid it barely registered.
Only Welcome To Wrexham really comes close to replicating the cultural impact of Drive To Survive. The storytelling and access lend authenticity to the series which follows Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney’s Welsh clubs who portray the likes of Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer as personalities, not just players. The fact that it focused on the impact the club had on the city and its people and the behind-the-scenes views was a big draw.
It doesn’t always take star power to attract an audience. In fact, it is sometimes counter-productive when household names are over-protected in order to convey their true character. The stars of Drive To Survive are not necessarily Max Verstappen or Lewis Hamilton, but Guenther Steiner and Daniel Ricciardo.
The temptation will be there to put Messi front and center, with global interest surrounding the 36-year-old, but MLS might be wiser to focus on unknown figures who can tell their own story. create. Messi has always kept a low profile about his life off the pitch, and is unlikely to start doing so now. But there is no shortage of other interesting stories across MLS and the equivalent of the Drive To Survive series should tell them well.
The upcoming season will be filled with strong stories about Miami veneer. How about John Herdman’s bid to turn Toronto FC from an (expensive) laughing stock into a (slightly less) expensive contender? Or the successful, unique soccer culture of FC Cincinnati? It would be even better to give an insight into the young players from South America who enter the league.
This can make it impossible for a notoriously nervous league to admit its own faults. For decades, MLS has been struggling for legitimacy in a world that has not always taken the American game seriously. There’s a reason the original series remains so polished, but warts-and-all docuseries can only be warts-and-all if the audience can see the warts.
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Players and coaches may need to get comfortable with the blurring of fact and fiction. While Drive To Survive undoubtedly changed the fortunes of F1, some drivers have complained that some stories are exaggerated. In particular, Verstappen refused to be interviewed for the show. “I’m a very deep man, and I just want it to be facts, don’t be fooled,” said the world champion, who was a critic of the Las Vegas Grand Prix which he described as ” 99% show and 1% sporting event .”
If, however, MLS is willing to do all of these things and embrace the concept, a Drive To Survive style show could have a profound impact. While it’s unlikely to draw the same number of eyeballs as the original due to being on Apple TV (estimated 25 million subscribers) rather than Netflix (250 million subscribers), the storytelling could fuel the series’ continued growth.
The next few years are shaping up to be the most important in American soccer in a generation. Messi plays in MLS. The 2026 World Cup will be played at home and the USA will also host the 2024 Copa America and the 2025 Club World Cup. However, this will mean nothing if steps are not taken to ensure that this rise in interest counts as something meaningful in the long term. One of those measures could be divided into 60 minute episodes.
