After seeing success with its Lionel Messi-focused Major League Soccer (MLS) live-stream last year, TikTok’s doing it all over again, this time with four matches that’ll be broadcast live in the app throughout the MLS season.
As explained by TikTok:
“Kicking off Saturday, August 2 at 7:10p ET, ‘Player Spotlight: Messi’ returns for four select matches this season, starting with Inter Miami CF vs. Necaxa in the opening round of Leagues Cup, the official Concacaf-sanctioned tournament featuring clubs from Major League Soccer and LIGA MX. Fans around the world can tune in on the @MLS TikTok account, with simultaneous streams on @InterMiamiCF and @AppleTV.”
The most interesting thing here is that TikTok is partnering with Apple TV for the broadcast, and is specifically promoting Apple TV in its announcement.
Which is likely part of the broadcast arrangement, that TikTok has to also guide users towards Apple TV, in order to be allowed to share the stream. But it’s interesting nonetheless, establishing something of a partnership between the two entities, even in a tangential way.
TikTok’s live-stream player spotlight will broadcast a dedicated camera angle that’ll be focused on Lionel Messi throughout the match. Which is an interesting way to view a sport, though given Messi’s popularity, it could be an engaging option for dedicated fans.
Twitter aired similar in the past with NBA games, holding polls in the app to decide who their broadcast should be focused on. This approach seemingly enables subsidiary broadcasts that don’t violate the broader rights deal, ensuring that both Apple TV and TikTok can broadcast the match without conflicting on Apple’s overall rights deal.
And as noted, another element is that Apple obviously gets a level of direct promotional value from the stream as well.
Sports has become a bigger focus for TikTok of late, with the app gradually evolving into a central hub for sports discussion and engagement. That’s worth noting for sports marketers, and those looking to reach related audiences with their promotions, with TikTok now offering more potential to get your content in front of your target market.
And based on the numbers, this could be a valuable way to both lean into this element, and raise awareness of TikTok Live.
“Last season’s debut of ‘Player Spotlight: Messi’ during Inter Miami CF’s playoff opener drew more than 6.4 million live views across @MLS and @InterMiamiCF, setting the record for the largest live audience for a U.S. sports event on TikTok.”
And with TikTok also looking to promote live-streams as a key platform in its bigger in-app shopping push, it makes sense to use that popularity to showcase its live-streams however it can.
TikTok says that the first match of its four-game Messi series will air next month, with other matches to be announced at a later date.
