Editor's Note: This article first appeared in SixOneFiveSoccer.com, and is reprinted with permission. You can find the original article here.

The 2025 MLS season will end on Saturday when Inter Miami and Vancouver Whitecaps go head-to-head for MLS Cup. With the season winding down, we asked you — the fans — to voice your opinions. 

This year marked our first collaboration, teaming up with 22 other independent outlets to try and reach as many fans as possible. With 3,489 fans responding, we’re excited to offer a large sample size and a wide representation of fanbases to give you a comprehensive look at how MLS is perceived among the people who follow it the closest.

The responses reveal a deeply engaged but often critical fanbase with strong opinions on the league's strategic direction. Four major areas of concern and commentary emerged: The constraints of the league's roster and spending regulations, the double-edged sword of the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, widespread dissatisfaction with the playoff format, and a profound division over a potential shift to a European-style calendar.

Below is a summary of fan responses. The full data for the survey can be accessed here. 

Fan demographics

Of the 3,489 responses, the vast majority came from the United States, Canada, and Mexico. We also had responses from England, Scotland, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, China, Thailand, South Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

Within the United States, 48 states were represented, with Wyoming and Hawaii the sole states without a response. Nearly 700 respondents were from Washington, with Ohio (315), Texas (271), and Tennessee (176) the next-highest states.

Unsurprisingly, Seattle Sounders had the most representation in the survey. 23.4% of respondents self-identified as Sounders fans, followed by FC Cincinnati (12.0%), Nashville SC (6.4%), Red Bull New York (5.5%), Austin FC (5.4%), and DC United (5.3%).

How do fans view MLS?

The majority of fans were positive when asked how they perceive MLS’s on-field quality. When asked to rate their satisfaction with the product on the pitch on a 1-5 scale (with one being the least-positive and five being the most), 59.3% rated their satisfaction at a four or higher, with just 9.14% at a two or less.

When ranking the importance and satisfaction of various competitions, Concacaf Champions Cup was viewed as the most important non-MLS tournament, with fans giving it an average weighting of 3.35 on a 1-5 scale. Leagues Cup was rated at a 2.38, down slightly from last season’s 2.42.

Some fans were critical of Leagues Cup in their free responses, calling it a “cash grab”, an “idiotic iteration,” or “superfluous.” Several fans voiced the opinion that Leagues Cup should be entirely eliminated, with one suggesting the competition take place in preseason. One of the biggest complaints was the perception that Leagues Cup killed the momentum and narrative of the MLS season.

Many fans were also concerned about the marginalization of the US Open Cup, arguing that MLS has prioritized the “manufactured” Leagues Cup over the oldest tournament in American soccer, to the detriment of U.S. soccer as a whole. Some fans argued that Leagues Cup should be replaced with increased funding to US Open Cup, with one fan explicitly vowing to boycott spending money on Leagues Cup until every MLS club is required to participate in the US Open Cup.

Do fans think the Apple TV deal has been good for MLS?

92.7% of fans who took the survey said they subscribed to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV. With the news that MLS will drop the additional subscription model and include all matches within a base Apple TV subscription, 62.9% of fans said the change would have no impact on their plans to subscribe, while 28.7% of fans said they would be more likely to subscribe. The change should be a popular one, since most fans had concerns about the paywall decreasing the visibility and discoverability of MLS.

The bulk of responses towards the TV product were positive. On a scale of 1-5, fans rated their satisfaction with the product at a 3.42, with 53.5% rating it at a four or five. But while fans appreciated the quality of the product and the convenience of having all the matches on a single platform, many were frustrated by the lack of local broadcast options and fewer commentators who are deeply informed about their specific clubs, as well as frustrations with some of the production choices, particularly with shoulder programming.

Fans described non-game offerings as “extremely lacking” and lamented that the league has “hollowed out the coverage”. There is a clear desire for content that parallels coverage in other major sports, like highlight reels, team updates, and detailed analysis, and fans feel that is currently nonexistent in the TV subscription. 

While fans like the ability to watch MLS 360, the league’s whiparound show, there are frustrations that the content is “generic and boring”, “sterile”, and “a movie approximation of sports television”. While the programming is viewed positively as a way to stay tuned to multiple games at once, several of the analysts and hosts were criticized for their perceived “safe” takes, and the hyper-focus on Lionel Messi and Inter Miami was heavily criticized.

"It is the best MLS TV product we've ever had. Just removing the blackouts has massively improved things. The whiparound show is great too"

"I think the audio/video quality is second to none for watching sports"

"The Apple part is mostly great. However the broadcast production (by MLS) is horrendous. The camera cutaways, not showing live action, etc is completely amateur and embarrassing"

"Scrap it. The majority of users are MLS diehards watching on their phones, not casual fans, not sports bar patrons, not home-town fans of other sports. Apple is not growing the league"

"If you are gonna have the best player in the world have an awesome season, you can’t have the games behind a paywall."

"Paywalls are stupid. You can't grow the league behind a paywall"

"MLS needs to be on network tv even if they have to pay for it. Exposure is key"

"I only have it because they give it to me for free. They stole our local coverage because they wanted more money, and then have given us a worse product in return. I will never forgive MLS for what they have done"

"Remote commentators represent a huge step back. Studio shows, conducted in front of green screen, have robbed much of the life from the show"

"I miss having announcers who are truly knowledgeable about the team I follow. When I am screaming facts at the TV because the announcer is uninformed, it's a sorry state of affairs”

"Announcers are not good. Twellman and his broadcast partner are annoying in commentary”

"The announcers can’t be critical and it’s so obvious… it ruins the games for me"

"As a season ticket holder, it is hard to watch any other games during a home game week. As a standalone product from Apple TV (and the price point it is at) it seems incredibly difficult to acquire new fans that aren't only here for Messi"

"Their midweek content is extremely lacking. Where’s extratime? This would be great on this platform!"

"They’ve hollowed out the coverage. There’s nothing during the week, and 360, the show they’ve put the most money and energy into doesn’t really work with all the simultaneous kickoffs."

"A CHIVEtv-like show with skill checks across the years... The wives of players in MLS were one of the more interesting parts of MLS: Onside... Create a Fan Zone show where you can build rivalries. Easy content."

"too often, important pregame in-stadium activities should have been part of the pregame broadcast, instead of that looped 'game starting soon' thing"

"It feels like State TV with graphics from a college-caliber production and the lack of content aside from MLS 360 is depressing."

Fans want to loosen roster restrictions

When asked how to improve the on-field quality, fans honed in on roster rules as the primary area of change. Fans overwhelmingly call for liberalized roster rules — including higher salary caps and the simplification or elimination of complex mechanisms like Allocation Money — to improve on-field quality and depth. Fan sentiment was dominated by a desire for increased financial flexibility and simplification of regulations, coupled with frustration over perceived competitive imbalance and even league favoritism, particularly towards a select few high-profile clubs. 

The overwhelming majority of fans advocated for increasing the total amount teams are allowed to spend on players. These ideas ranged from a simple increase of the salary cap to more Designated Player spots, with several calling for the league to eliminate many or all of the roster rules that fans deem to be too complex.

The most common proposed solution is simply replacing the entire current structure with a higher salary cap and a guaranteed salary floor, forcing more non-ambitious owners to spend at a certain level while simultaneously allowing teams who wish to spend more to distribute their spending across the entire team, with fewer restrictions on where that money can go. Additionally, several fans called for transfer fees to be removed from a player’s cap hit, leaving salary as the only factor.

Overall, fans seem to have the consensus view that the league has outgrown its highly restricted financial structure, and needs to modernize rules to allow for higher spending, particularly on the middle of the roster. Fans also think enforcing transparency with transfer fees will go a long way towards eliminating any favoritism, as well as creating less “top-heavy” rosters.

"Loosen the roster rules. Higher cap. Maybe a 4th DP - but we also need much deeper benches to compete internationally."

"Increased spending is a top priority. I also think a stronger commitment to retaining up-and-coming talent instead of simply selling them off would improve the league. For example, Charlotte FC signing Patrick Agyemang to a long-term deal rather than selling him."

"Open up the rules. If you want to control spending, have a salary cap without the tam/gam/bam/sam rules, etc. I feel like a good amount of owners are willing to spend, but yet they're being held back and therefore the league is being held back."

"More TAM and DP slots. Find ways to raise the floor while embracing quality high end talent. Avoid Shaqiri/Neymar and target Dreyer/Cuypers acquisitions."

"Stop with the convoluted salary structure. Take off the training wheels!"

"Transition into allowing teams to spend like MLB, no salary cap and instituting a luxury tax that gets dispersed to teams not spending over the pre-luxury threshold. The only thing I would add is creating a salary floor, every team at minimum should be spending around the same."

"Increase the salary cap without increasing the number of DPs/U22s so that the mid-range players in MLS are paid more and (hopefully) are therefore of a higher quality."

"Get rid of salary cap. Let the teams spend. Soccer isnt an American sport. Its a global sport so let the teams spend and reach their potential."

"Raise total roster spend ceiling significantly and remove the funny money spending to empower clubs to spend in players 3-18 on the roster to raise overall quality of play, while also bringing in more domestic players"

Many fans are frustrated by a perception of favoritism towards Inter Miami and Lionel Messi

A major theme of dissatisfaction revolved around the perception that parity is being undermined by preferential treatment towards certain clubs, with Inter Miami (and Los Angeles FC, to a lesser extent) viewed as being given a separate set of rules.

The league's perceived obsession with Lionel Messi is often linked to the issue of unfair spending and favoritism. Fans criticize the league for "glazing Messi," "shoving him down our throat," and making the league feel like "pro wrestling". Fans argue this focus cheapens the league and detracts from coverage of other teams. They’re also frustrated with the perceived excessive coverage Messi and Miami receive.

"Less giving Miami whatever they want"

"Less bending of the rules for big markets"

"This league is not all about Messi. Stop shoving him down our throat"

"Less Messi. Less AI. More content. There are so many great stories of so many players around the league besides Messi. Player interviews, back stories, behind-the-scenes content. There is no pre-game/post-game specific to the game I'm watching."

"MLS needs to either do away with salary restrictions or enforce them more evenly throughout the league. It's bad enough that most big international stars are only drawn to more attractive cities like Miami or LA, but then those teams bend the rules to get around salary caps, or get special treatment from Apple and Adidas to get a major star to join their team. No single team should get that sort of preferential treatment."

"Not make everything about Messi, the league is much less enjoyable and seems more like pro wrestling when everything is tilted to favor one guy and one team. Seems kind of fake now "

"I hope MLS realizes that there are other players in the league besides Messi and Miami. The glazing is ridiculous"

How do fans feel about the switch to a European-style calendar?

MLS recently announced that the league will switch to a fall-to-spring calendar starting in 2027. Unsurprisingly, this was hugely contentious among fans. 

Fans rated their satisfaction with the calendar switch as a 2.95 on a 1-5 scale. It was a fairly even split, with 37.8% rating the change at a four or five, and 38.2% rating it at a one or two.

However, fans were very concerned about the impact the calendar switch would have an in-person attendance in their local markets. 52.9% said they expect the shift to have a negative impact on attendance, with 29.9% remaining neutral and just 17.2% expecting a positive change.

Proponents were focused on improving competitive quality and legitimacy, emphasizing the long-term strategic benefits for the league’s global standing. Many cited the synchronized transfer windows with major European and global leagues, saying it would be “easier for transfers” and allowing MLS to compete more for highly-rated foreign players.

Fans were also excited about eliminating conflicts with FIFA international windows, saying that the league and playoff schedule is “constantly interrupted for international breaks” and frustrated by a lack of momentum. Many also said that switching will bolster MLS’s international reputation, saying the change is “overdue”. 

However, there were equal concerns about the change, primarily focused on harsh weather in the northern markets, as well as perceived competition with other American sports. Many fans were concerned about the feasibility of even playing games over the winter, questioning that current stadium and training infrastructure can handle the demands of playing in frigid temperatures.

"I will not attend matches from november to march. Period. Too freaking cold"

"Nobody, not even the biggest diehards, wants to sit through a game at Foxboro in late December in 12 degrees and snow"

"If I have to watch multiple midseason home games in November & February, then the southerners have to cover the cost of my hand warmers & seat warmer upgrades"

"This would strengthen the quality of the league, aligning the transfer windows, preventing major intn'l tournaments from disrupting league play, more coherent"

"Follow the FIFA calendar, dammit!"

"MLS has never taken the steps to own the summer sports season. There should have been wall-to-wall MLS matches and promotion on the day after MLB all-star game. Also, respecting FIFA windows will go a long way to increasing the legitimacy of the league in the eyes of fans of bigger leagues. Only second rate leagues ignore FIFA windows."

"I personally feel that switching to a fall-thru-spring calendar would benefit the MLS' international reputation, as more people are paying attention to club soccer during that time of year than during the summer"

"I think it will probably be less impactful than people expect either positive or negative"

"Can’t happen soon enough. Winters are getting milder, summers more dangerous. Would make international transfers easier."

"Playing in the winter in any jurisdiction north of Kentucky would be crazy. Canada? Minnesota? Chicago. It would be terrible.”

"I will get rid of my season tickets if they charge the calendar. I don’t give a rip about how the rest of the world runs their soccer leagues. This is Our league and we should Operate in what’s best for the fans to attend the game?"

"It would be an incredibly stupid move. Weather alone is a reason not to."

"It’s too cold to play over winter in Minnesota, but I would prefer a more compact fall/spring schedule with an extended winter break."

"Moving the schedule to coincide with football and basketball schedules (both collegiate and professional) would have to negatively impact viewership, probably more than some would expect if this is an actual sentiment among fans.

"This will kill northern teams. It will also kill tv coverage as now you compete vs Football, Basketball and hockey"

"The season is already Feb - Dec, I don't see that much of a difference in switching it to Aug - Jun, especially if they add a 'winter break' in there to hedge the bad weather"

"I’m not sure sitting at Audi Field in 30-degree temps in January is any worse than sitting at Audi Field in 90-degree temps with humidity in July. Let's align to the global calendar. Not sure what you do about Minnesota, Toronto, and Montreal, though."

"MLS covers a HUGE geographic area. Working through late fall to early spring would be a challenge for many teams, including travel, weather, timing, etc."

"It’s stupid. What outdoor professional sport in North America plays through the winter? None."

The regular season schedule still needs work

For the third consecutive year, fans remained frustrated by the regular-season scheduling. MLS regular season scheduling is broadly characterized by a major complaint: The clustering of games on Saturday evenings, which hinders league-wide engagement. The league’s tendency to schedule the bulk of its games at the exact same time, usually on Saturday evenings, drew criticism. Games generally kick off at 7:30 pm local time, and fans feel this forces them to only follow their local team, making it nearly impossible to engage with the wider league product. 

Fans frequently requested more varied kickoff times and weekend slots, suggesting models similar to the NFL or European leagues to maximize viewing time – "more Friday games and multiple games on Sunday" – and there is a strong desire for more afternoon games.

One fan suggested a detailed ideal schedule: "7:30 PM FRI, 10 PM FRI, 2:30 PM SAT, 4:30 PM SAT, regular MLS countdown -> MLS 360 slate SAT 6:30 PM–12:30 AM, then 1-3 games on Sunday."

The introduction of Sunday Night Soccer was seen as a positive step, but needed more consistency and variety. The standard 7:30 PM local kickoff time is considered problematic for match attendance and accessibility for families, seen as "brutal for small kids”.

"The scheduling maximizes being able to follow 1 team... It makes following the league way way way way worse"

"I’m often driving to my 730 pm pst game for over and hour while the 430 pm games kick off and I can’t watch anything except what I attend live. It’s awful"

"13 matches within four hours on Saturday and one match on Sunday is awful scheduling"

"I'd love to put on a game Sunday or Saturday afternoon or Friday evening while doing things around the house"

"More day games. More variety in times games are played. Afternoon in winter, night during the summer"

Fans are still on the fence about the playoff format

The fans who responded to this survey displayed overwhelming, widespread, and emphatic dissatisfaction with the current MLS playoff format, driven primarily by the first-round best-of-three (BO3) series, the number of teams qualifying, and scheduling issues. Fans view the format as poorly conceived, inconsistent, and primarily motivated by generating revenue rather than sporting integrity.

The adoption of the Best-of-Three format for the first round is the most heavily criticized aspect of the current playoffs. The more positive responses indicate that it’s needlessly convoluted and clutters the schedule, while the more cynical responders labeled it a “cash grab” and a detriment to the season. Fans generally preferred a more streamlined playoff format, expressing support for a single-elimination model or the two-legged aggregate style the league has used in the past.

Additionally, many respondents feel that allowing too many teams to qualify (nine teams per conference) dilutes the meaning of the regular season and lengthens the playoffs unnecessarily. One fan suggested narrowing the field: "Only top four in each conference should make the playoffs". Another agreed, suggesting "no more than six teams should make the playoffs".

Scheduling issues, especially surrounding the international break, were heavily criticized for killing competitive excitement. The playoffs "really lose momentum after the first round due to the international breaks,” said one fan. The combination of the best-of-three format and international breaks leads to a "possible three-week break between games for teams that win the first round," which is "unacceptable,” said another. 

"The best of three series being only used in only one round is odd. Either this is important on sporting merit or it doesn’t belong. Pick one."

"The best of three first round is the single dumbest playoff thing on American sports. Rewarding mediocrity with a home game and making the first round last almost a month is asinine”

"The three-leg first round is wild and painful, but unique"

"One round of three is quite literally the dumbest playoff format I've ever seen"

"Go back to home and away series for playoffs, not best of three"

"Single-match eliminations are just fine for playoffs and help the pace of the playoffs. No one wants to see the playoffs come to a halt during international matches when the playoffs could just end sooner"

"Too many teams make playoffs, too many meaningless games. Only top 4 in each conference should make the playoffs"

"The international breaks that happen during playoffs also ruins momentum and I can't be bothered to care after the break"

"It shouldn’t take 45 days to have a post season, ever"

"Playoffs is bad and season should be what matters"

How do fans engage with MLS coverage?

MLS fans singled out several journalists as important to their following of the league. They rely on a mix of established national journalists and influential local/independent writers. The sentiment is that while the league has seen a decline in dedicated national reporters at major outlets, a core group of journalists is consistently trusted by the fanbase. Some of the most cited include:

• Tom Bogert (757)
• Matthew Doyle (613)
• Laurel Pfahler (125)
• Joe Lowery (114)
• Paul Tenorio (106)
• Jeff Reuter (101)
• Jeremiah Oshan (100)
• Ben Wright (99)
• Steven Goff (96)
• Pablo Maurer (87)
• David Gass (78)
• Phil West (68)
• Charles Boehm (63)
• Jonathan Tannenwald (42)
• Andrew Wiebe (32)

Of the outlets fans use for league-wide coverage, the league’s in-house MLSSoccer.com site dominated coverage, with 23.5% of fans reading the site. The Athletic (19.7%) and ESPNFC (12.9%) were close behind.

• MLSSoccer.com (2,219)
• The Athletic (1,861)
• ESPN FC (1,221)
• SoccerWise (868)
• CBS Sports Golazo (775)
• Backheeled (470)
• ExtraTime (454)
• Total Soccer Show (422)
• GiveMeSport (314)
• American Soccer Analysis (319)

Bluesky surprisingly was the most-used social media app for fans to discuss MLS. Fully 21.0% of fans listed the new microblogging platform as a primary app, with Instagram (19.4%), Reddit (19.2%), and Twitter (17.3%), rounding out the top four.

Fans are frustrated by the national media coverage MLS receives

Fan sentiment regarding Major League Soccer's (MLS) national, traditional media coverage is overwhelmingly critical, characterized by the belief that the league is largely ignored by mainstream outlets and, when it is covered, that coverage is severely limited in scope, often centering solely on high-profile stars.

The core complaints center on three key areas: Non-existence, an obsessive focus on a few select players, and a perceived decline in quality and depth. Fans rated their overall satisfaction with national media coverage at a 2.34 out of five.

The most frequent response is that national media coverage is “basically non-existent”. Many fans openly question if national media coverage exists at all. The perceived media silence is particularly frustrating because many feel that the major players go out of their way to avoid covering the league; ”ESPN would rather show pro wrestling coverage than MLS. That says it all.”

Many fans were frustrated that MLS coverage, when it does exist in mainstream media, focuses on shallow stories about a select few players. Lionel Messi and Inter Miami are the source of many of these complaints, claiming that the rest of the league tends to be ignored. One respondent suggested the hyper-focus has been "a net negative because of hostility from current fans and from non-league fans thinking the league sucks since he is doing well."

"There is still national coverage that isn't produced by MLS? Where?"

"I love the media MLS does get, but I wish big sports networks would care about mls."

"MLS is an afterthought to most media. The League is at fault putting too many games behind a paywall"

"The national media still barely takes MLS seriously, other than Messi. Though the league sometimes brings that on themselves."

"The league gets about the level of coverage its fairly low level of attendance compared to other sports deserves"

"Entirely. Too. Much. Focus. On. Messi."

"MLS doesn’t do itself any favors here by restricting access"

"It's anemic and usually feels like an affectation of NFL pregame shows extruded through EPL shaped talk shows."

"Coverage overall of the league is less than ideal. It’s either corporate shills or 2 or 3 people doing all the work."

"The Athletic used to be the best, now it's disappointing. Hopefully Tom Bogert going back helps."

"The national media have their own problems to deal with, worry about the product and the overage will follow"

Independent media coverage remains crucial to MLS fans

Fans were much more positive when it came to independent media coverage of MLS, with an average satisfaction rating of 3.80 out of five. The overall sentiment towards independent media was overwhelmingly positive, often described with terms like "amazing," "fantastic," and "great." Fans view these sources as the lifeblood of their fandom and the primary providers of deep, insightful, and authentic journalism, especially when compared to traditional national media or the league's own corporate content.

Fans highly value independent and local outlets—such as podcasts, blogs, newsletters, and dedicated local beat reporters—as the most essential sources for information about their team and the league as a whole. Despite the high praise, fans recognize that independent media operates under significant constraints imposed by the league and clubs. There is a strong belief that independent journalists are deliberately constrained by the league, which limits access to players and coaches to control the narrative. As one fan states, "Independent media is the only place to get any coverage and unfortunately they are not provided with access".

Some fans acknowledge that the dependence on club access can compromise critical reporting, noting that some local media are "extremely defensive of the front office because they don't want to lose that access and it makes them scared to do any actual journalism". Another fan lamented the risk: "Would love to see more independent media, but the league will restrict access if they don't produce only positive pieces".

"Independent media provides the best coverage of the league, across the board"

"The local folks with access are extremely defensive of the front office because they don't want to lose that access and it makes them scared to do any actual journalism"

"The grass roots guys do a good job because they care. The bigger outlets cover the team as lip service and generally just take what the team gives them without much thought"

"It helps fill the void left by mainstream and traditional media, but the lack of overall professionalism, impartiality, and incisive reporting that comes with people trained in journalism leaves a lot to be desired"

"So many people are doing it out of love for the game, I appreciate all their efforts. Losing SB Nation has been devastating to local coverage across the league"

"Local media coverage deserves to be celebrated and utilized more, as least by MLS themselves"

Conclusion

The collective voice of MLS fans suggests a league simultaneously thriving in terms of on-field quality and dedicated fan engagement, yet structurally constrained by outdated competitive and economic policies. The core concluding thought is that the league must shed its protective, short-term revenue-driven mechanisms if it genuinely intends to compete on a global stage and sustain organic growth.

The survey paints a picture of a league at a crossroads. While the foundations and potential are in place, fans are clear-eyed about the structural and cultural shifts needed to reach the next level. There’s an opportunity in place for the league to truly elevate itself and produce a product truly worthy of the passion its fans continue to display year after year.