The Business Behind the 2025 MLS All-Star Game

Data-first. No fluff. Just the sharpest take in sports strategy.

Author

Samuel Rogers
August 06, 2025

šŸ”„ The Result

  • MLS All-Stars 3, Liga MX All-Stars 1

  • Venue: Q2 Stadium, Austin (20,738 attendance ā€“ sold out)

  • Format record: MLS leads 3ā€“1 since format switch in 2021

  • Viewership (est.): 120,000+ avg streamers (+48% YoY)

āš™ļø Who Showed Up and Showed Out

Player

Club

Impact

Analytics Take

Tai Baribo

Philadelphia Union

MVP, 1 goal

0.69 xG, 88% pass success, first Union MVP in ASG history

Sam Surridge

Nashville SC

1 goal

Conversion rate 25%, elite aerial threat

Brian White

Vancouver

1 goal

Underrated finisher: 0.61 xG from 2 touches in box

Gilberto Mora

Club Tijuana

Goal (Liga MX)

Youngest ever ASG scorer (16), instant viral moment

šŸ”¬ Baribo was also the top presser (7 successful pressures in attacking third), showing value beyond goals.

šŸ§Ŗ Skills Challenge ā€” MLS Wins 6-5

  • Evander (CIN) stole the show:

    • Shot power: 132 pts vs 106 (Shooting Challenge)

    • 5/5 accuracy (Passing Challenge)

  • Yohei Takaoka (VAN): Crossbar Challenge dagger

  • Cross & Volley: tied 70-70; MLS wins on style voting

  • Key stat: MLS players converted 63% of technical events vs Liga MX's 54%

šŸ’” Strategic Storylines

1. Talent Depth > Star Power

Messi and Alba skipped the game (penalty pending), but the match still delivered. MLS leaned into its depthā€”not just celebrities.

Data: 5 different MLS teams contributed to goals/assistsā€”showcasing league parity and balance.

2. Liga MX: Youth Marketing Engine

16-year-old Gilberto Mora became a breakout moment. His IG following jumped +29k in 48 hours.

Branding Value: Liga MXā€™s academy system delivers global interest plays. MLS needs to counter with Gen-Z stars.

3. Viewership Still Lags

Despite record growth, the ASG viewership remains well below NBA/NFL/MLB equivalents.

League

Avg. ASG Viewership

% Growth YoY

MLS

120,000 (streaming est.)

+48%

NBA

6.1M

+4%

NFL Pro Bowl

5.4M

-3%

MLB

7.1M

+2%

Challenge: Without Messi, eyeballs dip. Without narrative, casuals donā€™t convert.

šŸ“ˆ Advanced Analytics Snapshot

  • xG (expected goals): MLS 2.9, Liga MX 1.1

  • Pass completion: MLS 91%, Liga MX 84%

  • Pressures in final third: MLS 41, Liga MX 26

  • Tackles won: MLS 12, Liga MX 9

  • Social engagements (first 24h): MLS 387k, Liga MX 201k

šŸ” MLS All-Stars pressed higher, passed cleaner, and created 2.6x more scoring opportunities.

šŸ’¬ Blunt Take

This wasnā€™t just an All-Star Game. It was a proof-of-concept for MLS's future: more parity, more youth, and yesā€”more data. But the viewership gap remains the biggest hill to climb. Until then, it's not enough to just win the match. MLS must win the moment.

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šŸ§  Data-rich. Decision-smart. Dead serious.