MLS teams who have grown the most (as % of audience and engagement) on all digital platforms during Covid-19 lockdown

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, June 5, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- DataPOWA has today released a list of the Major League Soccer (MLS) teams as ranked by POWA index score during the global lockdown. Analysis of multiple datasets across digital platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Google, Bing & Baidu reveal which teams are leveraging digital and mobile most effectively during the unprecedented pause in sport.

The MLS will return in July with a tournament hosted in Orlando, three months after being suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The landmark ‘25th season’ celebrations have been dampened but Don Garber and the teams want to complete the season in some form.

Top of the MLS lockdown rankings are Inter Miami, who played their first-ever MLS game against Los Angeles FC in March. The Herons lost two away fixtures before the shutdown and the long wait for a home game has been made even longer, and when it does happen, it will be without supporters. During the lockdown, co-owner David Beckham has been promoting the club to his huge social audience and even posted an Instagram showing off his shooting skills in the club stadium, to the delight of the fans.

Vancouver Whitecaps take 2nd spot, the Canadian team notching up their 10th MLS campaign. Whitecaps have also made the digital transition during lockdown confidently and co-owner Steve Nash fronted a training workout on the club’s Instagram account, with the team & fans taking part at home.

San Jose Earthquakes (3rd on the list) have been playing on the club's heritage and released a documentary about the 1974 origins of the NASL team on their YouTube and promoted via social channels, which sparked a wave of nostalgia for the fans.

Nashville SC were another MLS debutant this season and outpace both Los Angeles teams on the list, taking 4th spot. Without the global fanfare heralding Inter Miami's debut, Nashville quietly went about their business and sold more than 50,000 tickets for their inaugural MLS game against Atlanta United, and during lockdown news that construction on their new stadium is on schedule, and will open in May 2022, has delighted the fans.

DataPOWA C.E.O. Michael Flynn said: “The Covid-19 lockdown has accelerated the change in the way fans engage with their teams, and the MLS teams at the top of the list are using their digital channels to reach and engage with the fans. Of course having a David Beckham or Steve Nash to create social content is going to amplify any message beyond the usual reach, and clubs need to think creatively during lockdown and use any resources to hand."

MLS and other top global league lockdown rankings are available ‘free to view’ on POWA index here.

Stephen O'Malley
DataPOWA Ltd
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