Major League Soccer (MLS), the premier professional soccer league in the United States, and YouTube, the leader in online video, today announced a strategic content and advertising partnership that will see MLS game and featured highlights uploaded on a dedicated channel, www.youtube.com/mls.
The agreement will enable users to access video highlights of MLS regular season and playoff games, which will be available within 24 hours after the end of the original broadcast, in addition to other on and off the field footage and features.
"The worldwide exposure provided by YouTube provides a tremendous opportunity for Major League Soccer to extend our footprint in the new media landscape," said Mark Abbott, president of Major League Soccer. "This is a platform that our fans requested, and we are excited to join forces with such an innovative company."
"Soccer has one of the most loyal and passionate fan bases in the world and we are excited to work with MLS to provide fans on YouTube with compelling new content," said Jordan Hoffner, head of premium content partnerships. "Today's agreement is yet another example of how major sports leagues are embracing YouTube as a means for distribution."
Through its relationship with YouTube, MLS will be able to take advantage of YouTube's content management tools, which feature an advanced content identification architecture and reporting system that allows the League to identify and maximize its choices for how it deals with its copyrighted content. The League will have the option to remove the content from YouTube or allow it to remain and share the revenue from the advertising placed adjacent to the content.
MLS will provide the YouTube community and soccer fans in general, a wide range of free, short-form entertaining video clips. MLS also will have its own Brand Channel on YouTube at www.youtube.com/MLS that will allow fans to easily access content in one centralized place.
