Movies

With new Apple docuseries, Major League Soccer takes a page out of Formula One’s playbook

BBG News

Living in Los Angeles as a British expat, Paul Martin discovered that what he yearned for the most from back home was the excitement of soccer.

While strolling through a park, if I come upon two individuals engaged in play, I’ll pause to observe them,” the documentary film producer explained.

The concept of creating a documentary around a soccer league wasn’t difficult to convince people about. However, the difficulty lay in choosing the right league. Martin, who had grown up with the English Premier League, found it too formal for his filming requirements. On the other hand, Major League Soccer, a first-division league in his adopted country, was believed to not be much of an improvement compared to two guys playing soccer in a park.

As a cinephile delving into the world of soccer, I discovered that my expectations for Major League Soccer (MLS) were vastly different from reality. Interestingly, MLS was not only open to this narrative unfolding but eager for it to be shared. Consequently, we now have an engaging eight-part docuseries titled “Onside: Major League Soccer,” which will debut this Friday on Apple TV+.

Worldwide, there’s a certain skepticism towards the MLS, with people saying something like, ‘It’s soccer, but it’s not quite the soccer we’re accustomed to.’ However, the show highlights that it’s remarkably similar to the Premier League. The players’ talents are continuously improving each year.

Currently, the league – who initiated talks about a documentary with Martin over five years back – is eagerly anticipating that sports enthusiasts of Major League Soccer will also appreciate it.

Hollywood Inc.

After emulating Major League Baseball, MLS has now secured an agreement with Apple, making it the second significant sports league to do so.

In her role as the MLS executive vice president in charge of this project, Sola Winley expressed that we’re constantly seeking innovative methods to bring both our current supporters closer to the sport and the league, as well as entice new ones. She believes that this specific opportunity is ideal because it offers fans a unique perspective on Major League Soccer, thereby allowing them to feel more connected to our games.

Previously, Martin and his partner James Gay-Rees, co-founders of Box to Box Films, have accomplished similar feats. Notably, the critically acclaimed series “Formula 1: Drive to Survive,” set to start its seventh season on Netflix next month, has been praised for revitalizing interest in open-wheel racing within the United States.

According to Robert Clarke, who heads Clarke-Works, a motorsport consulting firm and was previously an executive at Honda Performance Development, the spectators were primarily an older demographic, showing signs of decline. He emphasized that racing series are recognizing and valuing the need to provide more than just watching cars circle the track for their fans.

This weekend marks the start of the MLS’s 30th season, and it’s currently seeing unprecedented expansion. The league has been significantly bolstered by the arrival of Lionel Messi, often regarded as soccer’s all-time greatest player. Last season alone, the league attracted over 11.45 million regular-season spectators, averaging approximately 23,234 per game. With the World Cup scheduled for the U.S. next year for only the second time, the MLS is expected to receive an extra surge in popularity.

Despite garnering significant popularity, this acclaim hasn’t been translated to Apple TV+, as it embarks on its third season under a 10-year, $2.5 billion contract to broadcast every Major League Soccer (MLS) regular-season and playoff game. Both Apple and the MLS have been tight-lipped about viewer statistics, but commissioner Don Garber revealed that around 1 million viewers collectively watched the league’s 14 games on most weekends last season, which equates to approximately 71,000 per match.

Martin’s docuseries, set to reveal exclusive backstage glimpses of multiple teams and players during the 2024 season on Apple TV+, might bring about a shift in perspective for viewers.

Joseph Recupero, a former sports documentary filmmaker and current associate professor in the sports media program at Toronto Metropolitan University, stated that documentaries centered on sports teams, athletes, and leagues effectively boost brand recognition and spark interest by employing storytelling. He added that for something to gain widespread popularity, it needs to appeal to a diverse audience.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced many people to stay at home and paused live sports events for a while, there was a surge in the popularity of sports documentaries, as noted by Recupero. This surge led to a kind of golden era, with productions like “The Last Dance” – a 10-part collaboration between Netflix and ESPN detailing Michael Jordan’s final season with the Chicago Bulls – drawing an average of 6.71 million viewers.

He mentioned that individuals who typically didn’t watch sports documentaries found themselves drawn to this genre, since it was the perfect source to satisfy their curiosity. This unexpected interest sparked a trend, and shows like ‘Formula One,’ which previously hadn’t attracted such a large audience, saw an increase in viewership as well.

Streaming platforms such as Netflix and Apple TV+ offer an ideal setting for captivating sports documentaries. To give you an idea, about one-third (35%) of Major League Soccer (MLS) fans fall into the age group of 18 to 29, a demographic that is known to consume streaming content heavily.

In a decade, it’s uncertain whether traditional sports broadcasters will still exist, as Recupero predicts that sports may entirely shift towards streaming platforms.

Martin, who sees himself primarily as an entertainer and a master of storytelling, is undeniably reaping the rewards from this approach. In “Onside,” he weaves a complex narrative about Major League Soccer (MLS) and its characters by spending meaningful moments with figures such as Riqui Puig, midfielder for the LA Galaxy, Matt Miazga, FC Cincinnati’s defender, and Cavan Sullivan, the Philadelphia Union teenager who made his MLS debut in July last year, well over two months before he turned 15.

Capturing that fly-on-the-wall perspective took some work, especially at first.

Martin mentioned that there’s usually a period during filming when everyone seems extra mindful of the camera. He explained that it’s essential to avoid players making gestures like giving a thumbs-up in this phase. However, he noted that this heightened awareness tends to fade over time, especially in sports environments, as participants come to understand that their primary focus – such as winning the MLS Cup or Monaco Grand Prix – is significantly more significant to them than the documentary being made about them.

Television

Through the scripted show ‘Senna,’ Netflix further strengthens its bond with the esteemed Formula One racing series, as it is also the residence of the widely-acclaimed F1 docuseries ‘Drive to Survive.’

As a movie enthusiast, I’d say most of the game footage was generously supplied by MLS and IMG, who have teamed up to create the live match and studio programming for Apple TV+, streamed through the MLS Season Pass. This partnership allowed my small crew of around six to focus on capturing the off-field action, making our task much more manageable.

Martin remarked that this is an exceptional chance for a soccer enthusiast to truly venture into the locker rooms, executive offices, and catch a glimpse of the inner workings,” translates to: “Martin commented that it’s a fantastic occasion for a soccer fan to actually delve into the locker rooms, offices, and understand what transpires behind the scenes.

After MLS finalized their 10-year partnership with Apple, it was quite logical to present things from a fresh angle, as he went on to say. Thus, the project evolved into a joint endeavor of brainstorming about what this show could become, and how it might appear.

After addressing the query, Winley, an executive vice president at MLS, mentioned that they will keep track of responses regarding the project as they prepare to air another set of episodes during the upcoming winter season.

He remarked, “The tales can carry on,” implying that it’s unusual for a production company to begin a project expecting just one season. Instead, we’re anticipating that it will span multiple seasons. In my view, Apple also shares this expectation.

It sure beats watching two guys kick a ball in a park.

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2025-02-21 14:33

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