New Cohort Reflects MLS Investment In Tech Innovation
Major League Soccer showcased its best players and revolutionary technology side by side at the July 2024 All-Star Game in Columbus, Ohio, with demonstrations from the league's first MLS Innovation Lab cohort.
On Monday, MLS took soccer's technological evolution a step further, announcing the six companies selected for its second Innovation Lab cohort, aimed at advancing fan engagement, player development, and media across the league.
The participating technologies range from AI-powered performance monitoring to facial recognition software for ticketing and credentialing, as well as smart shin pads that capture advanced player metrics.
Chris Schlosser , MLS' senior vice president for emerging ventures, said the league spent the past six months screening hundreds of companies to select the cohort members.
"These companies all stood out to us for different reasons," he said. "We're really impressed with their founding teams and their products. We want to...see how they integrate into an MLS experience and how they scale over the course of the program."
Cohort MembersMLS Emerging Ventures evaluated more than 1,000 startups and technology leaders over the past year to choose the Innovation Lab cohorts.
Several companies in this group focus on using artificial intelligence to gather performance data, including:
The final two companies are more fan-focused.
"One of the themes we are paying attention to is what I'll call the 'connected athlete,'" Schlosser said. "How do we use next-generation sensors and AI technology to give better insights to our coaches?
"We're creating a mountain of data off our field of play—more and more every year. Can AI be used to generate interesting insights, alerts or flags for different practitioners, whether that's a coach, a medical director, a broadcaster, a player or a parent? We're excited to dive into that."
Innovation Lab FocusMLS Innovation Lab was launched in the fall of 2023 with six technology companies as part of MLS' intention to engage at the forefront of technology in sports, Schlosser said. Products were tested for nine months before being showcased in the league's first " Future of the Game Showcase " at the All-Star Game, featuring live in-game demonstrations.
Schlosser said the league followed a similar process this year, using recommendations from the MLS team that continually screens technologies and companies. Suggestions were then shared with subject matter experts who weighed in on viability.
"That really helps us determine how interesting a particular product is," he said. "If the sports scientists are excited about an analytic product, that's a good sign.
"We brought the Edge Sound guys to our production team, and they said, 'This is unbelievable. We can't wait to see this.' That feedback is invaluable as we cut down the potential companies."
MLS has already identified testing criteria for every company in the cohort, with a plan for how the products might be utilized in real time on the field, within an MLS broadcast, or in a stadium, Schlosser said. Events could include MLS Next Fest, Generation Adidas Cup, MLS Next Cup, and the MLS Next All-Star Game.
Select companies will be invited to present their products to MLS executives and owners at the second "Future of the Game Showcase" during the 2025 MLS All-Star Game in Austin .
"Every single company has a robust plan behind it," Schlosser said. "We've got to keep moving, keep pushing, and keep finding ways to bring these innovations to life. You'll see some new bells and whistles for the playoffs, potentially. As we look toward 2025, there are more elements that could be part of our productions."
Although MLS declined to reveal financial details of its relationship with cohort members, Schlosser said the Innovation Lab investment reflects the league's commitment to advancing soccer, often called football in other countries, around the world.
"We think the structure of MLS, the ownership of MLS, and the breadth of our competitions give us the ability to test and try things that no other entity in global football can do," he said. "I don't think there's another group in global football that is as focused on the future and making sure that comes to life on MLS fields of play going forward."
