The MLS Cup Playoffs Were Too Long 4 Years Ago. What Changed?

Four short years ago, the forces that guided Major League Soccer believed the MLS Cup Playoffs were too long (with good reason) and lacked momentum over the course of more than a month.

Those forces eventually signed off on a switch to a 14-game, single elimination format that began in 2019 (and was altered slightly in 2020 due to the pandemic), in which 14 teams qualified, the top two got a bye, and every game was a win-or-go-home affair. Despite some concerns of diluting the regular season, the reviews were largely positive. And no matter the format, the MLS Cup Playoffs have never been particularly chalkly. The last MLS Cup final played between the top two seeds was way back in 2003 between Chicago and San Jose.

So all that considered, it was a little startling when The Athletic first reported (and then ESPN later confirmed) that MLS was considering another format change based on the belief that the current postseason is too short.

According to those reports, MLS is considering a few alternatives. One involves round-robin group play followed by an eight-team bracket in a style similar to the World Cup and many other international tournaments. Another would be a reversion to something similar to the format that ran through 2018, when most elimination rounds were decided in a two-game, total-goals series.

Claims that either of these changes would restore urgency to the regular season are sketchy. It’s typically the very top teams who play the lowest stakes matches down the stretch in regards to reaching the playoffs. And it’s unclear how either change would provide a stronger advantage to those teams than a system that guarantees the top two a first-round bye and all their remaining conference playoff matches at home. (Theoretically, it defends against random variance, but little else.)

However, there are compelling off-the-field reasons for MLS to be considering this change at this juncture. Here are three of the biggest:

Apple TV

This May, Apple TV struck a 10-year, $2.5-billion deal with MLS for global streaming rights for every MLS regular season and playoff game.

Both The Athletic’s and ESPN’s reports rightly pointed to the new deal as a major driver of this exploration of a new postseason format. But there’s nuance into why Apple may want MLS to do so.

Apple will be selling the league telecasts through a subscription service, meaning it will be directly in their financial interest to promote broadcasts and try to grow repeat viewership. A longer, sustained but still engaging postseason would certainly provide a platform to hook repeat, long-term consumers in a way your average regular season match may not.

Previous broadcast partners ESPN and FOX had no such similar incentive. They both concentrated the majority of their broacasts during the summer months, when the rest of the North American sports calendar was less crowded. By the time the fall playoffs rolled around, both networks were heavily involved in televising NFL and college football. To the extent they showed MLS regular games in those months, it served mainly as filler programming when other networks were showing football games.

MLS understandably wanted playoff matches in better TV windows, which often meant playing those games on weekday evenings. But waiting for those windows meant the previous playoff format with two-game series were stretched even further than they might have been otherwise with a TV partner balancing fewer commitments.

The FIFA International Calendar

Through 2018, the playoffs also usually stretched across the November FIFA international match window, meaning a week-long break (or more) between the conference semifinals and finals as players dispersed to their national teams.

But that break could be no more going forward. The international match calendar for the 2026 FIFA World Cup cycle has yet to be established. And with 48 teams qualifying for the 2026 tournament in the United States — compared to 32 for every previous tournament since 1998 — that match calendar could look radically different, with potentially fewer qualifying games.

If it ultimately results in less international matches outside of summer months, that would remove one obstacle from carrying out a longer MLS postseason. And it would make televising a more extended competition a lot more appealing in terms of generating and keeping viewer interest.

The Leagues Cup

Earlier this month, MLS and Liga MX revealed the full details of the Leagues Cup, which will include every team from each league and a total of 77 matches.

While MLS and Liga MX have been willing partners in building a competition and partnership both leagues view as mutually beneficial, the sheer size of the Leagues Cup might have some MLS decision makers concerned the MLS postseason could be overshadowed.

One of the formats proposed — a 16-team, 31-game format that starts with group play followed by an eight-team, single-elimination bracket — would at least bring a similar feel to the end of the season. The duration would likely be similar, with the Leagues Cup currently set to span 30 days from July 21 to August 19.