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19 September 2025

Daily Newsletter

19 September 2025

MLS secures broadcast deals in South Korea after Son arrival

Son's recent move to LAFC has ignited interest among Korean fans and boosted the club’s appeal in the market.

Tariq Saleh September 19 2025

Major League Soccer has signed multi-year broadcast deals in South Korea with streaming platform Coupang Play and pan-regional sports streaming service SPOTV to show Los Angeles FC (LAFC) matches across the country.

This comes after LAFC recently signed South Korean star Son Heung-min from English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.

The move has ignited interest among South Korean fans and boosted the club’s appeal in the Asian market.

Seth Bacon, MLS's executive vice president of media, told Reuters: “Son Heung-min's arrival at LAFC represents a cultural and sporting milestone - not just for MLS, but for global football.

"We're proud to partner with Coupang and SPOTV to make it easier than ever for Korean fans to follow LAFC's journey and to experience the energy and excitement of Major League Soccer."

The deals complement MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV streaming service, which remains the global streaming home for every MLS match, including LAFC games and league-wide coverage.

The SPOTV deal builds on MLS's existing relationship with the broadcaster, which distributes the Sunday Night Soccer offering across Southeast Asia.

To capitalize on the signing of Son, a major commercial draw when it comes to the Korean market, LAFC also recently appointed major sports and entertainment agency CAA as its official exclusive global commercial agency in the Asia-Pacific region.

Los Angeles is home to the largest Korean population in the US, and Son’s presence, combined with CAA’s long-standing relationship with the star and his marketing, means the club could be set to leverage more sponsorship opportunities both in Korea and among the Korean diaspora.

Indeed, the GlobalData Sport Business of Major League Soccer 2025 report found that LAFC already ranks in the top two for front-of-shirt and sleeve sponsorship value metrics, total annual deal volume, and total annual deal value, the only franchise to rank so highly for all four.

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