Air Force Reserve Becomes Latest Official Partner of World-Cup Style Tournament Featuring All MLS and LIGA MX Clubs.
The U.S. Air Force Reserve and Leagues Cup announced today a partnership that makes the U.S. Air Force Reserve an official partner of Leagues Cup – the official, annual competition featuring every team from both Major League Soccer (MLS) and LIGA MX.
As part of the agreement, the U.S. Air Force Reserve becomes the presenting partner of each match’s official coin toss, as well as a new content series that features the best assists from throughout the tournament. This content series will be highlighted across all Leagues Cup owned channels and will consist of six videos in total.
“We are proud to officially announce the U.S. Air Force Reserve as the latest partner of Leagues Cup, and we are thankful to them for their support in making the tournament’s inaugural year a success,” said Carter Ladd, EVP of Soccer United Marketing (SUM). “As the Leagues Cup final approaches, we look forward to continuing to highlight the outstanding service of the Air Force Reserve and build authentic connections with fans.”
As part of this partnership, Leagues Cup has been paying recognition to the brave service members of the U.S. Air Force Reserve by having invited Air Force Leadership to be a part of the coin toss pre-game ceremony during key group stage matches. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Reserve will continue to have a strong presence at Leagues Cup matches through branding on field-level LED boards and onsite activations tailored towards educating fans about the opportunities of serving in the Air Force Reserve.
“We are thrilled to announce the inaugural partnership between Leagues Cup and the Air Force Reserve,” said Maj. Murray, Deputy for Strategic Marketing, Air Force Recruiting Service at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas. “This collaboration embodies the shared values of excellence, teamwork, and pushing boundaries. Together, we will inspire and unite, reaching new heights both on and off the field and in and out of uniform.”
Leagues Cup is the first tournament of its kind, and it represents the continued growth of the sport in North America. The event is just another chapter in the partnership between LIGA MX and MLS, which began in 2018. The rivalry was born during the first Campeones Cup, an annual matchup between the winners of both leagues. Despite a heated rivalry and a fervor for competition, the two leagues’ partnership is rooted in compassion and sportsmanship on and off the pitch in an effort to further the growth of the sport.
Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the commercial arm of MLS, supported Leagues Cup and tournament organizers in the delivery of this important partnership.
ABOUT LEAGUES CUP
Leagues Cup represents a monumental new chapter for North American soccer. Beginning in 2023, Major League Soccer and LIGA MX will pause their seasons each summer and all 47 first division professional soccer clubs in the U.S., Mexico and Canada will compete in a World Cup-style tournament, which will qualify the top three finishers on to the Concacaf Champions Cup. Leagues Cup 2023 will kick off Friday, July 21 and will feature 77 games hosted at stadiums throughout the U.S. and Canada, with the Final taking place on Saturday, August 19. Fans in over 100 countries and regions will be able to watch Leagues Cup on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, which is available on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices from Roku, Amazon, and Google, game consoles, and the web at tv.apple.com. In addition, TelevisaUnivision, FOX Sports, TSN and RDS will be the linear broadcast home for select Leagues Cup matches in the United States and Canada.
ABOUT SOCCER UNITED MARKETING
Soccer United Marketing (SUM), the commercial arm of Major League Soccer, is the preeminent commercial soccer enterprise in North America, overseeing the commercialization, marketing, promotion, and operational execution of the region’s most successful soccer entities. SUM holds the exclusive rights to Major League Soccer, the Mexican National Teams for the U.S. market (MexTour and MexTour W), Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup, Copa Angelina and Concacaf Properties (including Concacaf Gold Cup™, Concacaf Nations League Finals, Concacaf Champions Cup and Concacaf W). In addition, SUM held the promotional and commercial rights to the highly successful 2016 Copa America Centenario.
ABOUT AIR FORCE RESERVE
The Air Force Reserve offers you more ways than ever to build your future–on your terms–with over 200 part-time and full-time jobs with full-time benefits. As a Reservist, benefits include low-cost health insurance, a generous retirement plan, tuition assistance, and education programs. This way you have the flexibility to pursue your civilian career, an education, and your own interests while serving close to home. Also, if you're currently serving or have served, and are ready for more flexibility, we value your experience. In most cases, you won’t have to re-complete military entrance requirements.
