US sports broadcasting giant ESPN has revealed that its coverage of the 2019 Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season scored a two per cent increase on the previous year.

According to data from sports intelligence firm Nielsen, the 31-game schedule on ESPN and ESPN 2 delivered an average audience of 246,000 viewers, up from 241,000 during the 2018 campaign.

ESPN was the most-watched cable channel for MLS matches over the course of the 2019 season, clocking an average 266,000 viewers, a seven percent increase on 2018.

The broadcaster registered its biggest audience of the season during the Seattle Sounders’ 2-1 win over Atlanta United on 14th July, when 462,000 viewers tuned in for the action.

Meanwhile, according to Adweek, MLS’s social channels generated 2.2 billion impressions during the 2019 regular season, representing a 38 per cent increase on the 2018 campaign, while social interactions were also up 27 per cent.

Adweek added that video was the main contributor to the increase, with MLS recording 777 million video views across all of its channels in 2019, up a whopping 132 per cent compared to last year.

The figures come ahead of the start of the MLS Playoffs, starting with reigning champions Atlanta United’s game against New England Revolution on 19th October.