Audi of America, Major League Soccer and The Players’ Tribune today announced that the Celebrating Impact content series will return during the 2024 MLS season. Celebrating Impact spotlights MLS players demonstrating excellence in their communities and will debut across The Players’ Tribune channels.
Honoring the effort of MLS players driving progress off the field, the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award will continue with contributions from Audi doubling in 2024. For each player spotlighted in the Celebrating Impact content series, Audi will make a $40,000 contribution to the 501c3 organization of the player’s choosing through the Audi Goals Drive Progress fund.
“We’re incredibly proud of the continued efforts by Audi to inspire and celebrate positive change,” said Jen Cramer, MLS EVP of Partnership Marketing. “When two groups have a shared vision and level of commitment, incredible things can happen, and that is what we have with Audi. We can’t wait to continue honoring the great work done by MLS players off the pitch in their communities.”
Audi’s immense commitment to community projects will continue to be highlighted as part of the end-of-year player recognitions through the return of the Audi Goals Drive Progress Impact Award. A selection committee – comprised of current players, technical staff, front office staff and media members – will consider current MLS players who are dedicated to enriching lives and improving communities across the U.S. and Canada. A $150,000 contribution will be made to the player’s charity of choice and presented to the winner during MLS Cup presented by Audi.
“Audi is proud to evolve the Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative to make a positive impact in more communities across the country,” said Adam Perez, Brand Partnerships & Experience Senior Specialist, Audi of America. “Through our partnership with MLS and collaboration with The Players’ Tribune, Audi looks forward to building upon the great success of our inaugural campaign and embracing more leaders across the league who are fostering sustainability, equity, and inclusion.”
A longstanding partner of MLS, Audi has made an immeasurable impact on the lives and playing careers of young soccer players as the force behind the Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative. Launched in 2019, the initiative provides funding to further enhance the experience of young players on and off the field at MLS academies, which play an essential role in developing talented players across the league. The Audi Goals Drive Progress initiative has evolved to not only support player development on the pitch but also bring an impact off the pitch by financially supporting and spotlighting the community initiatives of players. Since the program’s inception, Audi has funded a combined total of $5 million to support MLS academies and player-selected charity organizations.
“We are looking forward to working once again with Audi and MLS to spotlight this worthy program through The Players’ Tribune,” said Minute Media Chief Marketing Officer, Andres Cardenas. “Our priority has always been and remains putting athletes and the stories that matter to them first. We are honored to offer fans a behind-the-scenes view of these athletes and the communities they serve.”
Working directly with each athlete to spotlight causes that are important to them, The Players’ Tribune will create impactful article and video experiences that will launch across its channels, amplifying the power of each athlete’s voice and raising awareness for the causes close to their heart. The content will also be shared on MLS channels. The program first debuted in 2023 and was one of The Players’ Tribune’s most successful content undertakings of the year, amassing more than 11 million video views and over 135 million earned media impressions in service of celebrating the incredible work championed by these athletes.
