---
title: "AFL vs MLS: Which is searched more?"
description: "Is AFL or MLS more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Sports leagues set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time."
canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/afl-vs-mls"
publisher: "Brandwave"
---

# AFL vs MLS: Which is searched more?

Is AFL or MLS more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the Sports leagues set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time.

## Key facts

- **Compared**: AFL and MLS
- **Competitive set**: Sports leagues
- **Market**: Global
- **Month measured**: Sep 2026
- **AFL Share of Search**: 3.6%
- **MLS Share of Search**: 0.08%

## Is AFL or MLS more popular in search?

- In September 2026, AFL had more branded searches than MLS among sports leagues worldwide. AFL had about 9.1 million branded searches, while MLS had 201,000. AFL made up 3.6% of all sports league searches we track, and MLS accounted for 0.08%.
- AFL was ahead of MLS in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, AFL’s share of searches among sports leagues worldwide moved from 0.34% to 3.6%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 1.2M to 9.1M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, MLS’s share of searches among sports leagues worldwide moved from 0.1% to 0.08%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 368K to 201K.

## How did search popularity change for sports leagues worldwide in September 2026?

- In September 2026, AFL lost share of searches among sports leagues worldwide, from 6.3% to 3.6%.
- Estimated monthly branded searches for MLS worldwide fell 45.4% over 12 measured months, from 368K to 201K in September 2026.

## Month by month

| Month | AFL estimated searches | AFL Share of Search | AFL rank | MLS estimated searches | MLS Share of Search | MLS rank |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Oct 2025 | 1.2M | 0.34% | 6 | 368K | 0.1% | 7 |
| Nov 2025 | 673K | 0.2% | 6 | 301K | 0.09% | 7 |
| Dec 2025 | 450K | 0.12% | 6 | 110K | 0.03% | 7 |
| Jan 2026 | 450K | 0.12% | 6 | 49.5K | 0.01% | 7 |
| Feb 2026 | 1M | 0.47% | 6 | 90.5K | 0.04% | 7 |
| Mar 2026 | 6.1M | 2.6% | 6 | 135K | 0.06% | 7 |
| Apr 2026 | 7.5M | 2.2% | 5 | 135K | 0.04% | 7 |
| May 2026 | 9.1M | 2% | 5 | 201K | 0.05% | 7 |
| Jun 2026 | 6.1M | 3.7% | 4 | 60.5K | 0.04% | 7 |
| Jul 2026 | 7.5M | 10.7% | 3 | 201K | 0.29% | 7 |
| Aug 2026 | 9.1M | 6.3% | 4 | 246K | 0.17% | 7 |
| Sep 2026 | 9.1M | 3.6% | 4 | 201K | 0.08% | 7 |

## How each brand is measured

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using AFL’s and MLS’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.

- **AFL**: Measured on the search term “afl”.
- **MLS**: Measured on the search term “major league soccer”.

- [AFL profile](/demand/global-en/brands/afl)
- [MLS profile](/demand/global-en/brands/mls)
- [All sports leagues worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/sports-leagues): The set both shares are measured inside, 7 brands.

## Methodology

- [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is AFL or MLS more popular in search?

In September 2026, AFL had more branded searches than MLS among sports leagues worldwide. AFL had about 9.1 million branded searches, while MLS had 201,000. AFL made up 3.6% of all sports league searches we track, and MLS accounted for 0.08%.

## Cite this page

Brandwave. "AFL vs MLS: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/afl-vs-mls

This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/compare/afl-vs-mls. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.