MLS Boards Danny Ramirez Soccer Film 'Baton'
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- Major League Soccer has entered a strategic partnership with the feature film 'Baton,' marking the league's most significant collaboration with a motion picture to date.
- Danny Ramirez wrote, directed, and stars in 'Baton,' which follows a Miami-based soccer player pursuing his professional dream after being kicked off his college team, with the MLS College Showcase positioned as a pivotal plot point.
- David Beckham is executive producing 'Baton' via his label Studio 99, alongside producers Victoria Alonso (Mapuche Films), Tom Culliver (Pinstripes), Ford Corbett (Gramercy Park), and Joshua Harris (Peachtree Media).
- The ensemble cast includes Maia Reficco, Lewis Pullman, Eugenio Derbez, Ester Exposito, Diego Calva, Edgar Ramirez, Camila Mendes, Becky G, Gabriel Luna, Rosario Dawson, Mia Maestro, and Noah Beck.
- MLS EVP of Media Seth Bacon framed the collaboration as a way to connect fans with the sport through storytelling, with the partnership giving the film access to MLS' marketing ecosystem across the U.S. and Canada.
- The producers explicitly cited the World Cup's 'enormous success' as evidence that 'now is the time for a great soccer film,' with CAA, WME, and Manifest Pictures representing the project.
Why it matters: MLS becomes the first major American pro sports league to formally partner with a narrative feature, giving the film access to its U.S. and Canada fan ecosystem. For Baton, the timing matters: producers explicitly tied the deal to World Cup momentum, positioning soccer storytelling beyond the pitch and into league marketing infrastructure.
