Tue 28 Feb 2023
SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES
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Black Arrow Original Content on MLS Season Pass
Overview
The San Jose Earthquakes teamed up with Black Arrow FC — the pioneering creative agency and cultural platform spotlighting the intersection of soccer and Black culture — to launch an original, multi-part content series dedicated to telling untold stories from the Black soccer community. The goal was to celebrate the cultural richness that Black players, supporters, and creatives bring to the game, while strengthening the Earthquakes’ connection to diverse local fans and cultural leaders in the Bay Area.
What We Created
The project focused on amplifying authentic narratives through interviews, short films, photography, and social storytelling, distributed across the Earthquakes’ official platforms, MLSsoccer.com, and Black Arrow FC’s influential channels. The partnership was rooted in cultural storytelling, shining a light on how Black players and supporters shape soccer’s present and future — both in San Jose and across the U.S.
Key Elements
Player Stories: We profiled standout Black players from the Earthquakes roster, giving fans an intimate look at their backgrounds, motivations, and cultural pride — and showing how their identities influence their lives on and off the pitch.
Community Voices: We highlighted local Black supporters’ groups and culture drivers whose passion and creativity fuel the club’s energy. From the stands to the streets, these stories explored what it means to be Black and love the game in the Bay.
Behind-the-Scenes Content: The collaboration featured exclusive behind-the-scenes access, humanizing players and building bridges between the locker room and the local community.
Cross-Platform Rollout: Content dropped across the Earthquakes’ social channels, MLSsoccer.com, and Black Arrow’s own network — ensuring wide reach, authentic storytelling, and engagement from the wider Black soccer community.
Why It Mattered
This partnership came at a time when the conversation about representation and culture in American soccer needed bold new voices. By tapping Black Arrow’s cultural credibility and creative network, the Earthquakes used this project to connect with Black audiences in an intentional, meaningful way — going beyond surface-level gestures to deliver real stories that resonated.
It positioned the Earthquakes as a forward-thinking club unafraid to uplift underrepresented voices and align its platform with bigger cultural moments happening in the game and the community.
For Black Arrow FC, this project added to our growing legacy of bringing Black soccer culture to the forefront, building authentic bridges between the sport, Black fans, and the wider creative world — from the stands to the streets.
The Impact
Together, we helped reshape how an MLS club could use its platform to honor Black culture — not just through words, but by telling real stories with real people. It showed the power of football when it’s done in partnership with the communities that keep it alive — on the field, in the stands, and far beyond
