MLS on Apple TV

MLS on Apple TV is a way to watch Major League Soccer matches on Apple TV. It started in the 2023 season and includes every MLS game, the Leagues Cup, some MLS Next and MLS Next Pro games, studio shows, and other videos like match replays.

In 2023, Apple Inc. got the rights to show MLS games worldwide for ten years. Because of this, all games are now available to watch everywhere, with no blackouts. At first, people needed a special subscription called MLS Season Pass to see the games. Some games were also free on the Apple TV app, and a few were shown on TV by Fox Sports in the United States and Bell Media in Canada.

In 2025, MLS started letting people get MLS Season Pass through some TV providers in the United States. For the 2026 season, Apple stopped the separate MLS Season Pass and put all MLS content into the Apple TV service.

History

Major League Soccer asked its teams not to make deals for showing their games on local TV after the 2022 season. This was because the league was thinking about changing to a system where all games would be shown in one place, like the National Football League and soccer leagues in Europe.

On June 14, 2022, MLS announced a 10-year deal with Apple Inc. to show all its games starting in the 2023 season. This was Apple’s second big move into sports broadcasting, after they started showing some Major League Baseball games earlier that year. The service began on February 1, 2023, with the first games on February 25, 2023.

MLS also kept some games on regular TV by making agreements with Fox Sports in the United States and Bell Media in Canada. This ended their long partnership with ESPN, which had been a main partner of MLS since it started. In 2024, Apple also agreed to show some important U.S. Soccer matches. Later, it was announced that the MLS Season Pass would stop in 2026, and all games would be on Apple TV. Apple also planned to pay more money each year until 2029.

Distribution

MLS Season Pass was sold by Apple TV app for a monthly or seasonal fee. In the U.S., it cost US$14.99 per month or $99 for the whole season. You didn’t need an Apple TV subscription to watch, but Apple TV subscribers got discounts. Fans who buy tickets to see their team play could watch for free.

Some games in the 2023 season were free to watch. During the first weekend, every game was free. In the early weeks, at least six games each week were free. Later, only two games each week were free.

DirecTV got the right to show MLS Season Pass to places like bars and restaurants. T-Mobile US offered a one-year pass to their customers in February 2023 through the T-Mobile Tuesdays app. Optus Sport in Australia made a similar offer in June 2023.

Starting in the 2025 season, DirecTV and Comcast got the right to show MLS Season Pass to home viewers too. Xfinity subscribers could also watch a special show called MLS 360. A new weekly broadcast called Sunday Night Soccer became free for all Apple TV subscribers. During the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs, every game was free for Apple TV subscribers.

Production

Apple TV shows every MLS regular season and playoff match live and on-demand. It is the only place to watch matches not shown on other channels. You can also watch all Leagues Cup matches, and some MLS Next and MLS Next Pro matches. Teams can no longer sell matches for local TV, so there are no blackouts for games outside your area.

Starting in 2023, all MLS games are made by the league itself, working with IMG and NEP Group. Every match is in 1080p high definition with 5.1 surround sound. You can hear the games in English, Spanish, or French for games with Canadian teams like CF Montréal, Toronto FC, and Vancouver Whitecaps FC. You can also listen to local radio broadcasts.

MLS makes three studio shows: MLS Countdown before games, MLS 360 covering all Saturday games, and MLS Wrap-Up with highlights. These shows were first made in a big studio in Manhattan, New York City, and sent to Apple in Van Nuys, California. MLS also offers classic matches, team videos, and a series called The Ritual about MLS fan cultures.

In 2025, MLS moved its studios to Stamford, Connecticut, where WWE is located. This lets them make games and other videos in one place and use special graphics for different languages. Some games are made from a distance using remote technology from studios in Florida.

Announcers

Further information: List of current Major League Soccer broadcasters

Apple TV has its own team of commentators who talk about the games. These commentators are chosen based on where they live, so they don’t have to travel far. This also helps viewers feel more connected to the people talking about the matches.

Viewership

The service reached over one million subscribers by July 2023, thanks in part to special offers for T-Mobile customers and team season ticket holders. This growth was helped by the popular arrival of player Lionel Messi at Inter Miami CF. There was a big jump in new subscriptions when Messi played his first match for Miami, with 110,000 new subscriptions just in the United States.

Before the 2025 MLS All-Star Game, the MLS Commissioner, Don Garber, shared that the average number of viewers per match was 120,000. He noted this was more than half again as many viewers as the season before.