Beginning in 2023, Apple TV will be the exclusive destination to stream every single Major League Soccer match. No blackouts. No need for a traditional pay TV bundle or cable package.
The technology giant and the top division of soccer in the United States and Canada announced the groundbreaking 10-year partnership on Tuesday. With an Apple TV subscription, which will be given to every MLS season ticket holder, fans will be able to watch every MLS match and select MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches on top of the French Ligue 1.
“For the first time in the history of sports, fans will be able to access everything from a major professional sports league in one place,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “It’s a dream come true for MLS fans, soccer fans, and anyone who loves sports. No fragmentation, no frustration — just the flexibility to sign up for one convenient service that gives you everything MLS, anywhere and anytime you want to watch. We can’t wait to make it easy for even more people to fall in love with MLS and root for their favorite club.”
From early 2023 through 2032, fans will be able to get every live MLS match by subscribing to a new MLS streaming service, available exclusively through Apple TV. In addition matches, will which will be available on-demand, the service will provide fans a new weekly live match whip-around show with goals, saves, highlights, analysis, and other original programming.
Content, according to the release, will also provide in-depth, behind-the-scenes views of the players and clubs. A broad selection of MLS and Leagues Cup matches will also be available at no additional cost to Apple TV+ subscribers, with a limited number of matches available for free.
“Apple is the perfect partner to further accelerate the growth of MLS and deepen the connection between our clubs and their fans,” said Don Garber, MLS’s commissioner. “Given Apple’s ability to create a best-in-class user experience and to reach fans everywhere, it’ll be incredibly easy to enjoy MLS matches anywhere, whether you’re a super fan or casual viewer.”
The MLS live and on-demand content on the Apple TV app will be available to anyone with internet access, anywhere in the world, across all devices where the app can be found, including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K, and Apple TV HD; Samsung, LG, Panasonic, Sony, TCL, VIZIO, and other smart TVs; Amazon Fire TV and Roku devices; PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles; Chromecast with Google TV; and Comcast Xfinity. Fans can also watch on tv.apple.com.
All MLS and Leagues Cup matches will include announcers calling the action in English and Spanish, and all matches involving Canadian teams will be available in French. Broadcasts will also have the option to choose local radio broadcasts in the audio options.
Apple and MLS will also provide enhanced league and club coverage for fans to easily follow the league or their favorite clubs in Apple News, with the ability to watch highlights right in the News app.
Complete details for the new service, including when fans can sign up, subscription pricing, specific details about the new MLS programming, an improved match schedule, broadcast teams, production enhancements, and pre and postgame coverage — as well as all the ways fans will be able to enjoy MLS content across the Apple ecosystem — will be announced in the coming months.