Apple on Tuesday announced a partnership with Major League Soccer that will see every MLS match streamed via the Apple TV app for the next 10 years, beginning in 2023.
Every live match will be available for streaming, there will be no local blackouts or restrictions of any kind. The deal provides access to all MLS and League Cup games, along with select MLS Next Pro and MLS Next matches.
“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.”
A new MLS streaming service that will be exclusively available through the Apple TV app. In addition to all matches, the deal include a weekly live match whip-around show and game replays, highlights, analysis, and in-depth behind-the-scenes views of players and clubs.
A broad selection of MLS and Leagues Cup matches, including some of the biggest matchups, will also be available at no additional cost to Apple TV+ subscribers, with a limited number of matches available for free. As an added benefit to fans, access to the new MLS streaming service will be included as part of MLS full-season ticket packages.
The Apple TV app is available on Apple devices, numerous smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV, Comcast Xfinity, PlayStation, and Xbox. Customers without a device that supports the Apple TV app can watch in a browser.
“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.”
“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.”
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. Additional details on the service, such as subscription pricing, programming information, and when fans can sign up will be announced in the coming months.
Apple is moving forward with its plan to add major sports leagues to its streaming service. Apple already has a deal with Major League baseball (Apple offers two “Friday Night Baseball” games every week. The Cupertino firm is also reportedly negotiating with the National Football League to stream the league’s Sunday Ticket package.