Apple to include MLS games in Apple TV subscription starting 2026

35 minutes ago7 min read1 comments

In a seismic shift for North American soccer's broadcasting landscape, Apple has confirmed it will dismantle its standalone Major League Soccer Season Pass, integrating every match directly into the standard Apple TV subscription starting with the 2026 season. This strategic pivot, first unearthed by The Athletic and mirroring Apple’s recent maneuver to bundle Formula 1 racing, fundamentally alters the access model for one of the world's fastest-growing leagues.For fans, the calculus is simple: the era of paying a $15 monthly premium atop an existing Apple TV+ subscription is over. Come 2026, every regular-season clash, the electrifying Leagues Cup tournament, the marquee MLS All-Star Game, and the high-stakes drama of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs will be unlocked with a single, base-level subscription.This move is a masterstroke in customer acquisition, effectively lowering the barrier to entry and potentially flooding the league with a new wave of casual viewers, a gambit that could rival the audience expansion seen when the Premier League exploded globally via accessible broadcasting deals. Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, captured the corporate optimism, stating, 'We're thrilled to bring MLS to more fans around the world next season on Apple TV.Every match, all in one place, alongside incredible Apple Originals — it's a win for fans everywhere. ' Yet, beneath this fan-friendly veneer lies a complex and costly renegotiation.According to a detailed Sportico report, this new arrangement carries a significantly heavier financial burden for the tech giant and a shortened timeline. Apple will reportedly pay MLS $200 million for the 2026 season, followed by $175 million for a truncated 2027 'sprint campaign,' and then a staggering $275 million for each of the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons.Crucially, the partnership is now set to conclude in 2029, a full three years earlier than the original 2032 expiry, handing MLS the valuable flexibility to shop its media rights to other suitors or re-engage with Apple from a position of renewed strength. This truncated deal structure is a fascinating concession, suggesting that while Apple is willing to pay a premium for broader integration, it is also hedging its bets on the league's long-term valuation, a cautious approach reminiscent of media companies testing the waters with shorter-term sports rights before committing to decade-long, budget-busting contracts like those seen with the NFL or NBA.This MLS integration represents the culmination of Apple's most ambitious sports venture to date, a project born from its landmark 2022 agreement that made it the exclusive global streaming home for the league, famously eliminating the archaic regional blackouts that have long plagued North American sports fans. While Apple has thus far struck out on acquiring the galactic-scale rights to the NBA or NFL—battles won by competitors like Amazon and Google—its methodical build-up through Friday Night Baseball, a comprehensive five-year F1 package, and now a fully integrated MLS showcases a distinct 'quality over quantity' strategy.The timing is also impeccably shrewd, positioning Apple TV+ as a central hub for soccer fandom just in time for the colossal 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada, and Mexico, an event poised to captivate a billion viewers and ignite unprecedented interest in the sport across the continent. For Major League Soccer, this is a double-edged sword; immediate access to Apple's vast subscriber base promises exponential growth, but the pressure is now on to deliver a product compelling enough to convert these new viewers into lifelong fans before the rights hit the open market again in 2029, a challenge that will test the league's quality of play and star power like never before.

#Apple TV

#MLS

#streaming

#sports rights

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