Apple to include MLS in Apple TV subscription starting 2026

3 hours ago7 min read2 comments

In a move that feels like Apple just pulled off a slick no-look pass, the tech giant is officially retiring its standalone MLS Season Pass and bundling every single Major League Soccer game directly into the standard Apple TV+ subscription starting in 2026. This isn't just a minor pricing tweak; it's a fundamental shift in Apple's sports streaming playbook, echoing the strategy it just deployed with Formula 1.Remember when you had to shell out an extra $15 a month on top of your existing sub just to catch your favorite team? Yeah, that's over. Now, for the price of admission to shows like 'Severance' and 'Ted Lasso,' you get the whole MLS kit and kaboodle—every regular-season clash, the All-Star Game, the Leagues Cup, and the high-stakes Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, all without the dreaded regional blackouts that used to plague sports fans.It’s a massive win for the everyday supporter, the kind of deal you text your group chat about. But let's talk about the front-office drama, because the financials, first reported by Sportico, are wild.Apple is reportedly paying through the nose for this new flexibility: a cool $200 million for the 2026 season, a slightly lower $175 million for a truncated 2027 'sprint campaign,' and then a whopping $275 million for each of the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons. The real kicker? The partnership now has an early exit clause, ending in 2029 instead of the original 2032, which means MLS gets to hit the free agency market three years early to see if another streamer wants to make a bigger offer.This is a high-risk, high-reward gamble for Apple. They failed to secure the NBA or NFL rights that Amazon and Google are fighting over, so they're doubling down on what they've got: a global, growing sport.The timing is almost too perfect, with the FIFA World Cup landing in North America in 2026, poised to create a whole new generation of soccer fans who will be looking for a home to watch domestic league action. Eddy Cue, Apple’s SVP of Services, nailed the sentiment in the official announcement, saying, 'Every match, all in one place, alongside incredible Apple Originals — it's a win for fans everywhere.' It’s a statement that feels less like corporate PR and more like a genuine flex. This move fundamentally changes the value proposition of an Apple TV+ subscription, transforming it from a niche service for prestige drama into a legitimate destination for live sports. It’s a power play that says Apple doesn't need to win the bidding wars for the most established American leagues to be a major player; it can cultivate its own sports ecosystem, and right now, that ecosystem is painted in the colors of MLS and F1.

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#MLS

#streaming

#sports rights

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