Apple to include MLS games in standard Apple TV subscription.

3 hours ago7 min read

In a seismic shift for sports broadcasting and the fan experience, Apple is reportedly dismantling its premium Major League Soccer Season Pass, opting instead to integrate next season’s entire slate of soccer matches directly into its standard Apple TV+ subscription. This strategic pivot, first reported by *The Athletic* and mirroring a similar October maneuver that brought Formula 1 racing to all subscribers, represents more than a simple pricing change; it’s a bold gambit in the high-stakes game for digital sports supremacy.When Apple first announced its landmark $2. 5 billion, ten-year partnership with MLS in 2022, it sent shockwaves through the industry.The tech giant became the exclusive global home for streaming every single MLS match, a revolutionary move that heroically eliminated the archaic and fan-antagonistic regional blackouts that had long plagued North American sports. The initial model offered a taste of this freedom, with some matches available as a bonus, but the full feast required a supplemental $15 monthly or $99 seasonal fee.Now, that barrier is being torn down. For the standard $13 a month, any Apple TV+ subscriber will have a front-row seat to the entire MLS spectacle, a move that Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, heralded as a 'win for fans everywhere.' This isn't just a win; it's a tactical masterclass in customer acquisition and ecosystem lock-in, reminiscent of how a visionary coach like Pep Guardiola changes formation to dominate possession. By absorbing MLS into its core service, Apple is betting that the magnetic pull of live, exclusive sports will not only retain existing subscribers but also attract millions of new ones who might then discover and stick with its acclaimed originals like 'Ted Lasso'—a show, ironically, about the beautiful game itself.While Apple has thus far struck out in its pursuits of the NBA and NFL broadcasting rights, territories where competitors like Amazon and Google have planted their flags, its methodical approach is proving remarkably effective. Its 'Friday Night Baseball' package with MLB now looks like a minor league tryout compared to the major league plays with MLS and F1.The latter deal, a five-year global partnership, delivers every Grand Prix, practice, and qualifying session, creating a powerful one-two punch of motorsport and football. The timing is impeccably prescient.With the FIFA World Cup arriving on North American shores in 2026, Apple is strategically positioning its platform as the indispensable digital hearth for soccer in the continent, building momentum and a massive subscriber base just in time for the world’s biggest sporting event. This move pressures every other streamer and traditional network to reconsider their own pricing and packaging strategies. Is the future of sports a fragmented landscape of individual subscriptions, or will it be bundled into all-in-one entertainment packages? Apple seems to be voting decisively for the latter, leveraging its immense financial warhead not just to buy rights, but to fundamentally reshape how we consume the games we love, turning a premium sports pass into a standard feature and, in doing so, potentially redefining the entire playing field for generations to come.

#Apple TV

#MLS

#sports streaming

#subscription change

#featured

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