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MLS and the Apple TV Deal: The good, the bad, and the ugly

By Caitlyn Chale

FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - March 24: Official match balls of the MLS showing the MLS logo on the sideline before the New England Revolution Vs New York City FC regular season MLS game at Gillette Stadium on March 24, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - March 24: Official match balls of the MLS showing the MLS logo on the sideline before the New England Revolution Vs New York City FC regular season MLS game at Gillette Stadium on March 24, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images) /
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Last Tuesday, Major League Soccer and Apple announced that the Apple TV app will host all MLS games for the next ten years, starting in 2023.  Fans will be able to subscribe to a MLS specific subscription service through Apple TV, and watch any match in the league.  This will be accessible outside of Canada and United States as well, and there will be no blackouts of any kind.

At a first glance, there are some positives with this deal, which is probably why many fans are excited.  However, there are also negatives as well, and some concerns.

Hence, it vital to look at the deal, and examine whether it is the right move for MLS overall.  In the end, this could have been something incredible and accessible, but truly the deal hurts the fans more than many realize.  Certainly there is some good, which will be discussed, but it is hard to get behind MLS and Apple’s vision once the full picture is revealed.

As such, let’s take a look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of the MLS and Apple TV streaming deal.

MLS and Apple TV
June 14, 2022; New York, NY, USA; Apple and Major League Soccer (MLS) today announced that the Apple TV app will be the exclusive destination to watch every single live MLS match beginning in 2023. L to R: MLS commissioner Don Garber, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Apple’s senior vice president of Services Eddy Cue. Mandatory Credit: Apple Inc. via USA TODAY Sports /

The MLS and Apple TV Deal: The Good

Despite reservations, there are some good things with this MLS and Apple TV deal.  For starters, everything MLS will be in one place and available to watch.  Fans can watch any game, and most importantly for supporters, there will be no blackouts.  That was probably the biggest complaint when it came to watching fixtures on ESPN+.

It will also be accessible to fans around the world.  This is good news for the international fans because sometimes it is difficult to watch MLS in other countries.  This also means fans in the US and Canada who go abroad either for vacation, or even move, can still follow their team.

In addition, Apple will not just stream the games, but produce all kinds of content, including a match whip-around show for the fans who want to keep track of every fixture.  Apple and MLS also added how there will be behind the scenes content for every team.  They plan to introduce original programming too.  Furthermore, the service will be included with Season Ticket Holder packages, so they will not have to pay extra to gain access to all of the MLS content.

Finally, the deal will bring money into the league, and quite a bit.  Reports indicate the deal is worth $2.5 billion, or $250 million annually.   This is the largest TV deal in the league’s history, and a huge win in the monetary sense.  No one can complain about the amount, nor should they.  Nevertheless, this shows money talks, and money itself led to some of the bad aspects of the deal.

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