Major League Soccer (MLS) has agreed to a multi-year broadcast rights deal with Apple TV+, which is valued at $2.5 billion for 10 years.
As part of the agreement, Apple TV+ will show every MLS and Leagues Cup match. According to reports, the league is also looking for additional partners in its broadcast schedule and ESPN and Univision are the ones likely to secure the sponsorship. Any matches that are broadcast on ESPN, Fox, Univision or any other linear network will also be available on Apple TV+.
The league revealed its new schedule for the upcoming season on Tuesday. They also stated their plans for keeping all the league matches on Wednesday and Saturday so more people could watch the matches. The league’s existing media rights agreement with ESPN, Univision and Fox will expire at the end of this season.
MLS games will be available on Apple TV+ through a dedicated app. Because Apple TV+ matches will not be broadcast on local television networks, the fans will have to subscribe to the specific app on Apple TV+ to watch the matches. Full-season ticket holders in the MLS will have free access to the app. MLS said that a limited number of matches would be accessible to Apple TV+ customers at no additional cost and those selected matches will be available for free to all users.
Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services said in a statement: “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.
“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.”