Current TV ratings peg it as only the third-most-watched soccer league in the U.S. Garber and others point to the 2026 FIFA World Cup - to be jointly held by the U.S., Canada and Mexico - as an obvious catalyst for that growth.īut tying the growing popularity of soccer overall to the popularity of MLS can be tricky. Like the drafting of a highly rated player, ultimately the success of this deal depends on future growth that can be projected but not gauranteed. And because it will be on Apple to hook subscribers, MLS should receive a far more robust promotional push than it has from previous national TV partners on the English-language side. Those were uncoupled and sold separately this winter for the next eight years to Turner and HBO in a deal worth $200-$216 million.Īnd while MLS is also incurring more expenses in match production, it could also receive a share of subscriptions to Apple’s MLS service if they exceed an undisclosed threshold. men’s and women’s national team home matches. However, the previous $90-million national MLS deal also included rights to all U.S. Not only does the figure include both local and national rights, it also doesn’t include production costs, which will be shouldered by the league. But a like for like comparison against the $90-million a year MLS previously earned from U.S. In a figure first reported by Sports Business Journal, Apple will guarantee MLS $250 million annually. If and when that happens, Apple MLS subscribers will still be able to access those games through their subscription, and not require network or cable TV.Īs part of the deal, Apple will show some national matches on the Apple TV+ service that is not behind the MLS subscription paywall. The league is still negotiating those deals. Some games will also appear in English, Spanish and French on American and Canadian broadcasters, and presumably also on national networks in other countries. This includes the rights that were previously distributed to local broadcasters for games that weren’t on national TV, meaning there will be no local blackouts for subscribers but also no local network or cable option. Apple receives exclusive, worldwide streaming rights to ever single MLS regular season and postseason match.