Apple Slashes 2025 MLS Season Pass to as Low as $25

[bigchrisfgb]

Here in Canada, it's basically the same story: soccer has never been popular except with immigrants. According to statistics, soccer's popularity among the locals ranks about the same as sled dog racing: a niche sport at best.
And that's fine – each country has its preferences. You go to France or Italy and find out that ice hockey and baseball aren't exactly popular there either.

The thing is though Canada was creating a professional national league, the Canadian Premier League at a time when the Canadian Football League (Canada’s version of the NFL) had serious question marks over it’s financial feasibility.
Nothing will get close to Ice Hockey in Canada in terms of popularity, not for generations in anyway, but let’s not create a myth that it’s not competitive.

 

[bigchrisfgb]

further proves soccer is not a major sport in the US and won't be. The major 4 takes a majority of the ratings and probably wrestling gets more viewers in the US than soccer

Not really.
First of all it’s getting towards the end of the season for the MLS now, so it’s normal for the price to be discounted.

You then have to consider that the MLS unlock other leagues is locked behind Apple, where as the other leagues are included in sports channels.

Lastly, the attendance to MLS games is competitive with European clubs. MLS teams, and even USL teams are now building soccer specific stadiums, or if not then the NFL stadiums are being built with the ability to host soccer games as well, see the Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

 

[t122648]

Seems like a real good deal to me. A lot cheaper than prescription sleeping pills and just as effective.

 

[Xavier]

$25 for an annual subscription? Ok yeah im in!

 

[chantalc]

For us Europeans the MLS is not worth watching. Most players who previously played in Europe are close to their retirement.

 

[Ronald Reagan]

I see many more comments about the supposed hate for soccer than I do comments from those who don’t affirm their undying love for soccer. Seems a bit over-the-top. Just like in so many other areas, if you have an opposing take on a matter or don’t affirm to last possible degree, that makes you a hater (and many other bad things which would ban my comment here).

Many here just couldn’t care less about soccer. Don’t flatter yourselves and learn to deal with that fact. Apple carries the MLS, because it’s pocket change to them (because the viewing market is small). They are unwilling to do what it takes to carry the sports people care about.

 

[jeffbax]

I wish I could pay $99 for the NHL, whose streaming strategy is still complete insanity garbage

Required:
* ESPN+ (which… who knows if it will be requiring the full ESPN plan soon)
* TNT (via HBO, which… may also be going away as the company restructures?)

Still missing:
* Local team games
* NHL Network (still cable only)

The worst part is they used to have NHL.tv which at least didn't split the streaming up, and now it's fully balkanized because Gary Bettman can't just do the fans a solid for once and make a package that has everything needed to enjoy the season.

 

[Gunner49]

MLS, unfortunately, has never garnered enough momentum to warrant folks watching it week-in, week-out, and a main reason why MLS cannot increase its subscriber count.
To the rest of the world, MLS is where players who are past their prime and before retiring from pro football go to play.
Messi, while arguably the GOAT of football (I disagree with that), is not a show-stopper, as football is not a one-man game.
The beauty of any league lies in the immense talent and footballing style/competition it showcases, which is why the Premier League commands top-dollar across every continent where its TV rights are sold.

 

[Leon Nash]

I actually like the American system more; there are more different teams winning the championship in MLS compared to the Premier League.

In European football money dictates way too much which teams are successful.

I had to check the actual numbers

Last twenty years; number of different teams winning MLS vs. Premier League:

11 vs. 5.

 

[Jeeve Stubbs]

Difference is: football is the worlds most popular sport with insane amounts of fans around the world (and money involved). The World Cup final in 2022 had 1.42 billion viewers, compared to 127.7 million watching superbowl 2025. USA and Canada are probably the only countries except the Vatican where football is not a top sport priority.

Indeed. It's somewhat like the metric system: little used in the US, more used in Canada, and dominant in the rest of the world.

In Canada and the US we got NFL/CFL , NHL, NBA and MLB in Europe soccer is king and nothing much else really.

There's also a strong base for ice hockey in Northeastern Europe, basketball in Southern Europe, and rugby in UK and France.

 

[quietstormSD]

I reckon this should be the price at the beginning of the season due to soccer not being as popular of a sport in the USA, and not at the tail end. It would just be a nice, "hey why not" purchase for the general sports fan.

 

[crzdcolombian]

Same. I cut the cord but my favorite team offers a streaming package so I get to watch that way. If Apple partnered with the NHL I'd be all over it.

is the NHL More popular than the MLS? I don't think either will move the needle. If it was free with the service maybe

Netflix has WWE which is more popular than pretty much every sport but the NFL. It's free with service. Not sure if it free with the ad version.