Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Apple TV to Include MLS Games at No Extra Cost Starting in 2026
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
US-only as far as I know. I wonder if signing in with my US account (and maybe via VPN) will get me access in the UK...
Maybe a couple hundred thou in the US pay for it. LLM estimates about 500K paid but I don’t believe that estimate. Many people didn’t pay though and may have got it bundled with other plans through TMobile and so forth. I reckon Apple is bundling it now to boost “Apple TV” subs and consolidate it to get more people on board to subbing to Apple TV itself as a service. Honestly Apple should if they were wise do that with all sports they acquire such as F1… just have Apple TV be the service and give them all as part of the standard subscription. Dividing everything up just complicates it.
It’s a massively growing sport in the USA.
It is the 4th most popular sport in the USA.
F1 (when the deal starts) and even Baseball are free to Apple TV subscribers.
MLS being available free to view brings it more in line with their existing structure for sports.
The problem with the MLS is that a lot of people outside of fanatics of an MLS team won’t pay for a subscription for the MLS alone, they would rather watch it if it came with other football (soccer) leagues, or available for free.
In addition to this, the MLS (through Apple) have bastarised the play off system which isn’t a popular system to begin with, as well as introducing the Leagues Cup which no one wants.
Everyone's situation is different, but I've priced it out numerous times and for me it would always be exponentially more expensive to subscribe through Verizon. I have 1 line, unlimited data, unlocked iPhone owned outright (iPhone 13 Pro purchased directly from Apple).
I pay ~$19.50/month for unlimited talk / text / priority data / hotspot on the Verizon network (via Visible+ Pro annual plan) with taxes and fees included in that price. Before that, I was paying $10/month for unlimited talk / text / 50gb priority data / 20gb hotspot on Verizon (via Spectrum Mobile). All the MVNOs run promos regularly so I usually just jump around to the lowest priced Verizon plan every 12-24 months (or whenever the next promo expires).
The cheapest plan from Verizon (direct) with the same features I have now is "Unlimited Direct" at $90/month, which comes to about ~$102 for me after taxes and fees. Yes, I could get Apple One for $10 cheaper that way, but the $82 I save on the cell side far outweighs the $10 savings on the ATV side.
Nah, the MLS isn’t getting paying subscribers outside of the USA, Canada, and to a lesser extent Mexico.
Apple have global rights to it, unless they sell the non-domestic rights off to other channels, there is nothing to gain by not charging US & Canadian subscribers, but charging those from everywhere else.
Delete the listing? It EXISTING inside the ATV app is too much for you? I use my ATV box daily and I never even think about MLS.
Personally, I want Apple One Premium Family which isn't available through Verizon. If it were then I probably would, if only to try to justify the enormous cost that comes with having 9 frigging devices on that account. When the mortgage is paid off Verizon will be my largest monthly expesnse.
Well its official now, and season ticket holders will get access to it. No more MLS Season Pass will at least stop the stupid confusion people had where they thought they needed to pay for Apple TV streaming service to then pay extra for MLS Season Pass.
This is the right move. I'm no more than a very casual American soccer fan, so Season Pass was too high a barrier. F1 + MLS + MLB are an unusual combo for hardcore sports fans, but more programming should provide extra stickiness to the service. Apple might want to bring in a fall/winter sport to balance out the schedule, the Pac-12 was a decent idea until it collapsed. Regardless, this is a better investment than the recent litany of feature length bombs (F1 the movie excluded).
Love Apple TV on Apple TV. If only they'd make an Apple TV so I could get rid of the LG.
Thanks to all who did NOT subscribe to MLS over the last few years (myself included). It's a big win to get this bundled for free.
Thanks to all who did NOT subscribe to MLS over the last few years (myself included). It's a big win to get this bundled for free.
Spoke too soon. MLS is also switching to a Euro-style schedule from July to May with a winter break, starting in 2027. That makes MLS Apple's fall/winter/spring sport, while F1 & MLB cover spring/summer/fall. https://awfulannouncing.com/mls/ado...ts.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
Last edited:
Happy to have subsidized this over the past two years, but cancelled my renewal two months ago. While the announcers are fine - the amount of shilling for brands they have to do over a 105+ minutes has gotten out of hand and makes watching truly unenjoyable. Also, MLS Season Pass is completely buried in the app. But the ads are the most annoying, bench sponsor, half time sponsor, net cam sponsor, player of the match sponsor, heat map sponsor, odds sponsor, etc.
Yep. Native Brit and a Premier League fan all my life, but with San Diego entering the league it's been great to have a home team!
I hope the MLS programming is available outside the US, it might be interesting to catch a few games… one more reason to get an Apple TV subscription.
Messi for the masses! A win-win, as more may tune in to MLS, and sports fans who just want MLS may watch some of the other content. Makes me wonder what they will do with F1, just roll it into Apple TV (software) also, or a separate subscription?
This is how it should have always been. Gating MLS behind an additional subscription has done nothing but kill MLS' market growth. Apple TV meanwhile has been growing so adding included live sports improves the value of the subscription for those who like it and helps fund the service for those who don't care about sports but like the other content.
There are already ads in live sports. Surprisingly, I actually have no issue with that. I'm ok with them using the dead time during breaks and half time during a live event to generate some cash to keep the subscription price viable.
There are already ads in live sports. Surprisingly, I actually have no issue with that. I'm ok with them using the dead time during breaks and half time during a live event to generate some cash to keep the subscription price viable.
They could be negotiating a deal where Apple would be the one that serves targeted ads.
