Rachel Bachman and Tim Higgins:
Apple and Major League Soccer have inked a deal worth at least $2.5 billion to broadcast games on the tech giant’s streaming service, the iPhone-maker’s most significant move yet into sports that underscores its growing ambitions for streaming.
The 10-year agreement unveiled Tuesday will make the Apple TV app the home of all MLS matches, available to fans through a variety of programming options.
While financial terms for the deal weren’t announced, the agreement is worth a minimum of $250 million a year, according to a person familiar with details.
This is a fascinating deal for all kinds of reasons. First and foremost, it’s ten years long. This isn’t Apple trying something out. It runs through 2032. We’ll be on the iPhone 24 by then. Running iOS 26. Hell, we may even be riding to go pick the device up in the Apple Car by then, swinging by the Apple Bank along the way guided by our Apple Glasses, naturally.
That is an eternity from right now. But Apple is clearly making a bet. And I tend to think it’s a smart one. While MLS isn’t Premier League, it’s not nothing either. It’s on the rise. And that’s in spite of it not being particularly easy to find on television right now. Sure, it still may not be that easy to find if you don’t have Apple TV, but many people beyond just those who own the Apple TV hardware, or even any Apple device, now can use it thanks to the deals Apple has struck to get Apple TV, the app — yes, this is still incredibly confusing — in a lot more places. Said another way, if you want the Apple TV app, you’ll be able to get it. And so if you want to watch MLS, you’ll be able to.
That is, if you pay to watch it. This is not a free service (though there will be some free games, naturally), or even a part of Apple TV+ (Update: it is in fact a part of Apple TV+ in that those subscribers will get this content for free as Mark points out in the comments). This is going to be a separate service, which you subscribe to, that can be found within the Apple TV app. Again, mildly confusing, but Apple has done the legwork to make sure you can at least get this app if you want it. And you will, if you’re into MLS.
If you’re not into MLS, I suspect we’ll see Apple pull some other levers to entice you into it. Think: what Netflix has done for F1. Maybe a Ted Lasso cross-over? There’s actually quite a bit they can do here. And that’s especially true if Apple slowly builds up credibility in sports.
The first deal, for certain MLB primetime games, was awkwardly timed (though salvaged at the last minute ahead of a strike) and there have been some early kinks. But Apple will figure those out. They’ll need to before they get NFL Sunday Ticket, as is rumored to the point of being almost assured to be happening. But even that deal will come with limits. To me, one of the more interesting things about this MLS deal is that it’s without limits.
As Eddy Cue notes in Apple’s release:
“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.”
That is a pretty compelling pitch! Don’t worry about which game is on what network, or which one is blacked out due to local restrictions. It’s all right here. It may be elsewhere too (MLS can strike linear TV deals as well, and Apple is fine with that, as WSJ reports), but it will all be here for one price. It has a $0.99 a song iTunes-level simplicity to it. I like it.
Apple obviously couldn’t do this type of deal with any other sports league, but they could here, so Cue took his shot. Again, it’s a gamble, but I think a pretty savvy one if you just look at the way the ball is rolling. If it pays off, maybe Apple can get some other leagues to do similar deals down the line…
One more thing: this deal is for the global rights.
