MLS and Apple TV

As the Los Angeles Galaxy prepares to host the New York Red Bulls for the MLS Cup this Saturday, fans can tune in through Fox and Fox Deportes in the U.S. or enjoy a complimentary stream via the league’s broadcasting partner, Apple TV.

This championship match, similar to several games this season that featured Inter Miami and Lionel Messi, will be available to watch for free on the streaming service, despite being part of a subscription model. The real question remains whether a significant number of viewers are aware of this fact.

The groundbreaking 10-year agreement between MLS and Apple has led to noticeable improvements, including enhanced broadcast quality across all matches and global accessibility without blackout restrictions. However, it has also posed challenges for the league in terms of audience expansion. With consumer trends shifting from traditional television to streaming services, MLS is left to ponder whether its avant-garde deal was premature — particularly given the crowded American sports landscape and the growing interest in soccer, which now encompasses the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, European Champions League, and Mexico’s Liga MX.

“Are we ahead of the curve? Are we right on time?” asked MLS commissioner Don Garber during a recent leadership conference in London. “Only time will tell. History will provide the judgment.”

If the past couple of years focused on launching the app — with MLS hastily enhancing its production capabilities in 2023 — the upcoming years will be centered on discovering ways to engage new and larger audiences while refining the existing broadcast challenges. Growth before and after the 2026 World Cup is vital, particularly in light of the decade-long contract.

MLS officials remain optimistic about the prospects of this collaboration.

“We are extremely satisfied with the product that we and Apple have provided to our fans,” MLS deputy commissioner Gary Stevenson remarked in a video interview from Los Angeles this week. “It all starts with the product, which is outstanding and has received great feedback. There’s always room for improvement, and we have an extensive list of things to address, but that’s standard in any project.

“Apple is always evolving. They strive to enhance the product continuously. This is still early in our collaboration, and while we are happy with our progress, there remains substantial work ahead.”

What insights have Apple and MLS gained?

Fans using the Season Pass express enjoyment for the product, but attracting more viewers remains a challenge. The metrics are difficult to assess from the outside since Apple is tight-lipped about subscription figures.

“We have more subscribers than we and Apple anticipated,” Garber shared during the CNBC Sports videocast this week.

Sources — who have opted for anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the information — informed The Athletic that over a million viewers tune in to MLS games on an average Saturday across all matches, with approximately 94 percent of subscribers rating the Season Pass as “significantly” better than past broadcasts, and playoff viewership increasing roughly 50 percent from 2023 to 2024. This surge may have been influenced by Messi and Miami’s playoff presence, along with a significant marketing effort surrounding Miami’s playoff debut, yet viewership numbers remained elevated even without Miami’s three playoff appearances.

Both Apple and MLS have concentrated on enhancing the broadcast’s quality and the presentation of the app’s product. Thanks to Apple’s flexibility in incorporating streaming innovations, the product has markedly improved over the last two years. A multiview feature permits subscribers to watch up to four matches simultaneously, and the service gives viewers who join late the chance to catch up through selected highlights.

Nevertheless, as expected, some challenges have arisen.

Fans must manually switch to new matches instead of being smoothly transitioned from one game to another, a peculiarity that felt especially awkward during the playoffs when multiple games were running at the same time. Audio glitches have also occurred during certain broadcasts. Some of these complications could be linked to the production process involving MLS, IMG, and NEP Group. Additionally, MLS is producing broadcasts in various languages, further complicating the operations.

Sources acquainted with the production disclosed that MLS reduced its budget from its first to second year, although some parties maintained that the cuts were not merely about saving costs. Many reductions were made to find efficiencies after initial overspending in the launch year, including high overtime expenses.

While MLS initially indicated that broadcasts would utilize a minimum of 12 cameras, some games this season reportedly utilized as few as six. After inquiries, a league representative claimed no broadcasts operated with fewer than 10 cameras this season, which includes various angles like point-of-view shots from within goals. Stevenson assured that the number of cameras employed has not diminished the broadcast quality.

“Just like anything else, the more experience you gain as a production company, the better you become,” Stevenson remarked. “Now that we have our team, alongside IMG and NEP, we’ve learned how to be as efficient as possible over the past two years. We believe we are well-positioned for continued improvements in production as we proceed into year three and beyond.”

Stevenson highlighted the use of data in broadcasts as a sign of improvement, committing to refining analytics to better inform and engage viewers. This is a field where they foresee continued growth and significance.

Broadcast talent has generally been well received, yet some broadcasts have noticeably struggled with subpar analysis. MLS enlisted a broadcast coach in 2023, and in 2024 appointed an executive producer, Ignacio Garcia, to manage all production elements, but there is still room for enhancement among some on-air professionals.

One standout aspect of the initial two years, according to various production insiders, is Apple’s dedication to the project. Apple has developed a large team focused on the Season Pass and maintains regular communication with MLS leadership. Reports indicate that Apple executive Eddy Cue recently participated in a league sporting and competition committee meeting to discuss initiatives that could support league growth and to hear MLS’s plans for the future.

Apple has seamlessly integrated the league and the Season Pass app across its ecosystem, including incorporation into the Apple Sports app, Apple Maps, and Apple Music.

“The partnership with Apple is straightforward for us,” Garber explained at the leadership conference. “We weren’t receiving adequate exposure, scheduling, or promotional support from traditional networks, as we face competition not only from other leagues but from every soccer league marketing their rights in the U.S. We sought a collaboration with a leading company like Apple, arguably the most innovative and significant tech firm in the world, willing to engage with us as a genuine partner.

“When Apple decided to enter the sports arena, they approached it thoughtfully. They considered how to leverage their global platform and ecosystem. There’s a wealth of technology that can attract millions of subscribers, which is beneficial for us, and we are optimistic about that growth.”

“Should this growth continue, we are firmly in a revenue-sharing arrangement with Apple, potentially making this one of the most significant deals in sports history. Conversely, if our predictions regarding streaming trends prove incorrect, we’ll need to adapt wisely. Nonetheless, I remain very positive about Apple.”

What lies ahead for MLS Season Pass?

Across discussions with several sources regarding MLS Season Pass, one recurring theme emerges concerning growth and reach for 2025 and beyond.

The league is acutely aware that generating more excitement in local and national markets is essential. This has always been a priority, but there are growing concerns that they may be losing momentum in areas where they previously had a solid presence.

This season has introduced initiatives aimed at capturing viewer attention, including a TikTok broadcast featuring a dedicated “Messi Cam” during the playoffs. This feature helped the MLS TikTok account gain 500,000 followers and revealed Season Pass to a fresh audience. Sources suggest that MLS and Apple intend to replicate such TikTok broadcasts in the future.

Additionally, Apple is showcasing MLS games on devices within its retail locations, on Apple.com, and will livestream the MLS Cup from Times Square this weekend. All these efforts aim to boost product visibility. Apple has been trialing games for Apple TV+ subscribers throughout 2024 and plans to continue this initiative. A Box-to-Box-produced documentary on MLS will also air on Apple TV+, catering to its approximate 25 million subscribers.

Apple TV’s reach is expanding as well, per Kantar’s Entertainment on Demand data, which should benefit Season Pass. The platform is becoming available on more “living room devices” due to the rising number of smart TVs globally, and reports indicate Apple is pursuing a deal to extend Apple TV to Android devices, which would particularly bolster MLS’s reach in South America, where Android dominates the market. Apple has also been experimenting with varying prices for MLS Season Pass in different global markets to determine optimal pricing strategies for boosting the international audience.

MLS continues discussions with DIRECTV to enhance accessibility in bars as well.

While fans have expressed dissatisfaction regarding uniform kickoff times of 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays, this fixed schedule has coincided with record ticket sales and increased sponsorship revenue for the league. However, sources indicate that Apple is contemplating the introduction of a Game of the Week in 2025, featuring a marquee match on Sundays. The aim is to create a must-watch event for all MLS fans, akin to Apple’s successful Friday Night Baseball broadcasts.

MLS typically has six out of 14 games available outside the Season Pass paywall. Apple and MLS will persist in experimenting with these free games and utilize marketing strategies to draw attention to this access, in an effort to attract new supporters.

Apple is still refining its promotional strategies for major games to adopt a more “traditional” approach that encapsulates storytelling and amplifies significant moments. On linear television, crucial games are frequently advertised over several days across appropriate channels. This usually encompasses ads or promotional discussions on other shows within that channel.

MLS is also committed to helping enhance these initiatives. One approach involves creating more supplementary content from its new studios, ensuring that Season Pass becomes a hub for engagement throughout the week. Presently, there is limited motivation for fans to utilize the app outside of game days.

The league is also exploring different ways to package its content outside of the Apple ecosystem to attract more fans. Whereas many fans find plenty of clips from CBS’ Champions League studios on social media, MLS content appears less prevalent.

“We collaborate with Bleacher Report and others, but it’s unquestionably a priority for us to distribute more of our content not only within the Apple ecosystem but also beyond it,” Stevenson emphasized.

Efforts to boost audience engagement extend beyond content and marketing endeavors.

Conversations regarding enhancements to the on-field product are crucial for growth as well, encompassing discussions about the league’s calendar — a potential switch to a fall-spring schedule is under consideration — as well as events like the Leagues Cup and discussions about player spending.

Cue’s participation in the committee meeting demonstrates the league’s commitment to addressing all aspects of this partnership. As one insider pointed out, Apple’s support for the initiative has been unequivocal, showcasing a readiness to drive it forward.

MLS aspires for that commitment to become as integral to the league’s narrative as any other element.

“We are considered one of the five major men’s leagues in the United States, which is certainly a commendable classification, but ultimately we aim to be regarded as one of the leading soccer leagues globally, which presents a global opportunity,” Garber conveyed to The Athletic during a summer interview in his office at MLS headquarters in Manhattan. “Apple will be a key bridge to audiences around the world.”

(Top photo: Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images)