Apple TV buys all MLS broadcast rights for 10 years

The press release is written to obfuscate whether you need an AppleTV+ subscription to even buy the MLS package. Kind of sounds like you do, so they may end up charging you for the privilege of charging you again. If that's the case, that really sucks.

No local blackouts is good, but not worth two subscription fees.

 

Sound great - I just hope they get the syncing right.

 

Wonder how the pricing goes and if we can subscribe to the MLS package or we need some sort of base subscriptions to add MLS.

Also, will all the announcers be coming from the Apple TV production? No more Chris Dangerfield type local announcers?

 

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My Favorite part.

 

If it were me, I wouldn't waste the time and money to replace existing announcers with different ones if I could help it. And if MLS oversees production as jeff_adams indicated, I would suspect things would mostly stay the same for game broadcasts.

 

Great if you have Apple ID (I don't) and watch other MLS Games (I don't). Otherwise, as long as it's free and I can get through my GoogleTV (using Apple TV App), I should be OK (just get an Apple ID). If I have to pay anything, not so good.

 

Yes! Please no more Sunday afternoon games, etc.

 

https://www.espn.com/soccer/major-l...league-soccer-and-apple-tv-agree-10-year-deal

"Season ticket holders for all MLS teams will have free access to the service while some MLS and Leagues Cup matches will also be available at no additional cost to Apple TV+ subscribers."

 

Yeah day games are the worst. Playing under the lights is where it's at!

 

sounds like a step further into the cold, calculating money-grubbing corporate abyss.

I'm not paying Fish anymore than the occasional $30 for a sit anywhere ticket so old school fans like me who were perfectly happy with NBC and Dangerfield are slowly getting aced out in favor of the droves of new Quakes fans eager to pay for subscriptions for this and that to bankroll greedy corporations and their shareholders. feels like we're losing the plot a little more with each passing year.

 

two subscription fees!

 

Is Cupertino getting a team?

 

As long as I can still watch at the local pub, I'll be alright.

 

Yeah nighttime brings out the crazy. Much more fun.

 

Best news of the day for me. As someone who can't get to the stadium for home games for a variety of reasons, I will happily pay if there are no blackouts. I'm so sick of Twitter and other poor quality options.

Now if Apple can only wrest the NFL away from DirectTV so I can watch the Steelers every week...

 

I am very surprised by all of this. 10 years? I thought for sure they would leverage the 2026 world cup momentum to get a better TV deal. Also, streaming only? It seems like the league has raised the white flag on trying to attract the general sports fan, and is satisfied to get the same local audience and MLS hard core fans.

To me, none of this is good news. It reflects a commitment to the low growth low spend model.

 

Twitter chatter suggests that they might still be able to also air games on regular cable and regional sports channels? I guess I'll wait to withhold judgment to find out for sure, but "the exclusive destination to watch every single live MLS match" suggests that is not the case.

Also, will all games really be on Saturday night? I really like the day games. Maybe I'm alone on that one.

 

Hope not, I like day games too.

 

How valuable do you think that part is? MLS would need to bring the quality up to the levels of the top 5 leagues for this to move the needle. I mean, the Jupiler league could market itself globally if it wanted to as well, but would you watch Anderlecht over any Premier league game?