Apple TV buys all MLS broadcast rights for 10 years

Ah it still runs and is quite popular if it's the one I am thinking of. Spec Racer Ford correct?

 

Bouanga's dream:

 

That’s it .

 

If you ever get the itch to relive those days iRacing has a virtual version of it.

https://www.iracing.com/cars/scca-spec-racer/

 

Yeah. I saw that. My son has a VR headset and a steering wheel, pedals and gear shift. I’ve tried it and it is fun but I still get dizzy with the VR headset because my body forces don’t match the visuals.

 

In actually relevant news

MLS to cut half of Spanish-language broadcast talent on Apple TV, according to sources
Spanish-language MLS 360 show will cease
Some live games will be produced from London

New from me on the @guardian: sources tell me a host of changes are coming to MLS Season Pass - cuts in Spanish language talent & programming, and about half of the English-language matches will be produced overseas.

Read more here: https://t.co/Vlyzxw3iIl

— Pablo Iglesias Maurer (@MLSist) January 29, 2026

 

Nothing to see here....everything's fine.

 

I hope that Guardian article is not completely accurate. It says they are changing MLS Wrap to off-camera only. I don’t know what that means, but that’s the only MLS studio programming I watch, as I really enjoy Dax McCarty and Sacha Klejstan and their analysis.

 

No more skinny jeans and sneakers? The humanity!!

 

TV talk show hosts should dress like lawyers appearing in court. Ancient proverb.

 

RIP MLS

Most brands entering soccer want proof their investment will drive results.

They want confidence their spend won't backfire.

MLS just gave them that proof.

- The 2025 season saw 3.7 million gross live viewers per week, up 29% year over year.
- Social media impressions… pic.twitter.com/8s440B46Oy

— ⚽️ Kyle Sheldon (@kylesheldon) February 9, 2026

 

Ticket revenue was all time high in 2025 yet attendance didn’t surpass the three year average.

Same people paying more for attending live, still getting free Apple TV to watch, and gradually figuring out the user-unfriendly Apple TV interface, accounting for meager 29 percent increase in viewership in last year.

When they start charging the hardcore fans to watch Apple TV and viewership increases we will know there is momentum.

 

A 29% increase in viewership in one year is "meager"?
What would be a "decent" increase by those standards?

 

Depends on your baseline and how viewership is being counted. Since we are early on in this experiment I would expect a low baseline in 2024 (the second of three years), so a greater than meager increase would be in excess of one hundred percent, maybe more.

More interesting are the paid views. Baseline and increase (if any). But that information is not captured in the "29% increase" cited in the graphic. As mentioned in my prior post, I am assuming increased views to more familiarity with the MLS Apple TV interface among the free season-ticket-holder subscribers like me -- viewing only my team's games to begin with and gradually migrating to view the occasional other game. .

 

MLS on AopleTV should have been free from the start. Build up the base then see about monetizing it. This should be marketing 101 in the internet age.

 

Saying it took hardcore MLS fans like season ticket holders 1-2 YEARS to figure out the "user-unfriendly Apple TV interface" is quite different from saying those viewers "gradually migrating to view the occasional other game"... pretty sure MLS would be just fine with the latter if it meant a 29% increase YOY.

 

From the point of view of Apple's revenue, it is not clear to me that our STH subscriptions are "free". I expect that teams pay Apple for them based upon the number of STH Apple accounts they issue. So, I do not consider it free any more than I consider each game "free". The cost is bundled in with my STH package. (Same as any STH "gifts" I receive. Those aren't "free" either. Just part of the total price I pay).

 

Interesting that MLS gets a much bigger multiple than soccer in general which is last

Four years ago, World Cup hype and a pending TV deal pushed MLS revenue multiples to the top of the 5 biggest North American sports leagues at an average of 12x—versus 7.8x (NBA), 6.4x (MLB) and 6.2x (NFL).

MLS multiples have returned to earth at 9.2 and now trail the NBA and… pic.twitter.com/iZo3oVqrPl

— Kurt Badenhausen (@kbadenhausen) February 10, 2026

 

Yeah. Already watched a couple of pieces. Pretty pablum stuff. No meat (yet?).

Content appeared to come from canned FIA sources. So not certain who will be handling PbP, pit and track analysis. I will miss folks like Martin Brundle…