'It's the future': Apple launches MLS Season Pass in partnership with Major League Soccer
'It's the future': Apple launches MLS Season Pass in partnership with Major League Soccer
With Wednesday’s launch of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, the worldwide tech giant signaled that it was all-in on the league, at least for the length of the 10-year, $2.5-billion deal.
With its announcement of a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Apple to stream every game on its Apple TV app beginning with the 2023 season, Major League Soccer signaled that it was all-in on the streaming service as its primary broadcast partner.
With Wednesday’s launch of MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, the worldwide tech giant signaled that it was all-in on the league, as well.
The tech giant known for its cell phones, tablets and smart televisions — among other products — unveiled its partnership with MLS early Wednesday morning (technically, late Tuesday night for some users as the product team began rolling out the subscription service) that will allow fans of every team in the league access to every game they want to watch across the league.
No more blackouts. No geofencing. No screen limits.
That was a key purpose of Apple and MLS when it agreed to a streaming deal that would allow full access to fans around the world for $14.99 per month, or $99 per season (Apple TV+ subscribers also receive a discounted rate, and one MLS Season Pass subscription will be included with each full-season ticket holder, as well).
It’s a heavy price point, but MLS commissioner Don Garber also sees it as “the future” of sports broadcasting, with Major League Baseball already moving a portion of its Friday night games to Apple and the Pac-12 reportedly in talks to broadcast college football through Amazon.
“It’s the future. I’m proud of what it represents,” Garber told Yahoo Sports. “It’s not yesterday’s news, this is tomorrow’s news in terms of what sports broadcasting is going to look like.”
Each subscription can be shared with up to six family members, each with separate Apple IDs using Apple’s Family Sharing plan.
The clubs wanted access. Apple wanted a driver to its new Apple TV app, which is available on more than just Apple-branded smart televisions — but also Roku, Amazon Fire TV, gaming consoles like Xbox, and online at tv.apple.com, among a handful of other places.
Essentially, any device that can download the Apple TV app can launch the streaming service.
And the league? The league wanted a partnership in its broadcasts, not just an arrangement.
That was the word that Garber and several Apple executives used when representatives from each team met with a limited number of media in Northern California last month.
MLS and Apple aren’t just contractors, but partners. The success of the streaming packaging won’t be determined by advertisers or views, but by subscribers. That may explain why news leaked recently about Apple selling sponsorships for up to $4 million per year in only season-long formats, with limits on who can advertise (no sports betting companies, for now) and no promises of impressions, according to Bloomberg news.
“Today is a milestone moment for our partnership with MLS, as we begin to unveil some of the faces and voices of this unprecedented streaming service,” said Eddie Cue, Apple senior vice president of services, when the league and streaming service unveiled its first wave of a roster of broadcast talent highlighted by former ESPN analyst Taylor Twellman, Maurice Edu, Lori Lindsey, Max Bretos, Sacha Kljestan, and Bradley Wright-Phillips, among others, “and we can’t wait for fans to start tuning in next month.”
Most MLS fans’ favorite broadcasters will be part of Apple’s new streaming deal — local RSL legend Brian Dunseth was one of 31 broadcasters announced Monday in a deal that brings 49 play-by-play, analysts and studio and rules experts under the MLS and Apple TV umbrella.
An additional wave of broadcasters and analysts will be announced in time for the 2023 season kickoff Feb. 25.
But how does the streaming service work? Apple TV+ users probably known many of the ins-and-outs of the service, and the rest of us with a streaming account like Netflix, Hulu or Disney+ are aware of a few details, as well.
For starters, everything starts in the Apple TV app. And within the app, it all circles back to the “Watch Now” tab.
That is where fans who subscribe to the service can mark every match of the 2023 season, including Leagues Cup and “hundreds” of MLS NEXT and MLS NEXT Pro matches, and join each match at any time. That includes games that are in-progress — there will be an option to join live, or start a match from the beginning, similar to a DVR record — as well as games that are immediately archived within the app and on the web at tv.apple.com.
Simultaneous streaming of multipole games won’t be available at product launch, but it remains an option that could be available later. MLS will also help produce a weekly Whiparound show that will allow viewers to watch one screen with the biggest highlights from across the league.
For fans who don’t subscribe to the full streaming service, a limited number of matches — around six each week — will be available outside of the paywall, and MLS will also offer a limited number of traditional broadcasts on FOX, UniVision, and TSN and RDS in Canada.
Speaking of Canada, in addition to each match being broadcast in English and Spanish, matches involving Canadian clubs will be broadcast in French. Additional languages, including Portuguese, are in the works (though may not be ready upon first launch).
And for fans who don’t want to listen to the commentary tracker of each of MLS’ 49 broadcasters (plus however many are signed during the “third wave” of announcements expected before Feb. 25)? There will also be an option to sync up the team radio broadcasts with the live stream within the app.
Because the app lives within the Apple ecosystem, cross-compatibility with other apps within the Apple ecosystem will also be available. That includes, for example, scores, news and updates from around the league through iPhone and iPad in the Apple News app — all available in more than 100 countries and regions, where ever iPhones are serviced.
All that is required is for a fan to sign up for an MLS Season Pass subscription, and then select their favorite clubs from the My Sports tab. And yes, it is possible to select multiple clubs.
There’s more than just games, too.
Additional content includes MLS Review, an hour-long highlight reel to catch up on the 2022 season ahead of the Feb. 25 opening day; The Ritual, a league-produced docuseries that uncovers unique cultures and traditions binding MLS clubs and their fanbases; Beyond the Pitch, the story of MLS stars away from the pitch, in business and other passion projects; and player profiles of both current club stars and iconic players from the league’s history.
MLS wants to make it as easy as possible fans of individual clubs, as well as journeymen in the league, to follow their clubs, where ever they are.
It’s a different form of broadcasting. But it’s also the future. And now, it’s also part of the present.
