On June 14, 2022, Apple announced a ten-year partnership with the MLS. From 2023, soccer fans will be able to stream every single match through Apple TV without any geographic restrictions.
According to The Athletic, the deal is worth $2.5 billion, albeit from an anonymous source. Central to the deal is that all matches will be played on Wednesday and Saturday nights, where possible, promising to put an end to the MLS’ chaotic scheduling.
But what does this deal really mean for MLS fans? Let’s find out.
Truly global viewing of the MLS
I want to start with a positive. The Apple deal means that people from all around the world can watch the MLS from a centralized location from 2023. There will be no local blackouts, and fans outside of the US and Canada can watch every single game. Provided they subscribe to Apple TV, that is.
For a league that has dealt with scheduling issues and inconsistent coverage over the years, there’s no doubt that this is a good thing for the profile of North American soccer.
Given the popularity of European soccer all around the world, it will be interesting to see whether MLS’ new global platform on Apple will attract significantly more viewers for the North American offering. There’s no doubt that it’s at least a step in the right direction.
Enhanced coverage
As part of the deal to broadcast every live game, the Apple MLS deal will see an enhancement of the coverage of the North American game.
Something that Apple is planning is a whip-around show for fans who want to watch multiple fixtures simultaneously. I imagine something similar to the Red Zone, but it remains to be seen what Apple comes up with.
Another exciting development is that Apple wants to produce behind-the-scenes content for every MLS team. This is likely off the back of the popularity of Amazon documentaries that have featured the likes of Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur in recent times.
As a thank you to the loyal fans of MLS clubs, the Apple TV coverage will be free for season ticket holders. This is a truly remarkable offer when you think about it – can you imagine the EPL offering season ticket holders a TV subscription for free? Not likely.
Significant financial implications
If the $2.5 billion figure given by The Athletic is accurate, that’s a lot of money that’s about to flow into the MLS over the next decade.
Naturally, it’s the largest TV deal in the history of the MLS, and it certainly has the potential to transform various aspects of the game.
For instance, if it enables some MLS teams to attract better players with higher salaries, it could result in significant improvements across the board.
There are also likely to be significant grassroots improvements in the game, which could see more and more people getting involved in soccer for the first time.
As I’ve explained so far, there are undoubtedly lots of positive aspects of the Apple MLS deal. But what about the drawbacks?
Local coverage has been eliminated
There will be no place for local broadcasts in Apple’s coverage of the MLS. Granted, some MLS teams don’t presently have local coverage, but to those that do, this is likely to be a big miss.
After all, fans adore the local coverage of their MLS team, which has been a unique feature of the game. This is true of all American sports, be it the NBA, NFL, or NHL.
Many fans believe that the connection to their beloved sports team will somehow be dampened without the local coverage, and it’s a fair point. While sports fans in different parts of the world have enjoyed centralized coverage for years, it’s not something that is prevalent in American sports.
It will be interesting to see what Apple does to appease fans who are so used to tuning into local broadcasters and whether there will be a local roster of commentators that offer local insight into their teams.
Reduced exposure
Although I mentioned that the MLS will now be available to a global audience from a centralized viewing platform, it may potentially reduce the exposure of the game stateside.
People who might have tuned into the MLS if it was on cable TV will no longer have that luxury. True, some Apple TV subscribers might watch an MLS game out of curiosity, but it’s much less likely than someone tuning into a game if it was being broadcast on normal TV.
I know lots of people who first got into soccer – and several other sports – by tuning into a broadcast out of curiosity, so the fact that the MLS will now be an exclusive Apple product changes things significantly.
The introduction of a paywall
In the US, most fans can tune into their local sports teams for free, and they’re not required to pay additional money to watch sports teams in their own market.
But with the Apple MLS deal, there will now be a paywall for all fans, regardless of where they live and subscribe to the action.
Although Apple has not yet announced how much they’re going to charge for a subscription, the fact that fans will now be charged to watch their team is undoubtedly infuriating for those that have enjoyed local broadcasts over the years.
While it’s unlikely to prevent current fans of MLS teams from watching their teams, it is almost certainly an unpopular move with people who have been watching MLS soccer on TV for a long time.
Whether the increase in international followers will compensate for the potential loss of local fans is something that will be interesting to monitor. But is this really good for the American game?
We want to see stadiums full of local fans and communities being built around the franchise clubs that are being formed. While it’s great to introduce the game to an international market, it should not be at the expense of the local supporters. And this is something that Apple needs to address.
Recap: The Apple MLS Deal – Good or bad?
It’s fair to say that there are both positive and negative elements to the Apple MLS deal. The fact that all of the games will be shown from a centralized location makes the game more accessible to many people. It will also help the MLS grow with an international audience.
But the introduction of a paywall and the elimination of local broadcasts for local fans is a serious issue that needs to be addressed.
It will be a real shame if Apple manages to grow the game with international fans only to alienate the local soccer fans who have been tuning into their favorite MLS team from the word go.
But as an international fan of the MLS, I’m excited about the Apple TV deal, and I’m looking forward to tuning in from afar.