With MLS games now available to all Apple TV subscribers, revenue-share plans may be altered

Starting in 2026, all Major League Soccer matches will stream on Apple TV.
In 2022, when Apple and Major League Soccer announced their 10-year global streaming partnership, the deal included two main financial elements: a guaranteed $250 million annual payment from Apple to MLS, plus the potential for MLS to earn a share of upside revenue if the MLS Season Pass subscription exceeded specific performance thresholds.
However, beginning with the 2026 season, the standalone MLS Season Pass subscription will go away, and all MLS games will instead be streamed directly to all Apple TV streaming service subscribers.
Jacob Feldman for Sportico:
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MLS action will now be more accessible to Apple TV’s existing audience, as well as those who might enter through larger bundles or offers tied to new devices. Apple SVP of services Eddy Cue recently said the company has “significantly more than” 40 or 45 million worldwide Apple TV subscribers, though specific numbers have not been shared.
MLS games will join Friday night MLB games and every F1 race on a streaming service increasingly designed to appeal to sports fans. Portland Timbers owner Merritt Paulson told Sports Business Journal that the latest move, which was formally approved at a league meeting in Florida Thursday, would likely “double our viewership.”
But it could also limit teams’ financial upside. Tracking MLS-connected revenue becomes more complicated without a standalone service, though Apple’s guarantee could theoretically be altered to account for the change—or other measures like view time could be used to trigger additional payment. Stevenson declined to comment on MLS and Apple’s financial agreements.
One change to the agreement will ensure that full-season ticket holders get a free Apple TV subscription next year, after previously receiving free MLS Season Pass access.

MacDailyNews Take: With Lionel Messi now signed to Inter Miami through the end of the 2028 MLS season, the iron is primed for striking!
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MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free. Apple TV is included in Apple One, which bundles up to five other Apple services into a single monthly subscription. Apple One plans start at $19.95 per month. The Apple Music Student Plan comes with a free subscription to Apple TV.

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