Apple and Major League Soccer agree to make all MLS games available on Apple TV for no extra charge from 2026, ending the MLS Season Pass subscription
Season Pass Is Gone X: @nineradvocate : @JoePompliano Translation: you now have to pay for a full Apple+ subscription to get MLS Season pass. Many of us were getting it for free; but it was still cheaper than a full year of Apple+ Bob Sturm / @sportssturm : I can't believe they did this to their league and this is clearly a sign they were losing market share badly. FC Dallas dropped completely off the sports radar and now they must rebuild relevance. Hope the money grab was worth it but I doubt it for the local club. Alex M. Silverman / @alexmsilverman : As a reminder, the initial agreement between MLS and Apple that began in 2023 was a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal that ran through the 2032 season. That deal offered the league the opportunity to earn additional revenue by reaching an undisclosed number of MLS Season Pass subs. Alex M. Silverman / @alexmsilverman : MLS Update: Commissioner Don Garber said both the length and financials of @MLS' deal with Apple have changed as part of the move to bring the league's matches into the main Apple TV offering. He declined to provide details, but said the changes are “very positive for us.” 🧵 David P. Samson / @davidpsamson : Good thing Messi doesn't live off the royalties... Adam Crafton / @adamcrafton_ : Good step to undo what was previously a giant over-estimation of how far the league had come. @tvgrimreaper : Publicly, from both sides, everything was great with this deal, and then suddenly it wasn't. Does anybody involved have any credibility left? Neil Cybart / @neilcybart : And yes, this is another reason to expect Apple TV pricing to continue to move higher over the years. Such increases would still be driven primarily by non-sports content, but it certainly won't hurt Apple to include sports and have it be “covered” by higher Apple TV pricing. @managertactical : Smart move from MLS but the only reason this is smart move is because the previous one was moronic. Alex M. Silverman / @alexmsilverman : With Season Pass no more, it stands to reason the subscription-based incentives would be eliminated. It's unclear, however, how the decision to fold MLS matches into the main Apple TV package led to a renegotiation of length of the deal. More to come on this at @SBJ. Matt Baker / @mattbakerstl : Huge, positive move for MLS and their ability to reach a wider audience. Neil Cybart / @neilcybart : Apple moving away from requiring separate subscriptions for each individual sport on Apple TV. Instead, all content will be available to Apple TV subscribers. This isn't a surprise as the Formula 1 deal suggested a change to MLS was coming. Mark Gurman / @markgurman : This makes sense. Apple has too many and a confusing number of subscriptions. Also makes the base TV subscription more valuable - for those who care about soccer. I wish Apple would solve the NBA problem but rights make that impossible. Tom Bogert / @tombogert : Big news from Paulie here and a change that makes a ton of sense Joseph Lowery / @joeclowery : It was always silly for MLS Season Pass to exist as its own service within Apple TV — this is an obvious change that will make MLS more accessible. If you want to watch the Champions League, you sub to Paramount+. If you want to watch MLS, you sub to Apple TV. Simple. Andrew Marchand / @andrewmarchand : MLS/Apple deal going so well that they are changing it ... @kylesheldon : This is big news from @PaulTenorio. It looks like ALL Apple TV subscribers will get access to MLS matches beginning next year rather than having to pay extra for MLS Season Pass. I like this move a lot especially in a World Cup year. https://www.nytimes.com/... Paul Tenorio / @paultenorio : BREAKING: MLS will come out from behind the separate MLS Season Pass subscription beginning in 2026, per sources. All games will be available on the Apple TV streaming service. https://www.nytimes.com/... Joe Pompliano / @joepompliano : Apple TV is eliminating MLS Season Pass next year. Rather than making subscribers pay an additional fee to access MLS content, all of the league's matches will be available to every Apple TV subscriber with their standard plan. This is also how the Formula 1 deal will work. LinkedIn: Peter Kim : Delighted to make watching Major League Soccer even easier for more fans around the world as we continue building Apple TV as the destination for live sports … Patrick Muldowney : Today is my two year anniversary of joining Apple, and what better time for the team to announce a huge change coming to Apple TV. … Bluesky: Paul Tenorio / @paultenorio : I can also now confirm a question a lot of people have been asking. Yes, MLS season ticket holders will get Apple TV (and all of its content) for free. — www.nytimes.com/athletic/680... Forums: r/appletv : Apple TV Makes All MLS Games Free with Subscription r/SoundersFC : Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026, MLS Season Pass will no longer exist. r/apple : MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026: Sources r/ussoccer : MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026: Sources r/tvPlus : MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026: Sources r/television : MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026: Sources r/PhillyUnion : MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026: Sources r/tfc : MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026: Sources r/OCLions : [Tenorio] MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026 r/MLS : MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026: Sources See also Mediagazer