Apple will bring MLS games to its normal TV subscription

Apple is retiring its Major League Soccer Season Pass and including the next season of MLS as part of its normal Apple TV subscription. Details of a new partnership agreement between Apple and MLS were first reported by The Athletic. The arrangement appears to be similar to the one the company made in October to bring F1 races to all subscribers.

Starting in 2026, all MLS games will be available to Apple TV subscribers. That includes regular season matches, and annual events like the Leagues Cup tournament, the MLS All-Star Game, the Campeones Cup and the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.

First announced in 2022, the MLS Season Pass remains one of Apple’s most significant forays into sports programming to date. As part of its original agreement with MLS, Apple became the exclusive way soccer fans streamed MLS games globally, eliminating any kind of regional blackout as long as Apple TV was accessible. That level of access will now continue, without the need to pay $15 a month for MLS Season Pass. You just need an Apple TV subscription to keep up with your favorite team.

“We’re thrilled to bring MLS to more fans around the world next season on Apple TV,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, shared in the announcement. “Every match, all in one place, alongside incredible Apple Originals — it’s a win for fans everywhere.”

The new agreement reportedly also comes with some wrinkles for Apple. Sportico writes that the company will not only pay more, but the partnership will also now end in 2029 rather than 2032. MLS will reportedly be paid $200 million for the 2026 season, $175 million for a shorter 2027 “sprint campaign” and then $275 million for both the 2027-2028 and 2028-2029 seasons. Afterward, MLS will be able to shop around its licensing rights to other streamers, or renew with Apple.

While Apple hasn’t succeeded in locking down NBA or NFL games like its competitors Amazon and Google, the company has been slowly growing its sports ambitions. Apple’s Friday Night Baseball streams now seem modest in comparison to what it’s doing with the MLS and F1. The company’s five-year F1 deal includes every Grand Prix race, along with practice, qualifying and sprint sessions. With the FIFA World Cup on the way in 2026, the company’s new MLS deal is also impeccably timed.

Update, November 14, 5:08PM ET: Added new financial details of the MLS deal from a Sportico report.

Update, November 13, 5:03PM ET: Added details and a quote from Apple’s official announcement.