Apple Will Be Major League Soccer’s Exclusive Streamer For Next 10 Years

Soccer is coming home to Apple. After a deal with Major League Soccer (MLS) the sport will now call Apple TV+ home for the next 10 years. The deal starts next year in 2023 and will run up through 2032. 

As part of the deal, Apple will launch a one-stop hub for all soccer fans to find every bit of content available, from streaming current games to the analysis of games, highlights, and more.

Broadcast will come at no extra charge for those who already have Apple TV+. For those who don’t, a few matches will be available for free. Fans holding onto an MLS season ticket will also get access to the streaming service for no extra charge.

Apple was the sole company to emerge triumphant as a dozen others battled it out for the rights to the sport. After Disney’s ESPN+ relinquished the rights to MLS, plenty of others, including Amazon and Warner Bros Discovery Inc vied for the acquisition. This makes MLS the first US major sports league to sell all global rights to a media company. 

The purchasing of the rights comes as MLS aims to boost popularity by giving viewers an easy way to access the sport. Soccer has been gaining traction on streaming sites—with ESPN+ and NBC’s Peacock airing other major league soccer matches, Apple seems to want to join in on the competition as it takes on MLS and boasts a home-field advantage.  

[via TechCrunch and Fortune,  cover image via Apple]