The major domestic broadcast rights tie-up between Major League Soccer (MLS) and Apple will end in mid-2029, three and a half years earlier than originally agreed.
The initial 10-year deal between the North American soccer property and the Apple TV streaming service, unveiled in mid-2022, was due to run through 2032 but has now been cut to a six-and-a-half-year agreement.
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The Sportico publication has reported that for MLS's 2026 campaign, which will be the last under its current February to December format, the league will receive $200 million from Apple TV, while for the shortened campaign between February and May of 2027, that figure will drop to $107.5 million.
The 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons, meanwhile, will be valued at $275 million each by Apple. This means the overall cost for Apple through 2029 is now $50 million more in total than under the terms of the previous deal, Sportico quoted a source as saying.
The change to the length of the deal was voted through at the same time as the MLS's 30 team owners agreed to change the format of the season (as mentioned above), switching from February-December to July-May.
The competition will now follow the scheduling of major European domestic competitions, as well as the global FIFA soccer calendar.
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By GlobalDataThe altered MLS-Apple deal means the league will now send its domestic rights to market around three years earlier than expected when it originally sold the rights to Apple. It also provides Apple with some flexibility over its decision to renew.
Apple does not release MLS viewing figures, meaning there have been no numbers published to refute the suggestions that the popularity of its MLS Pass option is low. MLS claimed in October that overall, the 2025 season was watched by record numbers when taking into account both domestic and international viewership.
In terms of MLS's future scheduling, the calendar from mid-2027 onwards will feature an extensive winter break to compensate for adverse weather conditions in northern states, with a limited December and February fixture list, and a complete pause in January.
On the change, MLS commissioner Don Garber said: "The calendar shift is one of the most important decisions in our history.
"Aligning our schedule with the world’s top leagues will strengthen our clubs’ global competitiveness, create better opportunities in the transfer market, and ensure our MLS Cup Playoffs take center stage without interruption. It marks the start of a new era for our league and for soccer in North America."
The league is also dropping the ‘Season Pass’ paywall from its deal with Apple TV, meaning that customers of that service will be able to watch every game through their primary subscription, with no added cost.
On that front, Garber said: "This wasn’t about MLS Season Pass not working. It’s about how we could work with Apple, who had a vision for what Apple TV could be, and where sports would fit into that, and how MLS could be a bigger part of a broader distribution vehicle for our league?"
The timing coincides with Apple TV acquiring the rights to motor racing’s elite Formula 1 series from 2026 onwards, supplementing its US rights portfolio, which also includes domestic rights to action from Major League Baseball.
The MLS's 2025 playoffs reach their conference semi-finals stage next week, with the final set for December 6.
