Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (10) scores a goal during the first half against the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium.

Image credit:Paul Rutherford | Imagn Images Via Reuters Connect.


 Major League Soccer is set for a major shift beginning in 2026, as all league matches will transition to Apple TV’s primary streaming platform. The move will mark the end of MLS Season Pass, Apple’s standalone subscription service that has exclusively carried league games since its launch.

Starting with the 2026 campaign, every MLS fixture will stream directly on Apple TV, which currently hosts Major League Baseball broadcasts alongside an expanding library of original programs such as “Severance.” The transition represents a significant change in both MLS’s distribution model and Apple’s overall sports media strategy.

Apple and MLS first signed a landmark 10-year global media rights partnership in 2022, granting Apple exclusive control over streaming of the U.S. soccer league worldwide. Instead of placing games immediately on Apple TV, the tech company created MLS Season Pass — an add-on subscription dedicated solely to league content.

“The idea that fans could access every match in one place around the world with a single click was groundbreaking,” MLS Deputy Commissioner Gary Stevenson said. “Season Pass delivered exactly that, and audiences responded very positively.”

Season Pass launched in 2023 at a price of $14.99 per month, notably higher than Apple TV’s $12.99 monthly subscription. Apple does not disclose subscriber totals for any of its streaming offerings.

According to Stevenson, discussions about shifting MLS content onto Apple TV accelerated as the platform continued to grow.
“When Apple approached us and suggested moving everything onto Apple TV, it was an easy decision,” Stevenson explained. “It’s great news for our fans and for the league.”

While he did not reveal specific amendments, Stevenson acknowledged that certain terms of the original 2022 deal were adjusted as part of the transition.
“Nothing was overhauled,” he said. “The focus has always been distribution—and making the viewing experience easier and more accessible for supporters.”

Apple has been steadily expanding its live-sports portfolio as it aims to reshape how fans consume athletic content in an increasingly fragmented streaming landscape. Most recently, the company secured a five-year exclusive U.S. media rights agreement with Formula 1, beginning next season. Apple is reportedly paying about $140 million annually for the F1 package.

Apple executives have openly criticized the fractured nature of modern sports broadcasting. Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue recently argued that streaming has made sports harder to follow than in the cable era.
“You used to buy one cable subscription and get virtually everything,” Cue noted. “Now there are countless subscriptions, and that needs fixing.”

Since MLS entered its partnership with Apple, industry observers have questioned the performance of Season Pass due to a lack of public metrics. MLS Commissioner Don Garber previously told CNBC that the subscription product had outperformed expectations but declined to provide numbers.
“We have more subscribers than either we or Apple anticipated,” Garber said, adding that more detailed disclosures will come eventually.

Similarly, Apple does not release viewer counts for Apple TV, though Cue has reportedly said the service has “well over 45 million” viewers.

The league’s expanded reach through Apple TV comes after MLS celebrated its 30th season and continues riding a wave of renewed interest in U.S. soccer—boosted significantly by the arrival of global superstar Lionel Messi at Inter Miami CF and enthusiasm ahead of the 2026 World Cup in North America.

MLS Shifts to Global Soccer Calendar

In a separate development, MLS announced a major scheduling adjustment that will bring the league in line with the traditional international soccer calendar.

Historically, MLS has played from February to October, with playoffs running into December. Beginning in the summer of 2027, the league will move to a schedule aligned with Europe’s major leagues. The shift is intended to reduce competition with the crowded U.S. fall sports landscape—when the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB postseason dominate viewership—and to synchronize with the global summer transfer window.

“Participation in the most active transfer window will now support, rather than disrupt, clubs’ ambitions during the season,” the league said in a statement.