AUSTIN (KXAN) — As professional sports leagues all over the world shift resources to online streaming as a way to reach a broader audience, Major League Soccer is taking it to a different level on Wednesday.
With the launch of MLS Season Pass through Apple TV, soccer fans have the option to subscribe and see every MLS regular season game, plus the playoffs and Leagues Cup matches, along with other on-demand MLS-related programming and replays.
The monthly cost for MLS Season Pass is $14.99 per month or $99 for the entire season. For current Apple TV+ subscribers, the monthly price drops to $12.99 per month and $79 for the entire season. For club season ticket holders, a subscription to MLS Season Pass is included. Through Apple’s family sharing, up to six family members can share the subscription.
Some games will be offered for free through the MLS Season Pass app, which can be accessed on any device that can connect to the internet and is not exclusive to Apple devices. All of the content for the service, matches included, will be produced by Apple.
Fans can try the service for free during the first weekend of the MLS season that begins Feb. 25. The service also includes pages for all 29 MLS clubs and content tailored specifically to each club, including highlights, match replays, player profiles, documentary-style vignettes and more.
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Adrian Healey, the voice of Austin FC for the past two seasons, was hired by Apple as a broadcaster for the service. More about the broadcasting and production plans for the service will be released as the season gets closer, but fans can be reasonably sure that they’ll hear the dulcet tones of Healey weave the tapestry of Verde’s triumphs and falters again this season.
Broadcasts will be in both English and Spanish, and for teams in Canada, French-language broadcasts will be available.
MLS and Apple signed a 10-year, $2.5 billion contract to make this happen. All blackout restrictions are removed through the service, something that’s different than what ESPN+ has offered in the past.
There will still be MLS matches on the ESPN family of networks, FOX and Univision as the league negotiates those contracts. ESPN typically announces its lineup of games closer to the beginning of the season.
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