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Apple's sports ambitions have expanded beyond baseball. After broadcasting live MLB games on Friday nights last year, on Saturday the iPhone-maker kicks off a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer. Apple will be the exclusive provider of every MLS game in the 2023 season, which starts this afternoon when Nashville play New York City at 4.30 p.m. ET (1.30 p.m. PT).
The company's new MLS Season Pass, which lets you watch on TVs, phones and other devices, costs $13 a month or $79 for the season if you're already a subscriber to the Apple TV Plus streaming service. If you don't subscribe to Apple TV Plus, the MLS Season Pass costs $15 a month or $99 for the season.
There are no blackouts for local games and no need to switch between different apps or channels to find different matches. With the exception of a handful of games that will also air on Fox and FS1, the only way to watch MLS games, Leagues Cup matches or games from MLS Next will be with Apple. And it's not only available in the US: Soccer fans in over 100 countries can subscribe, including Canada, Mexico, the UK and Australia.
Here's everything you need to know about how to watch Major League Soccer on Apple TV this year.
MLS on Apple FAQs
How much will MLS on Apple cost?
Apple will charge $13 a month for an MLS Season Pass to those who already pay for Apple TV Plus. Since an Apple TV Plus subscription costs $7 a month, the total monthly fee for subscribers is $20 per month.
If you aren't an Apple TV Plus subscriber, the monthly rate will be $15 a month.
Soccer fans looking to save can get a full season for a one-time charge. It'll cost $79 for Apple TV Plus members or $99 for those who don't subscribe to the service.
Will there be free MLS games available?
Yes. Every week Apple will make six of its Saturday matches available for free without the need to sign up for an MLS Season Pass or for Apple TV Plus (though you will need to log in with an Apple ID, which you can set up for free). All of the opening weekend matches will be free to watch.
A full schedule for MLS games, including which ones will be available for free, can be found on the MLS website.
Do I need Apple TV Plus to get an MLS Season Pass?
No, you don't need to subscribe to the Apple TV Plus streaming service to get an MLS Season Pass. The two services are separate, but Apple TV Plus members do get a discount.
Do I need an iPhone, Mac or Apple TV box to watch Apple's MLS games?
No, you don't. Apple will offer its MLS Season Pass on numerous devices and platforms. That includes not only the company's own gadgets and services but also TVs, phones, tablets and computers made by other manufacturers.
What devices do I need to watch Apple's soccer games?
You can watch the games on any device that has the Apple TV app, including TVs, phones, tablets and computers. This includes iPhones, iPads, Apple TVs and Macs as well as smart TVs and streaming devices that run the Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV and Google TV platforms.
If you have a game console, there's an Apple TV app for Microsoft's Xbox One and Xbox Series S and X, and Sony's PlayStation 4 and PS5. Recent TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony and Vizio also have Apple TV apps. More details on supported devices can be found on Apple's site.
Can I watch MLS games on Android, Chrome or Windows devices?
Yes. Although Apple does not have Apple TV apps for Android phones and tablets or Windows computers, it does let you stream its shows, and MLS games, using a web browser by going to tv.apple.com.
You will need to sign in to or create an Apple account to watch the games.
Are MLS games available on regular TV channels?
No. With the exception of a handful of games that will also air on Fox or FS1, these broadcasts are all exclusive to Apple, so you will not be able to watch them on your local regional sports network, your cable or satellite package or on a live TV streaming service.
Which announcers are calling the games?
Apple has lined up a slew of broadcast teams to call all games in English and Spanish. Games featuring Canadian teams will also be broadcast in French.
Full details on the broadcast crews can be found here.
Will the games stream in 4K?
No. Apple will broadcast MLS and Leagues Cup games in 1080p HD, not 4K. For audio, these contests will feature Dolby 5.1 sound.