Apple, MLS Deal Will End in 2029 With Revised Payment Structure

Major League Soccer’s streaming partnership with Apple will now end three-and-a-half years earlier than the original decade-long term, according to multiple people familiar with the details. The revisions come alongside MLS’ decision to move to Apple TV in 2026 and to flip its league calendar the following year.

MLS will be paid $200 million for its 2026 season, the last under the current calendar, then $107.5 million for the shortened “sprint” campaign in 2027, according to someone familiar with the details. It will then be paid $275 million each for the 2027-28 and 2028-29 seasons, said the person, who was granted anonymity because the details are private. MLS ownership was briefed on the new deal at league meetings in Florida on Thursday.

That works out to an average of $250 million for the three full seasons that are now left on the deal, plus the additional $107.5 million. The original deal also carried a $250 million average, though those payments were tiered to increase towards the end of the original term. The new terms represent a roughly $50 million increase over what MLS would have been paid through June 2029 under the prior deal, one of the people said.

As part of the revised arrangement, Apple is also giving up its option to terminate the deal after the 2027 season, one source said.

MLS executives will now be able to test the media rights market more quickly after the 2026 World Cup, which will be played in Canada, Mexico and the United States, and which is expected to boost Americans’ interest in the global game. The league could still extend its Apple deal or sign a new agreement with the tech titan.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, MLS commissioner Don Garber said the contractual changes are all “very positive for us.” Representatives for Apple and MLS declined to comment on the new financial terms.

Apple’s initial arrangement was a 10-year deal announced in 2022, set to carry through 2032. Apple held an option to back out of the deal after five years, though the company downplayed that possibility.

“When we do this right,” Apple SVP of services Eddy Cue said as MLS Season Pass neared its 2023 debut, “I’d like this to be forever.”

The tie-up was unprecedented for a big American sports league, as MLS jumped with both feet into the world of direct-to-consumer streaming products, putting all its games on one service, available internationally and without local blackouts. It was also a big risk, as it moved away from more traditional media outlets, with some criticizing the placement of games behind a paywall. The two sides committed to a partnership model that would see iterative changes to the product and its distribution.

Moving games to Apple TV now will make them more accessible to that service’s existing audience, as well as those who receive bundled or discount offers, while limiting the revenue Apple might have generated from fans who signed up for both Apple TV and the MLS Season Pass product.

MLS will also stand to benefit more directly from Apple’s promotion of its main streaming service, with full-season ticket holders receiving a free Apple TV subscription. The revised agreement also gives MLS the ability to continue offering some games to linear partners; a source familiar with the agreement said that element was previously set to expire at the end of 2026.

Apple recently added F1 rights in the U.S. as it increases the appeal of Apple TV for sports fans.

Under the new league calendar, which starts in July 2027, MLS will begin play in July, break for the winter in December, return in February of 2028 and conclude with the MLS Cup in May. The schedule flip is intended to make it easier for teams to participate in the global transfer market, align with FIFA’s calendar and put a larger spotlight on the playoffs, which previously wrapped up in the heart of the American football season and collided with players’ international commitments. Garber described the shift as “one of the most important decisions in our history.”

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