MLS TV Deal

Apple TV Wins MLS Rights in 10-Year Deal Worth at Least $2.5 Billion (yahoo.com)

MLS agrees to 10-year broadcast deal with Apple worth $2.5 billion | Soccer Every Day - YouTube

Very interesting TV deal or should I say streaming deal. It's the first of it's kind. MLS will make at least $250M a year via Apple TV and will likely be making more depending on subscribers to the service. It will be a global streaming device and broadcasted in French and Spanish, and then in 2025 will be broadcasted in Portuguese for those in Brazil and Portugal.

ESPN, FOX and Univision are negotiating Linear Deal to simulcast big games. I'm not sure if they'll be buying those slots from Apple or that's more money aimed in MLS's direction. This contract also includes the tournament with Liga MX starting in a few years.

The games will be aired on Wednesday and Saturdays as the baseline, and on Sundays for games that are simulcasted and/or stadium disputes, with the ability to watch On Demand later on.

$250M a year literally triples their current payout and will likely be much more than that once global and national simul deals are in place + subscription increases.

 

How we got here from 3 channels, tubes buzzing out in back of TV, and having to hold a coat hanger for an hour so my 3 older sisters could swoon over Little Joe on Bonanza I'll never understand.

Good for MLS. Who knows? It could be dominate sport in USA some day

 

I'd hate to be a owner of a sports bar. You gotta get all these apps to air the games. I'm sure some bars will just become normal dive bars and other bars will increase alcohol and food prices to fund the apps.

As for MLS dominating USA sports soneday... nah. It can definitely pass baseball in the next ten years, but will never pass football and basketball.