Apple took over the next decade of Major League Soccer distribution starting with the 2023 season, so how have things been going for the league in terms of viewership?
According to the MLS Commissioner, the partnership has resulted in “more subscribers than we and Apple thought we would have,” which doesn’t say much. However, the MLS boss promises more “transparency” in the future.
Ahead of the MLS Cup on Saturday, Alex Sherman of CNBC interviewed Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber and asked about the Apple streaming deal:
“We have more subscribers than we and Apple thought we would have. We have more people watching our games,” Garber said. […] “At some point there’ll be more transparency,” Garber said […] “We have the ability to have technology and data and multi-stream experiences, things we wouldn’t have been able to do with linear, perhaps even with other streaming services,” Garber said. “So when you can partner with a company like Apple, you have opportunity to solve issues and lean into a better future.”
As for the Lionel Messi bump, the commissioner expects a next-generation Messi to spring up and capture the attention of young viewers. The challenge? Messi spent the best years of his career playing outside of the States. Can the MLS and Apple garner as much attention around a player who spends their career in the United States?
For now, the MLS Cup on Saturday is a quick test of the Messi bump. The match is between the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls. Messi’s Inter Miami team didn’t make the cut. For a while, MLS on Apple TV+ was synonymous with Lionel Messi. The Cup final is set for 4 pm ET on Saturday, December 7, 2024. Coverage starts at 2:30 pm ET.
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