Nearly five months into its first season with Apple holding its media rights, MLS executives and owners — both publicly and privately — said they are happy with the results so far.
And with Messi active for the second half of the year, they all believe results will be turbocharged. “It’s still early in the relationship, but so far, we couldn’t be more thrilled,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said.
MLS executives spent last week in D.C. saying the numbers they have seen have beat expectations…
Gary Stevenson, deputy commissioner and managing director of MLS business ventures, pointed to the high quality of Apple’s production as another selling point for the new deal, especially considering the low production values for previous years’ games on regional sports networks.
Stevenson mentioned that games were being produced in 1080p, which provides for clear, high-definition video. League games are produced in three languages, not including radio broadcasts. Apple produced a graphics package that gives productions a more modern look and feel.
Then there’s the multiview channel that shows more than one game on a single screen. “We heard from fans that they wanted multicast,” Stevenson said. “We had it up and running in a month.”
In the United States, an MLS Season Pass subscription costs $12.99 per month or $79 for the season – $39 for mid-season subscription now (renews at $79 next year) – if you are already a subscriber to Apple TV+. If you do not subscribe to Apple TV+ (you should; it’s great), the MLS Season Pass costs $14.99 per month or $99 for the season – $49 for mid-season subscription now (renews at $79 next year). Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share the subscription using their own Apple ID and password.