Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass is a little over a month old. If you’ve not already subscribed, the new platform lets fans watch every MLS game no matter where they are in the world. MLS Season Pass also comes with coverage for each team and additional MLS programming that covers every game and storyline in the league.
This deal is one of a kind among top leagues so we were eager to give our honest thoughts about it, but we also wanted to give MLS and Apple enough time to work through the growing pains of starting a streaming service from scratch. Now that enough time has passed, here are our five takeaways from Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass so far.
Apple is all-in on MLS Season Pass
If you’re in the US and have watched any sports content over the past few months, you’ve probably seen MLS Season Pass advertisements. MLS Season Pass has been advertised alongside big Apple TV brands and Apple corporate partners, such as Ted Lasso and T-Mobile.
Brand exposure was one of the main reasons MLS chose to partner with Apple. So far, it looks like Apple is holding up their end of the bargain, which is a great sign for the future of MLS. If you have a brand as big as Apple committed to making you successful, you have a great chance of actually succeeding.
MLS is getting more coverage than ever
MLS Season Pass subscribers can watch every MLS game no matter where they are in the world. For most subscribers, this is all they want from MLS Season Pass. There’s another group of fans who crave as much MLS coverage as they can get, and MLS is giving it to them.
Every week, MLS puts out podcasts, match previews, pre-game shows, a post-game roundup, and a lot more. Most of the longer shows, like MLS 360, MLS Wrap-Up, Extra Time, and MLS Review, have been hits, but we’re not sure how much of the shorter programming is actually being watched. This is clear by the fact that some of these shorter programs, like MLS Mic’d Up, have seemingly been abandoned.
Whether people are watching is up for debate. Either way, MLS Season Pass is giving MLS fans more content than they’ve had from a broadcaster in years.
MLS games look great
One of the major criticisms of past MLS broadcasters was the streaming quality. Before MLS’s move to Apple TV, MLS broadcasts on ESPN and FOX topped out at 720p HD, but regularly looked much worse than that.
In a world where you can watch videos in crystal clear 4k on your phone, the state of MLS video quality was unacceptable. Thankfully, Apple TV has made things a little better.
MLS games on MLS Season Pass are broadcast in 1080p HD. This not only makes the product on the pitch look better but also will help bring in more fans who might’ve been put off by the poor video quality of the past.
Price is still an issue
MLS Season Pass costs $15/month. If you are an Apple TV subscriber. It costs just $13/month. This may sound harsh, but that price isn’t a good deal for anyone except MLS diehards who would pay whatever it took to watch their team.
For context, a subscription to both ESPN+ and Paramount+ would cost $15/month combined. For that $15/month, you can watch La Liga, the Bundesliga, Serie A, Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League, NWSL, Women’s Super League, and many more leagues around the world. Not to mention you also get access to other sports and original programming with ESPN+ and Paramount+.
The discrepancy in what MLS Season Pass offers compared to its competitors is something the league needs to address. Whether it’s lowering the price or including more content, MLS and Apple need to do something to make MLS Season Pass more worthwhile for their customers.
MLS Season Pass feels disjointed compared to local coverage
As we’ve mentioned multiple times, MLS Season Pass’ biggest selling point is that a subscription gets you every MLS game with no restrictions. This is reflected in MLS Season Pass’ coverage of the league.
Pre-game and post-game shows cover every team, every matchup, and every storyline. This is great…unless you don’t care about those storylines and would rather just hear about your own team.
In the era of local TV deals, teams would get a 15-30 minute pregame show all about their team. Every little storyline would be discussed and you’d hear from coaches and players about the matchup. Now, you get a few minutes, if that, in a pre-game show dedicated to covering the league as a whole.
If you’re looking for local content on MLS Season Pass, you have to go out of the way to your team’s page. On that page, you can find the preview you’re looking for, but even that is usually just a few minutes long.
Maybe these short, club-specific previews on a separate page will be things fans will grow to love. For now, though, MLS Season Pass’ coverage lacks the local charm and focus many fans will be looking for when they tune in to watch their favorite team.
Conclusion
Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass is a significantly better product than what MLS’s past broadcast partners produced. Subscribers get to watch their team in better video quality than before, and they have access to more content than they’ve had in years. Apple’s partnership with MLS has also provided significant brand exposure, which is a promising sign for the future of the league.
However, the MLS Season Pass price and its lack of local coverage should be addressed to make it more appealing to potential new subscribers.
