Major League Soccer’s 31st season gets underway Saturday, with all 30 clubs taking the pitch for MLS is Back weekend. And Apple TV subscribers will have a front-row seat to all of it, with all 13 matches available and no blackouts across more than 100 countries and regions, Apple said.
“All eyes are on North America this year as the MLS season kicks off this week and the World Cup approaches,” said Thomas Müller, Vancouver Whitecaps FC attacking midfielder and 2014 FIFA World Cup champion. I’m excited to begin my first full season in MLS, help the team build on what we started, and give fans everywhere the chance to follow our journey on Apple TV.”
MLS kicks off 2026 season on Apple TV with new features and World Cup spotlight
The season’s timing is significant. With the FIFA World Cup coming to North America this year in June, the league enters 2026 with global attention on American soccer in a way it hasn’t seen before. For Apple users, that means the season arrives with a slate of new features, expanded broadcast access and deeper integration across Apple’s ecosystem of apps and devices, the iPhone giant said.
What’s new: Walmart Saturday Showdown
The headline addition for 2026 is Walmart Saturday Showdown, a new weekly featured matchup within the Saturday slate. Each showdown game will receive enhanced production, including footage captured using iPhone. It offers what Apple describes as dynamic angles designed to bring viewers closer to the speed and physicality of the game.
The first Saturday Showdown airs February 21 at 6:30 p.m. PT, as LAFC hosts Inter Miami at the historic LA Memorial Coliseum. The matchup puts MLS MVP Lionel Messi and the reigning MLS Cup champions up against Son Heung-Min and LAFC. That marquee opening night pairing sets the tone for what Apple positions as a premier viewing experience throughout the regular season.
Sunday Night Soccer returns
Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire is back for another season, kicking off February 22 at 4 p.m. PT with a bicoastal clash between the LA Galaxy and New York City FC. The showcase features dedicated in-stadium pre- and postgame coverage, enhanced graphics in English and Spanish, and some of the league’s most compelling weekly matchups. See the whole MLS 2026 season schedule.
Integration across Apple apps
For fans following along on their devices, MLS has a presence across nearly every Apple app this season. The free Apple Sports app for iPhone gives users access to live scores, standings, play-by-play data, lineup details and live betting odds — with a tap to launch matches directly in Apple TV. On iOS and watchOS, Live Activities bring real-time scores and updates to iPhone and Apple Watch Lock Screens without needing to open any app at all.
Beyond sports, Apple Music will feature club- and player-curated playlists throughout the season. Apple Maps users can access Matchday Guides created by MLS clubs, along with city guides by players highlighting local bars, restaurants and stadium information. Apple News offers scores, schedules, standings and coverage from hundreds of publishers. And Apple Podcasts hosts a dedicated MLS hub with curated episodes and collections focused on the league, its clubs and North American soccer broadly.
More ways to watch
Apple expands access to MLS matches beyond its own subscribers this season. DirecTV customers — including those at commercial venues through DirecTV For Business — can now access Apple TV’s live sports programming. That includes all MLS matches. New for 2026, EverPass will also offer commercial establishments streaming access to Apple TV’s full live sports portfolio through its EverPass Core package.
Comcast’s Xfinity customers continue to have integrated access to MLS matches in English and Spanish through the Xfinity X1 platform and Xfinity Stream app. Comcast and Apple are also offering all Xfinity customers free access to MLS 360, the league’s popular whip-around studio show that provides live look-ins from every match simultaneously.
Watch MLS on Apple TV
Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, major smart TV brands, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast with Google TV, and PlayStation and Xbox consoles, as well as at tv.apple.com. A subscription costs $12.99 per month, with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. Customers who recently purchased a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac are eligible for three months free. Full-season MLS club ticket holders also receive an Apple TV subscription as part of their package.
David Snow, an expert on Apple hardware and software, writes on a variety of technological and cultural topics for Cult of Mac. They include Apple news, technology buying guides, and features about computer setups and Apple TV shows and movies.
With 30 years of experience covering technology and other subjects, he has written and edited for numerous print and online publications, including CMP Media, TechTV.com, CNET, Wired News, Red Herring magazine, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Law Technology News magazine. Among other roles, he served as executive editor of the Law.com network of websites and editorial director, technology, for ALM Media.
Snow graduated with a B.A. from Syracuse University with majors in magazine journalism and psychology. While there, he worked as a reporter for The Daily Orange newspaper and associate editor of Equal Time magazine.
Founder of the blog At the Waterline, he can be reached on X (formerly Twitter) via @atthewaterline and on Mastodon via @dsnow.
