Apple may be close to signing a deal with FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, to secure worldwide rights to air a monthlong World Cup-style tournament in the United States next summer, according to a new report.
This weekend, March 16 and 17, everyone can watch all Major League Soccer matches for free on the Apple TV app. So that’s not just the typical one or two free games.
In other words, you won’t need MLS Season Pass to watch Lionel Messi do his thing with Inter Miami CF against D.C. United — or any of the other 13 matches.
This is the kind of promotion designed to get you hooked so you subscribe to MLS Season Pass, in this second year of 10 in the deal between MLS and Apple.
Beats and Major League Soccer (MLS) struck a multi-year deal Monday to make the Apple headphones subidiary the official consumer audio products partner of the league. That will include eight custom-branded Beats headphones for MLS teams delivered initially. Headphones for the other 22 clubs will follow.
“We are extremely excited to join forces with the MLS, one of the fastest growing and most dynamic sports leagues in the world,” said Chris Thorne, Beats CMO. “Beats will be working closely with the MLS clubs and top players to deliver amazing experiences throughout the upcoming season.”
Major League Soccer’s 29th season kicks off February 21 on MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, but fans can subscribe to the service starting Monday, Apple said.
International superstar Lionel Messi joined Inter Miami CF late last season, so 2024 will see his first full season with the club, and fans can also check out a variety of exclusive content.
As the trailer Apple TV+ dropped Thursday for documentary series Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend shows, the soccer superstar is practically a deity in his home country, Argentina. And if you don’t already worship him, you might start after watching the show, which premieres February 21.
Anyone who loves the world’s most-popular sport, soccer (aka football), probably knows a thing or two about Messi. But that just makes the new four-part documentary series all the more enticing for its “exclusive, behind-the-scenes” look at the man’s five World Cup appearances and his long-awaited 2022 win with Argentina.
Somewhat like soccer, outside of the United States Formula 1 racing is really big. And Apple wants those exclusive streaming rights enough to think about putting the pedal to the metal with a $2 billion bid for them, according to a report.
Apple TV+ said Monday it landed the “first and only behind-the-scenes account of soccer superstar Lionel Messi’s new chapter” with Major League Soccer team Inter Miami CF.
The as-of-yet untitled documentary series comes in addition to the other Messi documentary series coming to Apple TV+. That one covers the legend’s longstanding work with Argentina’s national team and his many FIFA World Cup appearances.
Jorge Mas, the managing owner of Inter Miami CF, says that the addition of Lionel Messi to his soccer team has “more than doubled” subscriptions to Apple’s MLS Season Pass, which allows viewers to watch Major League Soccer games.
Messi joined the Florida team in July. The huge boost in paid viewership is quick work, even for the man who’s been called the greatest soccer player ever.
Apple is now offering a free, month-long trial of MLS Season Pass, its subscription service that shows all the matches from the top professional soccer league in the United States.
The deal is available for both new and returning customers.
Cellular carrier T-Mobile said Tuesday it’s offering MLS Season Pass for free to every customer this soccer season. The pass is available by subscription via the Apple TV app on millions of devices, with many matches available on Apple TV+.
So if you’re a T-Mobile or Metro by T-Mobile customer, MLS Season Pass — the only way to watch all of the league’s live soccer matches this season — comes free when you sign up for it. See details below.
Major League Soccer fans in more than 100 countries can now sign up for the MLS Season Pass subscription service via the Apple TV app and Apple TV+, Cupertino said Wednesday.
This comes ahead of the 2023 season’s launch on February 25. The new service will air all MLS and Leagues Cup matches, plus hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games, Apple said.
