Apple is making a major play in the streaming wars by folding Major League Soccer directly into its flagship Apple TV platform starting in 2026. The move ends the separate $14.99 Season Pass subscription and signals Apple's aggressive push to consolidate sports content as it competes with Netflix and other streaming giants for viewer attention.
Apple just pulled off a strategic streaming pivot that could reshape how Americans watch sports. Starting in 2026, all Major League Soccer games will move from the company's separate Season Pass subscription directly into Apple TV's main platform, ending a three-year experiment with niche sports packaging.
The decision comes as Apple doubles down on sports content to differentiate itself from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. "They came to us and said, 'Let's put it on Apple TV,' and we said, 'We're all in,'" MLS Deputy Commissioner Gary Stevenson told CNBC. The league had been charging soccer fans an additional $14.99 monthly on top of Apple TV's $12.99 base subscription since 2023.
This consolidation reflects Apple's broader frustration with streaming fragmentation. At an October event, Apple Services SVP Eddy Cue said the current sports landscape has "gone backwards" from the cable era. "You used to buy one subscription, your cable subscription, and you got pretty much everything they had. Now, there's so many different subscriptions, so I think that needs to be fixed," Cue explained during the CNBC panel.
The MLS integration follows Apple's massive Formula 1 coup, where the company secured exclusive U.S. streaming rights for roughly $140 million annually starting next year. Combined with existing MLB content and scripted hits like "Severance," Apple TV is building a content portfolio that could justify higher subscription prices down the line.
Apple's timing isn't coincidental. The 2026 World Cup will take place across North America, potentially driving unprecedented U.S. soccer interest. MLS has already seen attendance spike thanks to Lionel Messi's arrival at Inter Miami, with Commissioner Don Garber telling CNBC that Season Pass subscriptions "exceeded expectations" though he won't release specific numbers.
The tech giant's sports strategy contrasts sharply with Netflix, which has largely avoided expensive live sports rights in favor of documentaries and scripted content. Meanwhile, has secured Thursday Night Football and select MLB games, creating a three-way battle for streaming supremacy.
