Major League Soccer kicks off Apple’s 2026 Apple TV sports season
Apple’s deal to stream Major League Soccer begins as the league kicks off its 31st season this Saturday, and Apple TV subscribers in more than 100 countries and regions will be able to watch every single MLS match.
They’ll also get in-depth coverage and analysis, exclusive content, and matches beyond the regular season — including the annual Leagues Cup tournament, Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup, MLS All-Star Game, and the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
“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 in an Apple press release. “After joining Whitecaps FC last August, 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. It’s a great opportunity for our club and the league to shine in such an important year for the sport.”
This won’t be the only football excitement to look forward to for Apple. Apple and the Women’s Superleague, WSL Football, have reached a groundbreaking tech deal that sees teams and match officials equipped with Apple’s tech products. Sporting action will also intensify as the first Apple-streamed F1 races are expected to appear this year.
A subscription to Apple TV for this season will be included with each full-season MLS club ticket account.
First weekend coverage highlights
Football fans are in for some action as all 30 MLS clubs will play on the launch weekend, February 21 and 22:
- You’ll get the first Walmart Saturday Showdown, a featured matchup within the Saturday slate of matches throughout the regular season, featuring a marquee matchup of global soccer icons as MLS MVP Lionel Messi and the reigning MLS Cup champion Inter Miami CF face off against Son Heung-Min and LAFC to kick off their seasons.
- The opening weekend will be rounded out with the first Sunday Night Soccer match of the season, presented by Continental Tire and featuring the LA Galaxy and New York City FC. The complete regular-season schedule can be found at mlssoccer.com.
- Saturday Showdown will feature enhanced production that helps viewers feel more connected to the match, including the addition of remarkable “Shot on iPhone” moments to bring fans closer to the action and offer a true window into the speed, skill, pressure, and emotion of the match.
- Saturday Showdown will premiere on February 21 as LAFC hosts Inter Miami at 9:30 p.m. ET, live from the historic LA Memorial Coliseum
- Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire, the popular flagship game of the week on Sunday evenings, begins with LA Galaxy and New York City FC.
Follow MLS on the Apple Sports App
Fans can stay up to date on scores, stats, standings, and their favorite clubs throughout the MLS season on the free Apple Sports app for iPhone.
- On Apple Music, fans can enjoy exclusive club- and player-curated playlists, with more music content coming throughout the season at apple.co/AM-MLS.
- Apple Maps users can explore dedicated Matchday Guides created by MLS clubs and city guides created by players to find recommendations for local bars and restaurants to catch a game, explore city favorites, find detailed information about their stadiums, and more.
- On Apple News, users can easily follow MLS and their favorite teams in the Sports tab and access scores, schedules, standings, and top stories from hundreds of top publishers.
- On Apple Podcasts, users can access an MLS hub with curated podcast episodes and collections covering MLS, its clubs and players, and soccer in North America.
More Ways to Watch
- DIRECTV customers will now have access to Apple TV’s live sports programming — including MLS matches, F1 in the U.S., and “Friday Night Baseball” — all available directly inside their homes, on the go, or at any of the 300,000-plus sports bars, restaurants, hotels, and other commercial venues served by DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS. Anyone who subscribes to Apple TV through DIRECTV will now be able to discover and watch Apple TV’s live sports, including all MLS matches, directly within their DIRECTV experience.
- New for 2026, EverPass will offer commercial establishments access to stream Apple TV’s complete live sports portfolio — including MLS, Formula 1 in the U.S., and “Friday Night Baseball” — available to new and existing EverPass customers through the EverPass Core package.
- Apple will again work with Comcast to offer Xfinity customers an integrated viewing experience for Apple TV’s live sports. Xfinity customers will have seamless access to live “Friday Night Baseball” games; all MLS matches in English and Spanish; and in the U.S., all F1 practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix. Apple TV’s coverage will be directly integrated into the Xfinity X1 and the Xfinity Stream app channel guide so it’s easy to find and watch alongside all their other live sports.
- Comcast and Apple are also unlocking free access to MLS 360 — the popular whip-around studio show that provides live look-ins from every match — for all Xfinity customers. Customers can find MLS 360 in the channel guide, Xfinity Fan View, and Xfinity Multiview throughout the season.
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