Major League Soccer kicks off its landmark 30th season this weekend, marking a significant milestone for the American soccer league. While Don Garber and MLS celebrate positive growth in recent years, many questions remain about the league’s rights deal with Apple and how it may hinder further expansion. Despite pointing to its expansion, investments, and the presence of Lionel Messi as achievements, the actual recognition of these developments by casual sports fans is questionable.
In an interview with Dan Roberts of Front Office Sports, Garber discussed the league’s overall health and the sports media industry. However, his most intriguing remark came when questioned about the details of Major League Soccer’s exclusive streaming arrangement with Apple. He quickly pointed fingers at Apple for the lack of transparency regarding subscriber numbers. “I would, Apple doesn’t. Get Eddy Cue from Apple on!” Garber exclaimed.
Speculation regarding the success of MLS on Apple TV+ abounds, yet neither the league nor the streaming giant has released any performance figures. This situation marks a departure from traditional media, where Nielsen ratings provide a clear view of viewership. As these figures remain confidential within Apple, the absence of information raises concerns; they could indicate either strong performance or significant underwhelming results.
The reluctance to disclose such numbers often suggests a lack of confidence. If the MLS Season Pass were genuinely successful, wouldn’t both Apple and the league be eager to publicize that achievement? This silence could send negative signals to other sports leagues considering future partnerships.
While Garber praised the domestic deals with Fox and Univision and emphasized the global reach of the Apple deal, he mentioned, “I do believe that the megaphone that you have with linear still is valuable. We still have a deal with Fox, we have a deal with Univision, those are domestic deals where Apple is a global deal. And that’s important to us. We have players from 79 different countries. If we’re signing a Korean player or an Argentinian player, a Colombian player, a Japanese player, it allows us to touch very directly fans of MLS who can very easily access a relationship.”
Despite this, the underlying reality is far less optimistic than what Garber suggests. Fox is restricted in airing Messi’s games, and the domestic ratings for last season’s MLS Cup on Fox saw a significant decline. Fox’s investment in MLS appears to indicate they are looking towards the end of this deal.
During the interview, Garber may have inadvertently acknowledged the growing frustration fans feel with so many sports scattered across different platforms. “I do think the market is changing and evolving. I do think there’s got to be some consolidation. People were complaining about cable being too expensive. Now many still have cable or a mini-bundle alongside multiple streaming subscriptions. At some point, that will have to coalesce into something sensible for the fan,” he remarked.
Dan Roberts astutely highlighted that Garber’s remarks contradict MLS’s strategy, emphasizing the risks of aligning with Apple TV. Not only is the platform exclusive, but it is also not a natural fit for sports enthusiasts, unlike services like Peacock or Amazon Prime that offer access to popular leagues and events.
In the grand scheme of things, MLS Season Pass has proven to be a challenging sell, and perhaps that’s why the exact nature of its struggles remains unknown.
