Major League Soccer returns on February 22nd for its 30th Season. Our Philadelphia Union will be playing Orlando City SC at 7:30 PM on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV.
As excited as I am for the return of MLS and the Philadelphia Union, I’m also extremely frustrated. Sports should be an accessible medium, being able to watch—at least your local team—on local markets. It’s something that has frustrated me with post-season Baseball, though I’ve since given in and dropped the “so cheap you can barely watch anything” Verizon plan for YouTube TV. That being said, there is something even more infuriating about not being able to watch the Union play in the City of Brotherly Love.
Philadelphia Union (and Major League Soccer) Had All The Momentum in 2022
In 2022, MLS was the 4th most attended, on average, major professional sports league in the United States and Canada with a 21,000 average. It’s no surprise that the NFL took the lead at a 69,000+ average followed by MLB with over 26,000, and the CFL (Canadian Football League) with over 21,700 per game. Here, in Philly, we were riding a huge soccer high with a very real likelihood of it overtaking the Flyers (don’t tell JJ) in popularity in the area. While the Union ended up losing the MLS Cup, the same night that the Phillies lost the World Series, the future of soccer in Philly looked bright.
Then MLS announced their 10-year Apple TV deal with games streamed exclusively on MLS Season Pass. While Apple and MLS don’t share viewership numbers, the 2024 MLS Cup saw a 47% drop in viewers across Fox and Fox Deportes from the previous year: 468,000 in 2024 and 890,000 in 2023. While we don’t know what Apple’s numbers add to this, the comparison to the 2022 MLS Cup is drastic: 2.16 million viewers.
Gatekeeping is Not How You Build Up Your Fanbase
Making something less accessible isn’t how to build your brand or fanbase. And while there are plenty of reasons to be upset with the Philadelphia Union and their ownership, this isn’t necessarily something we can pin on them. MLS told teams they shouldn’t negotiate regional television rights beyond the 2022 season. Regardless, this league decision has not only turned people away from the Union but has completely turned them off from the team and league. As of this writing, there is only one, that’s right, ONE Union game scheduled to air on Fox (March 16th, 2025 when the Union hosts the Nashville SC at 2 PM).
I’m not sure what can be done while this deal is in place (2032), but Major League Soccer needs to find a way to make these games more accessible in their regional markets. The fact that I’m still figuring out how I can tune into the season opener against Orlando City SC (in Orlando) is not a great look. While it’s true that the biggest fans are subscribing to MLS Season Pass, the league is preventing fans who only want to watch their local team, can’t afford the subscription, or are simply casual fans who could become super fans from watching these games.
Here’s hoping that the MLS and Apple will allow some wiggle room for teams to air their games in local markets before this Apple TV deal is over in 2032.
Are you bothered by the Apple TV deal? Or do you find value in the MLS Season Pass that many of us don’t see? Let us know in the comments below or on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, BlueSky, or TikTok. Email us at [email protected] and we’ll share the story on the show. Join our Discord for further discussion with the GENY community!