Update: Messi’s first match in the MLS, Inter Miami vs Cruz Azul, starts in 30 minutes. Subscribe to MLS Season Pass to watch.
Apple has the exclusive streaming rights to Major League Soccer with MLS Season Pass, running through 2023. Apple has even helped MLS secure a big new player for the league, with esteemed football player Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami. The star makes his debut tonight. Here’s how to watch.
Messi’s contract with Lionel Messi will see him play for the club for the next three years.
You can watch all MLS games through MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app. You can get the Apple TV app on iPhone, iPad, Mac, smart TVs, PlayStation, Xbox, and more platforms. Android and PC users can also watch in a web browser at tv.apple.com.
Messi plays his first MLS match on Friday, July 21. Watch Messi play all his games with an MLS Season Pass subscription, through the Apple TV app with English and Spanish commentary options.
His first game, a Leagues Cup match against Cruz Azul, will be behind the MLS Season Pass paywall and therefore require a subscription. Some future games will be in front of the paywall, in accordance with the standard schedule.
Apple and MLS production have committed to showing Messi’s games with premium quality broadcasts. Coverage of his games will feature eighteen camera angles, Steadicam, super slow-mo, drone shots and more to enhance the experience for viewers.
Lionel Messi’s potential to draw new viewers to watch MLS is so large that Apple even helped sweeten the Inter Miami deal. In addition to millions in salary and other incentives, Messi will receive a percentage of new MLS Season Pass subscriptions from Apple. This kind of arrangement is a first for a sports league.
Apple is also joining in with marketing for Messi’s highly-anticipated arrival, including a massive new stadium mural that reads ‘The š now on Apple TV’. Apple TV+ will also be the home to a four-part docuseries charting Messi’s career.
The hope is that Messi will elevate audience viewership for MLS to new highs, benefiting the league and Apple, ahead of another expected bump from the US hosting the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
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