Apple TV is expanding access and reach for its live sports offering, which this year includes existing MLS and MLB programming as well as the first year of rights for Formula 1 racing in the U.S.
Apple’s inaugural F1 season begins in March and the Major League Soccer season kicks off this Saturday, where Apple and MLS execs expect to drive viewership thanks to an earlier pivot that ended the standalone MLS Season Pass offer and makes all 2026 matches available as part of an Apple TV subscription (scroll down for more on that).
And this week saw separate moves with DirecTV and EverPass Media that make it easier for pay TV customers to access Apple TV’s live sports programming and expands out-of-home distribution.
First up, EverPass Media – the entity formed in April 2023 backed by RedBird Capital and others to aggregate and distribute streaming live sports and entertainment content in commercial venues like bars, hotels and restaurants.
Under a new agreement, Apple TV’s live sports, including F1, MLS and MLB with the Friday Night Baseball weekly doubleheader, are part of EverPass’ Core package for new and existing business customers at no extra cost. The live sports content from Apple joins others in the EverPass package, including Paramount+’s UEFA Champions League, Prime Video’s Thursday Night Football, the Peacock Sports Pass, ESPN+ and NFL Sunday Ticket.
“We are excited to partner with Apple and bring its premier content to EverPass, enhancing our ability to deliver must-have live sports to commercial audiences,” said Alex Kaplan, CEO of EverPass Media, in a statement. “From the continued growth of MLS and the enduring pull of MLB to Formula 1’s rapidly expanding global fanbase, Apple’s content strengthens and diversifies our library of premium offerings.”
DirecTV distributes and ingests Apple TV sports content
DirecTV is already an existing OOH distributor for Apple TV sports like MLS and MLB.
And now with the start of Apple TV’s inaugural season as the exclusive US broadcaster of F1 under a five-year rights deal, all 24 Grand Prix races are part of the package distributed by DirecTV across more than 300,000 sports bars, restaurants, hotels and other commercial venues.
Another notable change on the DirecTV front is for residential customers that subscribe to Apple TV through the pay TV provider.
New this week, DirecTV announced all Apple TV live sports content – including F1, MLS and MLB – is getting ingested directly into the DirecTV experience and user interface. Meaning DirecTV customers won’t have to exit and switch to the Apple TV app to access the programming and can view it all from one location.
Specifically, live sports content from Apple will be integrated directly into the DirecTV user interface and electronic programming guide (EPG).
Per a DirecTV rep, Apple live sports will appear as linear channels in the EPG and key events will also be featured throughout the DirecTV UI, including in a Sports Central Hub. Similar to other liner channels, DirecTV customers can DVR the live sports events from Apple.
Ingestion and dedicated linear channels on DirecTV for Apple TV live sports follows similar moves by the pay TV provider for other sports content from streamers, such as already integrating seven new channels of ESPN+ sports content and an additional three-to-five channels of NBC Sports (from Peacock) content.
Note that Apple TV on-demand content is not currently ingested by DirecTV’s platform.
However, the notion of pay TV providers ingesting content from streaming partners is one that has come up before and in part is about addressing the consumer frustration of having to switch between or jump in and out of different apps to watch the content they want.
DirecTV is among those trying to obtain rights, similar to what it has with Apple, with all key streamers in order to integrate content directly into the DirecTV experience so that viewers can use a single user interface, EPG and content recommendation engine across programming.
Other pay TV providers have as well as they seek to incorporate content from streamers, such as YouTube TV with ESPN DTC content and Fubo with its skinny sports bundle and app store.
Apple TV, MLS expect Season Pass pivot to help viewership
The latest ingestion and distribution moves come as Apple TV, for its part, is looking to make the most of recently secured F1 rights and also execute some notable changes regarding its multi-year relationship with Major League Soccer.
Unlike past years, instead of needing to pay for MLS Season Pass from Apple TV as a standalone subscription, the company decided to put an end to that offer after the 2025 season and make all MLS matches included as part of an Apple TV subscription (priced at $12.99 per month)– potentially enhancing the value prop and expanding access and viewership for the sport as it seeks to engage existing and attract new fans.
Camilo Durana, EVP of Marketing, Apple, Events and World Cup Planning at MLS, spoke to this factor separately during a recent briefing for press ahead of the new MLS season kicking off this Saturday, February 21.
“This move to Apple TV is good for the growth of the league but also great for fans,” Durana commented. “Our matches will be exposed to tens of millions of existing Apple TV subscribers as part of their subscription and everyday entertainment.”
Additionally, “placement and discoverability will drive viewership,” he said, adding that they’ve already seen it work.
“Last year, more than 200 matches were simulcast on both MLS Season Pass and Apple TV, including every single Sunday night soccer match. And those games consistently delivered higher viewership than the average MLS match,” Durana explained.
The marketing exec said that by bringing MLS matches within the Apple TV subscription it offers a simpler, more compelling value proposition and is “a great way for MLS to broaden its engagement of consumers who love sports and great entertainment.”
And Royce Dickerson, executive producer of Live Sports for Apple TV, on the briefing also categorized the move to shift all MLS matches into the Apple TV subscription alongside other types of content as “pivotal for North America and MLS fans” particularly this year heading into the World Cup.
“The enhancement of MLS inside of Apple TV makes it such a better value for MLS fans all around the world,” Dickerson said. “MLS matches right next to shows like The Studio, Ted Lasso, Pluribus and F1 The Movie, is going to be a big driver of viewership for us we truly believe.”