By Alejandro Medellin
MLS Season Pass: Major Value for Fans of Major League Soccer
What We Like About MLS Season Pass
- Great value for the price
- Available in English and Spanish
- Get to watch Messi in the league
What We Don’t Like About MLS Season Pass
- No 4K streaming
- Unknown pundits
Want answers to your MLS Season Pass questions quickly? Check out our FAQ section.
What Is MLS Season Pass?
MLS Season Pass is a subscription service within Apple TV that offers unlimited access to Major League Soccer, America's top-flight soccer league. Subscribers can view every match from all 29 MLS teams, including preseason and postseason matches. MLS Season Pass also offers access to the Campeones Cup and the Leagues Cup, two contests that feature MLS teams from other North American Leagues. Users can also watch the developmental youth league, MLS Next, and the minor-league MLS Next Pro.
On top of live and on-demand matches, there are pre- and post-game analysis shows that cover the best of MLS in both English and Spanish. If that's not enough MLS, then there’s also original content that covers everything from player profiles to fan traditions. Whether viewers are seasoned fans of MLS or newcomers, MLS Season Pass provides more than enough value for viewers of all experience levels.
MLS Season Pass Features and Specs
| Detail | MLS Season Pass |
|---|---|
| Starting price | $99 per year or $14.99 per month, 12.99 per month or $79 per season for Apple TV+ subscribers |
| Free trial | N/A |
| Simultaneous device streams | 6 per Apple ID |
| Max resolution | 1080p |
| Cloud DVR storage | All games available on demand |
How Does It Feel to Use MLS Season Pass?
While MLS Season Pass is offered through Apple TV, it's not necessary to own an Apple TV streaming device. So long as users have access to the Apple TV app, whether it's on a Roku or Android device, it's possible to view MLS games through MLS Season Pass. Think of the Apple TV app as Netflix or Hulu — it's a subscription service that's separate from the Apple TV device despite sharing the same name.
During my testing, I primarily used the Apple TV 4K streaming device, which offered a seamless streaming experience when viewing matches. During the match, I could rewind or skip to 10 seconds earlier to catch a moment I missed. Plus, I could just as easily fast-forward when watching matches on demand to skip past advertisements and the halftime show. I also liked that I could switch between subtitle and audio languages as I was watching the game.
Over on the web browser, MLS Season Pass functioned similarly. One disadvantage I encountered was not being able to use Siri to find a match, but the search bar in the web browser version at least made up for it.
Even if you don't own an Apple TV device, I think you'll be happy with using the Apple TV app on other devices, be it Roku or Fire TV, because it operates pretty much the same.
What Can You Watch on MLS Season Pass?
The MLS Season Pass tab within the Apple TV platform makes it easy to find recent matches and highlights — with specific team hubs further down that give you a thorough view of a team's recent matches, highlights, and future matches. Clicking on past matches takes you to another page where you can watch a short recap, even shorter highlights, or the entire match. Unfortunately, doing this also reveals the scoreline, which can ruin the surprise if you want to watch the entire game on demand. It would be better if scorelines were hidden by default, but this doesn't seem to be possible at the moment.
In addition to all the MLS regular-season and postseason matches, MLS Season Pass offers access to the Campeones Cup and the Leagues Cup. The Campeones Cup is a match between the winners of the MLS Cup and the winners of the Liga MX Campeon de Campeones. The Leagues Cup is a whole different beast altogether. The Leagues Cup is an international competition that includes every team from MLS and Liga MX. The month-long tournament takes place in the summer, replacing the regular season of both leagues as all 47 teams try to get out of the group stage and into the knockout stages. It's a thrilling tournament that highlights the best of North American soccer.
As someone who’s fluent in both English and Spanish, the feature I appreciated most was the bilingual nature of the app. Every match, whether seen live or on demand, has the option to watch in either language. Pre- and post-game analysis shows are also offered in both languages, which is a nice bonus. Aside from making the app accessible to more people, the option to watch in Spanish made matches a lot more enjoyable to me. The Spanish-speaking commentators brought a much livelier energy that kept me tuned in even during lulls in a match.
Aside from the matches, I occasionally watched the “MLS Wrap-Up” in English, which breaks down the day's matches and best moments, providing mostly insightful analysis of the league's most anticipated matches. The caliber of talent in the “Wrap-Up” shows was underwhelming, however. As a longtime soccer fan semi-new to MLS, I didn't recognize any of the pundits, and I didn't find them to be particularly exciting or fun to watch. Compared to the talent on “CBS Sports Golazo,” which has the likes of Thierry Henry and Kate Abdo, the pundits on various shows across MLS Season Pass were lackluster. I hope bigger names will be brought over to the network in the coming years.
How Is the Streaming Quality on MLS Season Pass?
Throughout the entire time I watched MLS Season Pass, I didn't encounter any major issues with the streaming quality. Whether I was watching live or on demand, matches loaded quickly and smoothly. Granted, my Apple TV 4K was hooked up to the internet via an Ethernet cable, and I did have a gigabit internet connection. That said, I doubt there would be issues with streaming MLS Season Pass games, as the resolution is capped at 1080p.
The lack of 4K might come as a bummer to those with 4K TVs, but I wasn't put off. My 4K TV did a great job of upsampling the 1080p feed, which looked crisp and vibrant across all 50 inches. That said, I would still love an option for 4K streaming in the future.
The Value of MLS Season Pass: Is It Worth the Cost?
For $99 per year, MLS Season Pass gives you access to everything I described above, which is an incredible deal. That's every match for every team between the first preseason game to the MLS Cup final. It's even more affordable for Apple TV+ subscribers, who can sign up for MLS Season Pass for only $79 per season.
Midway through the 2023 season, MLS Season Pass was being offered for $39 to access the latter half of the season. This was a great promotion for latecomers who probably didn't want to shell out $99 to watch only half a season. Coincidentally, this was done just as Lionel Messi was entering the league, capitalizing on the player's star power to attract new users.
Regardless of whether you watch one game a week or 10-plus games a month, MLS Season Pass is arguably one of the best deals in professional sports.
Our Verdict on MLS Season Pass: Should You Subscribe?
With a slick user interface, affordable cost, and access to every game, MLS Season Pass is a must-have for soccer fans. The subscription service finally makes it easy to access MLS, providing a direct line to your favorite team regardless of your location. If you want to watch Messi's Inter Miami CF or Carlos Vela's LA FC, you can do that easily in English or Spanish. Though the lack of 4K and sub-par pundits may be setbacks for some, the truth is that there’s no other soccer league that provides this much access to American viewers. Even if you don't root for an MLS team, you owe it to yourself to subscribe to MLS Season Pass if you're a fan of the beautiful game.
Frequently Asked Questions About MLS Season Pass
How many user profiles can you have on MLS Season Pass?
You can only have one profile with MLS Season Pass, but you can use this profile to watch on multiple screens simultaneously.
How many devices can you simultaneously stream on MLS Season Pass?
Up to six devices can stream MLS Season Pass per Apple ID, which means you and five other family members can share your subscription.
What devices are compatible with MLS Season Pass?
MLS Season Pass is available through the Apple TV app, so it's compatible with any device equipped with the app. That includes Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, and Fire TV streaming devices; select Samsung, LG, and Vizio TVs; and PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series S/X consoles.
Does MLS Season Pass offer DVR storage?
No, but it’s possible to watch past games and analysis shows on demand.