Apple could cancel MLS deal very early if it's not a hit

AppleInsider

Apple TV+ has only just begun its decade-long arrangement to cover Major League Soccer, but it appears that the deal allows Apple to walk away at any time if it isn't a success.

Watch MLS on Apple TV+

The deal between MLS and Apple is set to run for 10 years, and it's already seeing Apple TV+ working to revamp how soccer is covered on TV. Plus Apple is promoting the US service worldwide with its new MLS Season Pass, and it's reportedly even revamping how advertising deals work with the service.

A new report in The Athletic, however, claims that multiple sources familiar with the deal, are saying that there is an "opt-out" clause. Broadly, the clause would mean Apple could drop the deal entirely if the league does not drive some certain number of subscribers to Apple TV+ within some specific timeframe.

There are no further details and not even rumors of what the subscriber numbers or timeframe could be.

Don Garber, MLS commissioner declined to confirm or deny the report in an interview with the publication.

"We've never talked about what the specific terms (of the agreement) are," he said, "and we're not going to talk about it now."

"It's a 10-year partnership," he continued. "We're both very, very committed to that... I am wholeheartedly convinced that this company and our league are going to be together for a very long time."

Apple has not commented on the report.

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williamh

I got a free 1-year subscription through T-Mobile Tuesdays so Apple is definitely trying to make it work.  I took the 1-year because it was free - I don't know if I will watch any matches at all but I probably will.  To be honest, UK matches interest me more and I don't tend to watch them.  There's no chance I will pay after the year.

Skeptical

Well duh.., why would the dump money into a failing endeavor. You really felt the need to report the obvious?

robaba

Skeptical said:

Well duh.., why would the dump money into a failing endeavor. You really felt the need to report the obvious?

These deals are usually iron clad.  I’ve never heard of a deal of this spurt having an escape clause one partner can fire up “any time it’s wants.” Being the first of its kind makes it news.

duh

lkrupp

I simply don’t believe there’s an opt-out clause. Period.

creek0512

robaba said:

Skeptical said:

Well duh.., why would the dump money into a failing endeavor. You really felt the need to report the obvious?

These deals are usually iron clad.  I’ve never heard of a deal of this spurt having an escape clause one partner can fire up “any time it’s wants.” Being the first of its kind makes it news.

duh

Apple has multiple opt-out clauses in its deal with MLB for Friday Night Baseball.

neverindoubt

creek0512 said:

robaba said:

Skeptical said:

Well duh.., why would the dump money into a failing endeavor. You really felt the need to report the obvious?

These deals are usually iron clad.  I’ve never heard of a deal of this spurt having an escape clause one partner can fire up “any time it’s wants.” Being the first of its kind makes it news.

duh

Apple has multiple opt-out clauses in its deal with MLB for Friday Night Baseball.

Please educate us about those multiple opt-out clauses with a link from a credible news source.

danox

It doesn’t get much coverage among the main stream media but MLS, it’s very popular among the growing Hispanic population in the United States, and also has a large following among many of the people that have immigrated to the country from other parts of the world that like soccer.

I don’t like any of the sport sponsorships. Apple has become involved with, because I think it’s just for the most part a black hole, but long term from Mexico on south into Central and South America, Apple advertising, or being a part of sponsorship in Major League Soccer probably is the only sport that it makes sense to support since, Apples penetration into the smartphone market in that part of the world has a lot of growth potential as time goes on.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Soccer_attendance

lkrupp

neverindoubt said:

creek0512 said:

robaba said:

Skeptical said:

Well duh.., why would the dump money into a failing endeavor. You really felt the need to report the obvious?

These deals are usually iron clad.  I’ve never heard of a deal of this spurt having an escape clause one partner can fire up “any time it’s wants.” Being the first of its kind makes it news.

duh

Apple has multiple opt-out clauses in its deal with MLB for Friday Night Baseball.

Please educate us about those multiple opt-out clauses with a link from a credible news source.

He can’t. He won’t respond either because he just threw crap on the wall to get a reaction. It’s what trolls do.

proline

I watched an episode of the baseball and was impressed with how non-innovative it was. Exactly like watching baseball anywhere else. Yawn. 

lkrupp

proline said:

I watched an episode of the baseball and was impressed with how non-innovative it was. Exactly like watching baseball anywhere else. Yawn. 

Baseball has been around much longer than any other professional sport in the United States, over 125 years now. It will continue to survive and prosper regardless of your negative opinion.

M68000

I’m disappointed in MLS for agreeing to take games off of broadcast TV.    I feel this is a bad deal and a big step back for MLS in the USA.   The casual fan is being left behind unless they see value in paying every month for this.    I for one do not and won’t be supporting it.  I already have plenty of international soccer on another streaming service that includes movies and shows for about the same price that MLS and Apple want.  To think that a 10 year deal was agreed on, truly amazing.

neverindoubt

M68000 said:

I’m disappointed in MLS for agreeing to take games off of broadcast TV.    I feel this is a bad deal and a big step back for MLS in the USA.   The casual fan is being left behind unless they see value in paying every month for this.    I for one do not and won’t be supporting it.  I already have plenty of international soccer on another streaming service that includes movies and shows for about the same price that MLS and Apple want.  To think that a 10 year deal was agreed on, truly amazing.

You're confused. There are 15 games on Fox broadcast network this year.

And while your confused rant wasn't about cable, there are also 19 games on FS1.

What MLS did do was take all their games off the cable Regional Sports Networks. Is that what you thought you were crying about?

M68000

neverindoubt said:

M68000 said:

I’m disappointed in MLS for agreeing to take games off of broadcast TV.    I feel this is a bad deal and a big step back for MLS in the USA.   The casual fan is being left behind unless they see value in paying every month for this.    I for one do not and won’t be supporting it.  I already have plenty of international soccer on another streaming service that includes movies and shows for about the same price that MLS and Apple want.  To think that a 10 year deal was agreed on, truly amazing.

You're confused. There are 15 games on Fox broadcast network this year.

And while your confused rant wasn't about cable, there are also 19 games on FS1.

What MLS did do was take all their games off the cable Regional Sports Networks. Is that what you thought you were crying about?

Guess what - my local team that is in a major market is no longer on broadcast TV,  they used to have many games each year.   I’m not confused about that.  Instead I’m annoyed and sad for the general public and US soccer as a whole.  You talk about 15 games on Fox,  yeah that could roughly mean one appearance a year for each team.  LOL.    let’s watch how this deal unfolds and what ends up happening,  if the sport becomes less relevant,  it was making good progress.  

neverindoubt

M68000 said:

neverindoubt said:

M68000 said:

I’m disappointed in MLS for agreeing to take games off of broadcast TV.    I feel this is a bad deal and a big step back for MLS in the USA.   The casual fan is being left behind unless they see value in paying every month for this.    I for one do not and won’t be supporting it.  I already have plenty of international soccer on another streaming service that includes movies and shows for about the same price that MLS and Apple want.  To think that a 10 year deal was agreed on, truly amazing.

You're confused. There are 15 games on Fox broadcast network this year.

And while your confused rant wasn't about cable, there are also 19 games on FS1.

What MLS did do was take all their games off the cable Regional Sports Networks. Is that what you thought you were crying about?

Guess what - my local team that is in a major market is no longer on broadcast TV,  they used to have many games each year.   I’m not confused about that.  Instead I’m annoyed and sad for the general public and US soccer as a whole.  You talk about 15 games on Fox,  yeah that could roughly mean one appearance a year for each team.  LOL.    let’s watch how this deal unfolds and what ends up happening,  if the sport becomes less relevant,  it was making good progress.  

Less relevance is guaranteed.

Whatever televised reach MLS had under the previous media deals they traded away for money from Apple. Nobody else would pay them what Apple offered.

I can't fault anyone for crying over that decision.

avon b7

This kind of happened decades ago when Sky bought the rights to top tier UK football and effectively put it behind a pay wall.

I thought it was wrong then and I think it's wrong now. 

In Spain, years later, the same thing happened but the government stepped in and declared some games as 'general interest' and they were shown on OTA public TV. 

That isn't the case now as the ICT carriers fight over the rights to show games in their plans but it still means most games are behind a paywall.

As a defender of free, quality, public TV it's all pretty sad to see people with money take cultural events hostage for their own financial interests.