Apple could cancel MLS deal very early if it's not a hit
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.
Read on AppleInsider
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.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
duh
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
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?
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.
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.