The technology giant hijacked the TV rights of the rapidly growing MLS.
Known for its phones and computers, Apple expanded into the sports TV market. AOP
Technology giant Apple has acquired the television rights to Major League Soccer, North America’s toughest football series, from 2023 onwards.
All of the league’s matches are shown exclusively on the Apple TV app, which is quite a significant change in the U.S. sports market dominated by traditional cable channels.
The agreement is also revolutionary in the sense that all matches can be watched around the country without the regional restrictions that are common in the United States.
The ten-year contract is worth $ 250 million per term, meaning the total contract price is quite a messy $ 2.5 billion.
However, relative to the overwhelming dominance of the U.S. TV sports market, the amount is quite small, with the NFL, the main player in American football, making an agreement worth about 110 billion last year for 11 years.
The MLS has grown at a rapid pace in recent years, as has the popularity of “European” football in the United States. The number of teams in the series has more than doubled in the last 15 years.
Finns are currently playing in MLS Robin Lod, Robert Taylor, Lassi Lappalainen and Alexander Ring.