Editing Major League Soccer (section)

==Media coverage==
{{Main|Major League Soccer on television}}
{{See also|List of current Major League Soccer broadcasters}}

===MLS Season Pass on Apple TV===
Since 2023, all MLS and [[Leagues Cup]] matches, as well as certain matches from [[MLS Next Pro]] and [[MLS Next]], are streamed worldwide on [[MLS Season Pass]] via [[Apple TV app|Apple TV]]. This agreement ended the previous regional sports network-based system.<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Straus |first=Brian |title=MLS, Apple Partner on New 10-Year Media Rights Deal |url=https://www.si.com/soccer/2022/06/14/mls-apple-partner-broadcast-tv-rights-media-deal |access-date=2022-06-14 |magazine=Sports Illustrated |archive-date=June 14, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220614162215/https://www.si.com/soccer/2022/06/14/mls-apple-partner-broadcast-tv-rights-media-deal |url-status=live }}</ref> The contract allows for some broadcasts on linear television. ESPN and Univision exited negotiations, apparently because MLS would not allow them to stream via their own platforms or use their own commentators.<ref name="Gostomelsky"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=SBJ Media: Univision not close on MLS deal |url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/SB-Blogs/Newsletter-Media/2022/07/25.aspx |access-date=2022-11-17 |website=Sports Business Journal |language=en |archive-date=October 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006162428/https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/SB-Blogs/Newsletter-Media/2022/07/25.aspx |url-status=live }}</ref> Following their departures, Fox Sports joined Apple as MLS's linear broadcast partners in the U.S., with [[Bell Media]]'s [[The Sports Network|TSN]] and [[Réseau des sports|RDS]] doing so in Canada.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Major League Soccer, FOX Sports, TelevisaUnivision, TSN & RDS Announce Multi-year Linear TV Rights Agreements |date=December 13, 2022 |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/major-league-soccer-fox-sports-televisaunivision-tsn-rds-announce-multi-year-lin |access-date=January 6, 2023 |website=MLSSoccer.com |archive-date=December 29, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221229074017/https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/major-league-soccer-fox-sports-televisaunivision-tsn-rds-announce-multi-year-lin |url-status=live }}</ref>

===United States===
From 2012 to 2014, MLS matches were broadcast by [[NBC Sports]], with 40 matches per year—primarily on [[NBCSN]], and select matches broadcast on the NBC network.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 10, 2011 |title=MLS, NBC announce three-year broadcast deal |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/08/10/mls-nbc-sports-agree-three-year-broadcast-deal |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111025033032/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/08/10/mls-nbc-sports-agree-three-year-broadcast-deal |archive-date=October 25, 2011 |access-date=October 11, 2011 |website=MLSsoccer.com}}</ref> The move from [[Fox Soccer]] to the more widely distributed NBCSN caused viewership numbers to double for the 2012 season.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tannenwald |first=Jonathan |date=November 29, 2012 |title=Analyzing NBC's ratings in its first season of broadcasting Major League Soccer |work=Philadelphia Daily News |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thegoalkeeper/Analyzing-NBCs-ratings-in-its-first-season-of-broadcasting-Major-League-Soccer.html |url-status=live |access-date=May 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141015092025/http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thegoalkeeper/Analyzing-NBCs-ratings-in-its-first-season-of-broadcasting-Major-League-Soccer.html |archive-date=October 15, 2014}}</ref>

Soccer United Marketing partnered with [[Google]] and Bedrocket Media Ventures in 2012 to launch "KickTV", a premium [[YouTube]] channel with original soccer programming.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Bell |first=Jack |date=May 1, 2012 |title=KickTV Is on the 'Air' on YouTube |work=The New York Times |url=https://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/kicktv-is-on-the-air-on-youtube/ |access-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-date=January 22, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122081342/https://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/05/01/kicktv-is-on-the-air-on-youtube/ |url-status=live }}</ref> KickTV was sold to [[Copa90]] in 2015 to form its American branch.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=MLS announces sale of KICKTV YouTube channel & soccer media platform to Copa90 |date=January 29, 2015 |publisher=Major League Soccer |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/01/29/mls-announces-sale-kicktv-youtube-channel-soccer-media-platform-copa90 |access-date=August 17, 2020}}</ref> In 2020, Soccer United Marketing signed a multi-year agreement with [[Bleacher Report]] to produce content and highlights for MLS and the U.S. national teams through the 2022 season.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Settimi |first=Christina |date=August 17, 2020 |title=Major League Soccer Signs Content Deal With Bleacher Report; Streaming Deal Could Be Next |work=Forbes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2020/08/17/major-league-soccer-signs-deal-with-bleacher-report-invites-company-to-bid-on-broadcast-rights/#3ae14c224b39 |access-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-date=April 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230415164608/https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2020/08/17/major-league-soccer-signs-deal-with-bleacher-report-invites-company-to-bid-on-broadcast-rights/#3ae14c224b39 |url-status=live }}</ref>

From 2015 to 2022, MLS matches were broadcast nationally by [[ESPN]] networks and [[Fox Sports (United States)|Fox Sports]] in English, and [[Univision]] networks in Spanish under an eight-year contract. Each broadcaster had a window for national regular season matches, with [[UniMás]] airing a game on Friday nights in Spanish and additional matches on [[Univision Deportes Network]], and [[ESPN Major League Soccer|ESPN]] and [[Fox Sports 1]] airing games on Sunday evenings in English. ESPN, FS1, and Univision shared coverage of the playoffs, while ABC and Fox alternated broadcasting the MLS Cup final in English. In total, at least 125 matches were aired per-season across all three networks. The three contracts have an average estimated value of $90 million per season—five times larger than the average $18 million value of the previous contracts with ESPN, Univision, and [[NBC Sports]].<ref name="philly-espnfs1mls">{{Cite web |title=NBC to end MLS deal in 2015; ESPN, Fox pay $70 million per year for new rights package |url=http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thegoalkeeper/NBC-to-lose-MLS-rights-in-2015-ESPN-Fox-likely-to-share-new-deal.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140114221044/http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thegoalkeeper/NBC-to-lose-MLS-rights-in-2015-ESPN-Fox-likely-to-share-new-deal.html |archive-date=January 14, 2014 |access-date=February 3, 2014 |website=The Goalkeeper|date=January 9, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="nyt-newcontract">{{Cite news |last=Das |first=Andrew |date=May 12, 2014 |title=M.L.S. and TV Networks Reach Deal to Set Weekly Slots for Games |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/sports/soccer/mls-and-tv-networks-reach-deal-to-set-weekly-slots-for-games.html |url-status=live |access-date=May 13, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513214511/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/sports/soccer/mls-and-tv-networks-reach-deal-to-set-weekly-slots-for-games.html?_r=0 |archive-date=May 13, 2014}}</ref><ref name="mls-newdeal2015">{{Cite web |date=May 13, 2014 |title=ESPN, Fox and Univision promise new emphasis to domestic game, MLS in landmark eight-year TV deal |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/05/12/espn-fox-and-univision-promise-new-emphasis-domestic-game-mls-landmark-eight |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140513163155/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/05/12/espn-fox-and-univision-promise-new-emphasis-domestic-game-mls-landmark-eight |archive-date=May 13, 2014 |access-date=May 13, 2014 |website=MLSsoccer.com}}</ref>

Matches not televised nationally were broadcast regionally, often by [[regional sports networks]] like [[Bally Sports]], [[NBC Sports Regional Networks]], [[Spectrum Sports]] and [[Root Sports]], and sometimes by terrestrial stations like [[KTXA]], [[WGN Sports|WGN]] and [[KMYU]].<ref name="latimes1" /> Regionally televised matches were available outside their local markets on [[ESPN+]], which replaced MLS Live from 2018 until 2022.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 2, 2018 |title=ESPN+ launching on April 12; MLS LIVE games moving to platform |work=MLSsoccer.com |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/02/13/mls-live-be-added-espn-lineup-spring-free-fans-until-espn |access-date=August 17, 2020 |archive-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109040419/https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/02/13/mls-live-be-added-espn-lineup-spring-free-fans-until-espn |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Canada===
[[File:2012 Impact Montreal Stade Saputo.jpg|thumb|upright=1.1|right|[[CF Montréal|Montreal Impact]] hosting [[D.C. United]] (August 2012).]]

Currently, English-language national MLS broadcast rights in Canada are held by the [[The Sports Network|TSN]] networks through a five-year deal first renewed in 2017. The networks primarily broadcast matches involving the league's Canadian franchises, in combination with separate "regional" rights deals giving TSN exclusive rights to all [[Toronto FC]] and [[Vancouver Whitecaps FC]] matches.<ref name="bell-mlsprwhitecaps">{{Cite web |title=Every Game, All Season Long: MLS ON TSN Kicks Off its Complete Coverage of Vancouver Whitecaps FC This Saturday |url=http://www.bellmediapr.ca/Network/TSN/Press/Every-Game-All-Season-Long-MLS-ON-TSN-Kicks-Off-its-Complete-Coverage-of-Vancouver-Whitecaps-FC-This-Saturday- |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140405171947/http://www.bellmediapr.ca/Network/TSN/Press/Every-Game-All-Season-Long-MLS-ON-TSN-Kicks-Off-its-Complete-Coverage-of-Vancouver-Whitecaps-FC-This-Saturday- |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 5, 2014 |access-date=April 5, 2014 }}</ref><ref name="tsn-whitecapsdeal">{{Cite web |title=TSN to broadcast all Whitecaps FC games beginning in 2014 |url=https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=439310 |publisher=The Sports Network |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140201161233/http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=439310 |archive-date=February 1, 2014 |access-date=January 21, 2014}}</ref><ref name="mls-canadiantv17" /> A limited number of matches are also carried by [[CTV Television Network|CTV]].<ref name="mls-canadiantv17" />

[[TVA Sports]] holds exclusive French-language rights to MLS in Canada as of the 2017 season. As part of a separate "regional" rights deal, it also holds exclusive rights to all [[CF Montréal]] games.<ref name="mls-canadiantv17">{{Cite web |title=Canadian national broadcast schedule for 2017 revealed; CTV to air 7 games |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/02/09/canadian-national-broadcast-schedule-2017-revealed-ctv-air-7-games |date=February 9, 2017 |website=MLSsoccer.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211155844/http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/02/09/canadian-national-broadcast-schedule-2017-revealed-ctv-air-7-games |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |access-date=February 22, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Impact sign multimedia deal, name TVA Sports broadcaster |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/07/14/impact-sign-multimedia-deal-name-tva-sports-broadcaster |last=Delia-Lavictoire |first=Yvan |date=July 14, 2011 |website=MLSsoccer.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110817051921/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/07/14/impact-sign-multimedia-deal-name-tva-sports-broadcaster |archive-date=August 17, 2011 |access-date=August 7, 2011}}</ref>

In 2018, online streaming service [[DAZN]] obtained Major League Soccer's digital out-of-market service MLS Live with live and on-demand streaming of matches featuring U.S. teams (matches with Canadian teams are only available after a 48-hour delay to protect the league's main rightsholders TSN and TVA Sports).<ref>{{Cite news |last=Armstrong |first=Laura |date=March 2, 2018 |title=MLS partners with DAZN to live stream U.S. matches for Canadian soccer fans |work=Toronto Star |url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/2018/03/02/mls-partners-with-dazn-to-live-stream-us-matches-for-canadian-soccer-fans.html |access-date=March 4, 2018 |issn=0319-0781 |archive-date=March 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303214646/https://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/2018/03/02/mls-partners-with-dazn-to-live-stream-us-matches-for-canadian-soccer-fans.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===International===
MLS also entered into a four-year contract with [[Sky Sports]] to broadcast two MLS matches per week in the United Kingdom and Ireland from 2015 to 2019.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=MLS and Sky Sports Announce Groundbreaking Partnership to Broadcast MLS in the United Kingdom |date=February 25, 2015 |publisher=Major League Soccer |url=http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/mls-and-sky-sports-announce-groundbreaking-partnership-broadcast-mls-united-kingdom |access-date=January 23, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202024406/http://pressbox.mlssoccer.com/content/mls-and-sky-sports-announce-groundbreaking-partnership-broadcast-mls-united-kingdom |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> As part of the agreement, Sky Sports broadcast at least two MLS regular-season matches each week, as well as the MLS All-Star Game, every MLS Cup Playoff game, and the MLS Cup final. The matches appeared across Sky's family of networks. It also carried weekly MLS highlights across various platforms, including Sky Sports News and SkySports.com. Sky Sports also broadcast at least one match from MLS's "Decision Day" – the final day of the MLS regular season. Many of the matches on Decision Day every year are expected to determine the final spots for the MLS Cup Playoffs.<ref>{{Cite web |title=MLS and British broadcaster Sky Sports announce groundbreaking partnership |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/02/25/mls-and-british-broadcaster-sky-sports-announce-groundbreaking-partnership |date=February 25, 2015 |website=MLSsoccer.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161002140559/http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2015/02/25/mls-and-british-broadcaster-sky-sports-announce-groundbreaking-partnership |archive-date=October 2, 2016 |access-date=January 23, 2017}}</ref>

[[DSport]], owned by [[Discovery Communications]], began televising league matches in India in 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Laghate |first=Gaurav |date=February 6, 2017 |title=Discovery launches sports channel DSPORT in India |work=[[The Economic Times]] |location=Mumbai |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/discovery-launches-sports-channel-dsports-in-india/articleshow/56997525.cms |url-status=live |access-date=March 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207124304/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/media/entertainment/media/discovery-launches-sports-channel-dsports-in-india/articleshow/56997525.cms |archive-date=February 7, 2017}}</ref>

[[SBS Sport|SBS Sport Australia]] broadcast one MLS game per week in Australia from 2025.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to watch 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season LIVE on SBS |date=March 1, 2025 |publisher=SBS |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/sport/article/how-to-watch-2025-major-league-soccer-mls-season-live-on-sbs/v55m5n5on}}</ref>

===Video games===

Major League Soccer is a playable league in the [[EA Sports FC]] series, the [[eFootball]] series, and the [[Football Manager]] series. The league made its video game debut in 1999 with [[FIFA 2000]]. Kids video game company [[Humongous Entertainment]] had the rights to teams and players for their game, [[Backyard Soccer MLS Edition]] and for Backyard Soccer 2004. In 2000, [[Konami]] released ''[[ESPN MLS GameNight]]'', and two years later, they released its sequel, ''[[ESPN MLS ExtraTime 2002]]''. The league made its first appearance in the management series ''[[Football Manager 2005]]'' in 2004.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Football Manager signs with MLS |url=http://www.sigames.com/news.php?type=view&article_id=905 |date=May 13, 2004 |publisher=Sports Interactive |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040714083312/http://www.sigames.com/news.php?type=view&article_id=905 |archive-date=July 14, 2004 |access-date=September 20, 2014}}</ref>