While MLS and Apple TV are in the very early stages of their landmark 10-year media rights deal, they’re already both doing whatever they can to appeal to subscribers.
Over the weekend, Apple TV users were offered the chance at a free trial month. Now, in an effort to promote their Season Pass service, Apple and MLS will make “MLS 360” available for free via YouTube on Saturday night, per Alex Silverman of the Sports Business Journal.
The wraparound show was previously only accessible to Apple TV+ subscribers on MLS Season Pass. Now, the show is set to be available on YouTube, in addition to Apple TV, for this upcoming weekend’s slate of matches. “MLS 360” is much akin to NFL’s RedZone. And like RedZone, the show provides viewers live look-ins and will regularly pan in on every goal, goal-scoring opportunity or critical moment in the match.
On Saturday, MLS fans will have a chance to watch the action from across the league for free on YouTube and Apple TV, if they have signed up for the one-month free trial to MLS Season Pass.
This isn’t exactly a new phenomenon. In the past, DirecTV long offered a free week 1 of NFL Sunday Ticket, and some streaming providers do the same with RedZone now, too. Though it remains to be seen if that will be enough to entice new subscribers for the platform. So, MLS and Apple seem to be following that playbook, but very rarely does something like this happen midseason, so perhaps the early numbers weren’t what either Apple or MLS were hoping for in year one.
[Alex Silverman on Twitter, World Soccer Talk; photo from Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports]