While the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs are still underway, I can’t help but turn a bit of my attention to next season for one big reason: Apple TV. It was announced earlier this year that the streaming service would be grabbing the coverage rights to MLS in a big way, through an estimated $2.5 billion dollar deal that would see Apple cover the league for the next 10 seasons.
Apple TV and MLS' New Partnership Announcement (Via MLS)
While many of the details of their coverage are still unannounced, here are the highlights that are confirmed:
Games will be scheduled for Wednesday’s and Saturday’s at common times
There will be “whip-around" style coverage of multiple games at once
No regional blackout restrictions will be in place
Season ticket holders will have free access to the platform
So while that all sounds pretty sweet, here are the things that we still don’t know (or at least that I don’t know - I’m just out here googling stuff tbh)
How much the service will cost
How many (if any) nationally televised games will be available
Who the commentators will be (or how many there will be)
Regardless of how this all shakes out, it is a real gamble for the league in a lot of ways. Going all-in on streaming, going entirely behind a paywall, and changing the entire scheduling structure of the league are HUGE moves for the growing league to make. But, if done correctly, I think it could catapult this league into a new era of popularity.
So with that said, here are some interesting things that I want to see the league adopt under their new deal with Apple TV. No, not all of them are realistic, but “in a perfect world” here is what I’d love Apple TV to roll out next season.
1) A Selection of Nationally-Broadcasted Matches
The more I look into this Apple TV Deal, the better it looks for an existing fan of MLS. Whether that’s due to the free access for season ticket holders, all the games being in one place, or the whip-around show, they have done a great job of creating a space where MLS fanatics can get the most out of the league they already know and love.
But with that said, I’m worried about how this subscription fee could impact a casual fan, or the cultivation on new fans for the league. While I don’t yet know how much this service will cost, the fact that all of these games could be behind any paywall whatsoever will likely be enough to turn away many who are not as passionate about the league already.
Jon Strong and Stu Holden calling a nationally-televised match on FOX (Via FOX)
In the current setup with ESPN+, even if you were not a subscriber, you would have access to all local games through your local broadcasters, and a handful of nationally-televised matches per week on ESPN, FOX, or UNIVISION. If this league is entirely behind an Apple TV paywall, I am very skeptical of how many casual fans would actually sign up to watch.
So, I think it’s imperative that some games are simulcasted on a national broadcast alongside Apple TV. It would be great if you could still access that game on the Apple TV platform so that it could be included in the whip-around show, the pre/post match shows, and so that its on the same interface of the other games. But, for those who won't be subscribed to the platform, I think it’s imperative that they can still see a certain number of matches per season, otherwise I fear the league will isolate itself from the rest of the American sports market.
2) Keep the Best Local Broadcasters
The start of any exciting new era generally marks a somewhat bitter-sweat occasion, as it inevitably means the end of a former era. While you’re exited about what’s to come, a wave of nostalgia reminds you that you are losing something you once cherished. That’s exactly how many of us MLS fans feel about loosing our local broadcasters through this new Apple TV deal, as it’s been acknowledged across the league that many clubs’ longtime commentators have called their last match.
For me, that’s NYCFC’s Ian Joy and Joe Tollesen, a commentary duo as synonymous with the club for me as any player on the team itself. But for others, that may be DC United’s Dave Johnson, The Galaxy’s Joe Totino, or the Red Bull’s Steve Cangialosi.
NYCFC on YES broadcasters Ian Joy and Joe Tolleson (Via NYCFC)
Regardless of who “your commentator” is, it kinda sucks that we all have to lose them like this, especially for new Apple TV commentary crews that haven’t even been announced yet. So, while it’s definitely a long shot this late in the game, why not keep the most iconic ones?
I totally understand wanting to usher the league into a new era, but holding onto tradition is important in some settings, especially for a young league that is still trying to write its own history. With new expansion teams flying into the league year after year, new stadiums being built left and right, and new stars entering the league every transfer window, there is certainly enough “new” to keep things perpetually fresh. So, why not hold onto a bit of history and familiarity here?
3) Alternative “ManningCast” Style Coverage of Select Games
To be honest, the “alternative coverage” option I wanted to see the most in MLS was the “whip-around” style coverage that MLS and Apple have already announced that will take place next season. So, we’re off to a great start, because I think that is a great way to see more teams and players in the league that you might otherwise miss if you have to pick a single game to watch.
But, why stop there with the alternative coverage? While I think there’s something to be said for just sitting down, strapping in, and watching a game traditionally from start to finish, I think it can also be really enjoyable to watch games in new and unique ways. It keeps things fresh, you know?
Peyton and Eli Manning on "Manningcast" with Snoop Dogg (Via ESPN)
So, if anyone is familiar with ESPN’s Monday Night Football secondary coverage called, “ManningCast”, they will see what I’m getting at here. ManningCast is basically an alternative coverage option of an NFL Football game, where instead of traditional announcers calling play-by-play, there are two former players (Eli and Peyton Manning) chatting podcast-style throughout the whole game. They talk about what’s happening in the game, of course, but they also joke around, interview guests, and try to keep things light wherever possible.
I think it would be great to bring a similar style of alternative coverage to MLS on Apple TV. Let me pitch it to you:
We get two big name former MLS players (lets say, for example, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan?) to just banter and talk soccer throughout a match. They can tell stories of their time in the league, discuss what they’re seeing on the pitch, react in real time to big plays, and maybe even bring in a guest or two. All of this would have the goal in mind of creating a more lighthearted and neutral atmosphere to a particular match for an audience that may be less interested in the score, and more interested in just enjoying the ride.
I think if the league rolled this out for just one marquee match a week, it could be a big hit. It would be a social media content-making machine, and would provide another unique edge that MLS would hold over every other soccer league in the world.
4) As Many “Mic’d Up” Players/Coaches as Humanly Possible
Sports are more entertaining when you know the players. But there’s way more to “knowing” a player than remembering their name, their playing style, and what they look like. It’s the most entertaining when you really feel like you know them on a personal level.
There’s one example that sticks out in my mind as a league were people know the players really well, and that’s in the NBA. The league has done a phenomenal job of branding their talent, and making sure that the players have every platform they want/need to express themselves as individuals - whether that’s socially, politically, or otherwise.
I think having players “Mic’d Up” in MLS would bring us closer to that ‘player branding’ that we see in the NBA, and would give us an entertaining glimpse into who these players are as people.
Brad Guzan mic'd up at the 2019 MLS All-Star Game (Via MLS)
Think back to all the matches played behind closed doors during the pandemic: the one thing I feel like people universally enjoyed was being able to hear the players and coaches communicate due to the lack of crowd noise. If there’s an opportunity to pick up that audio through all the crowd noise, and use it to create content for us to better understand our players, I think that would be a really cool way for MLS to promote some of the individual personalities in their league.
5) Instant Highlights
To preface this one, I’m not sure if this is technologically possible…but damn I feel like it really should be by now. Apple has always been a driver of innovation, so one thing I’d love for them to develop would be instantaneous highlights.
Every time a goal is scored in MLS, I get a FOTBOB notification on my phone instantly. I can open the app, see who scored, see who assisted the goal, see when the goal was scored, see what the score of the match is…you name it. But what I can’t see? The freakin’ goal!
Please Apple TV figure this out...(Via Freepik)
If you’re lucky, one of the major social media pages will happen to post about the goal somewhere with a video included. But most of the time, I have to wait until the post-match highlights are published on YouTube before I can see any of the action that I’ve been getting notified about for hours.
So, what if we could just cut out this lag time entirely? I get a notification from Apple that a goal has been scored in MLS, and I can click a link that takes me right to a clip of a goal. Boom - it could be that easy. If we have the tech to do this for a whip-around show that’s going to broadcast goals on a 30-second delay, surely we have something resembling this technology…right?
If Apple can figure this out, I think it would go a long way to keeping fans engaged on what is happening all across the league - anywhere, anytime.
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