Major League Soccer announced on December 13 a new four-year linear television agreements in the U.S. and Canada: FOX Sports (FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes) and TelevisaUnivision (Univision/UNIMÁS/TUDN) in the U.S., and TSN and RDS in Canada. The new linear agreements complement the transformative 10-year partnership between MLS and Apple starting next year that will feature MLS Season Pass and provide fans an unprecedented and innovative broadcast package featuring the most comprehensive and accessible schedule of games and programming in the history of the league.
The four-year agreements with FOX Sports, TelevisaUnivision, TSN and RDS come at a time of sustained and substantial growth for both MLS and soccer in North America more broadly. These agreements are strategically designed to run through 2026 – the year of the most important moment in the sport’s history on this continent when the FIFA World Cup™ will be hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. FOX Sports, TSN and RDS are also the broadcast homes in the U.S. and Canada for the FIFA World Cup™ in 2026.
For each of the four MLS seasons through 2026, FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes will have exclusive English and Spanish language linear broadcast rights to an average of 34 regular season and eight Audi MLS Cup Playoff games. FOX and FOX Deportes will also be the linear broadcast home for MLS Cup in the U.S. for the next four years. In Canada, TSN and RDS will have an extensive schedule of regular season matches – with at least one match per week featuring a Canadian team – along with eight playoff matches and MLS Cup every year.
In addition, TelevisaUnivision, FOX Sports, TSN and RDS will be the linear broadcast home for select matches in Leagues Cup – the monumental new chapter for North American soccer beginning in 2023. Leagues Cup will see MLS and LIGA MX pause their seasons each summer as 47 clubs compete in a World-Cup style tournament to crown a champion. The Leagues Cup Final will be available on Univision.
Every live MLS match will also be available through MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app, including nearly 500 regular season matches, the All-Star game, the entire playoffs, the Leagues Cup, and MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches. A selection of MLS and Leagues Cup matches, including some of the biggest playoff matchups, will also be available at no additional cost to Apple TV+ subscribers.
“We are proud to continue our partnerships with FOX Sports, Univision and TSN, and we are pleased to have MLS matches on RDS in Canada,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber. “These broadcast industry leaders continue to demonstrate their deep commitment to MLS and soccer. Our linear agreements, along with our partnership with Apple, are the culmination of a series of collaborative discussions to provide our fans with the most expansive and accessible lineup of programming MLS and our sport in the U.S. and Canada have ever seen – and by a significant margin.” The agreements include extensive highlight rights to further increase year-round MLS coverage by FOX Sports, TelevisaUnivision, TSN and RDS, and also include extensive marketing and promotional support from all network partners.
MLS has a long history with all its linear partners, each of which have played central roles in the continued rise of the league and sport. TelevisaUnivision was an original League partner when MLS was launched in 1996. FOX Sports has partnered with MLS since 2015 and from 2003 to 2011, while TSN has broadcast MLS games since 2011. RDS was previously a league partner from 2011 to 2017.
Major League Soccer plans to announce the complete 2023 match schedule before the end of the year.
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Linear Network Partnership Details (2023 – 2026)
FOX Sports
- 34 regular season games annually and eight Audi MLS Cup playoff matches each season on FOX/FS1/FOX Deportes (Including 15 regular season matches each year on FOX)
- MLS Cup every year on FOX and FOX Deportes
- Leagues Cup: 10 Group Stage, four Round of 32, and two Round of 16 matches each tournament on FS1
- Highlight rights, editorial coverage, and cross-marketing support
“We’re proud to extend our longstanding partnership with Major League Soccer at a truly exciting time for the sport here in the United States,” said Eric Shanks, CEO & Executive Producer, FOX Sports. “There is no soccer league in the world better positioned for growth and with FOX’s unrivaled reach we are fired up to be a part of it.”
Bell Media (TSN & RDS)
- Extensive schedule of regular season matches, eight MLS Cup playoff matches, and MLS Cup each season
- One match per week featuring a Canadian club
- Leagues Cup: 12 Group Stage and four Round of 32 matches each tournament on TSN; Three Group Stage and four Round of 32 matches on RDS
- Highlight rights, editorial coverage, and cross-marketing support
“We look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with Major League Soccer to deliver an extensive lineup of regular season and playoff coverage across TSN and RDS, culminating with MLS Cup,” said Shawn Redmond, Vice-President, Bell Media Sports. “With this agreement, we will continue to serve Canadian soccer fans in both English and French with comprehensive live coverage on TSN and RDS, showcasing our fan-favourite Canadian teams every week throughout the season.”
