Major League Soccer (MLS) has announced that all of the league’s 2025 playoff matches will be made available to every subscriber of Apple TV at no additional cost (via Sports Business Journal).
The change removes the requirement for the previously mandatory MLS Season Pass subscription, opening the postseason to a broader audience.
The decision came via an announcement confirming that the full slate of playoff games, beginning with the Wild Card round and continuing through the MLS Cup final scheduled for December 6, 2025, will live-stream on Apple TV without the need for the separate Season Pass.
Until now, fans had to pay for the add-on subscription even if they already held the base Apple TV service. Under the new arrangement viewers with an Apple TV subscription automatically gain access to playoff coverage, simplifying access and potentially expanding the league’s viewership.
The expanded access comes at a time when MLS is striving to increase its footprint in the crowded U.S. sports streaming landscape. The league’s current broadcasting deal with Apple reportedly averages around US $250 million per year in worldwide rights. By making its most-critical matches available to all Apple TV subs this season, the league and its streaming partner appear to be leaning into an audience growth strategy ahead of the next full season.
For Apple, which earlier this year secured rights to stream Formula One content in the U.S. at no additional cost to Apple TV subscribers beginning in 2026, this move to simplify access for MLS aligns with a broader push to make premium live sports more accessible.
The playoff format for the 2025 MLS season features an 18-team bracket, including Wild Card match-ups and a best-of-three Round One followed by single-elimination rounds. Top names in the league such as Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Son Heung‑Min (LAFC) and Thomas Müller (Vancouver Whitecaps) headline the playoff field, which ranks among the most competitive in recent years.
So if you hold an Apple TV subscription, you no longer need to purchase the additional Season Pass to watch the entire 2025 MLS playoff run. Select matches will still be available on linear networks such as Fox Sports in the U.S., and on TSN and RDS in Canada, but the streaming component is now far simpler.
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