For this week’s mailbag, we’re doing something a little different. Many soccer fans in the US will certainly have questions about <a href="https://tv.apple.com/channel/tvs.sbd.7000?itsct=wst_mls&amp;itscg=30200&amp;at=1010l35s4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MLS Season Pass</a> for the upcoming season, and now is your chance to ask them. The new dedicated streaming service for MLS is a part of a <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/06/14/mls-signs-10-year-deal-with-apple-tv-in-global-deal/">10-year deal with Apple TV.</a> 



Whether it’s about kickoff times, cost, what devices you can stream from, or anything else, hit us with your questions in the comments below, and we’ll answer them all in an upcoming video. In the video, we’ll read out your name on-air.



The landmark deal with Apple will see every regular season game, MLS Cup playoffs, and Leagues Cup match available to subscribers, no matter where you are. That means no more pesky blackouts. There will be additional team content, MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games, and other bells-and-whistles too.



<a href="https://tv.apple.com/channel/tvs.sbd.7000?itsct=wst_mls&amp;itscg=30200&amp;at=1010l35s4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MLS Season Pass</a> is a dramatic break from the traditional TV deals the league has had in the past. While some games <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/mls-picks-up-linear-tv-deals-with-fox-and-univision-20221213-WST-412291.html">will still be on traditional TV</a>, the vast majority will be streaming only. No more regional sports networks or local TV deals. It will be interesting to see if other sports leagues in the US go a similar route in the future.



The new MLS Season Pass deal comes at a time of competition change for MLS as well. The expanded Leagues Cup is now a legitimate multinational tournament, featuring every MLS and Liga MX team, with Champions League spots on the line. This season also sees additional Champions League qualification changes as well, as that competitions has been revamped for 2024. 



<h4>Ask your MLS Season Pass questions</h4>



Seasoned MLS fans and newcomers alike will need to get familiar with the new platform to follow the league. If you’re a hardcore fan of a single club, MLS Season pass is essential.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="MLS SEASON PASS | AMA: Answering your questions ⚽️" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XCtsOMAr_Xo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



<div style="background:#f9e4ea;padding:10px;">
<h3>Guide to Major League Soccer</h3>
<div style="padding:10px;">
Here are some resources to help you get the most out of MLS Season Pass!</div>
<div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/mls-tv-schedule/">TV Schedule:</a> All the info on <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/mls-tv-schedule/">where and when to watch</a> every game</div>
<div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/mls-season-pass-faq-20230203-WST-413216.html/">Season Pass FAQ:</a> We <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/mls-season-pass-faq-20230203-WST-413216.html/">answer your questions</a> about MLS Season Pass</div>
<div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/how-to-get-mls-season-pass-20230203-WST-417725.html">Sign up:</a> Learn <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/how-to-get-mls-season-pass-20230203-WST-417725.html">how to subscribe</a> to MLS Season Pass</div>
<div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/mls-season-pass-announcers-and-analysts-for-apple-deal-20230203-WST-416042.html">Commentators:</a> Check out <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/mls-season-pass-announcers-and-analysts-for-apple-deal-20230203-WST-416042.html">who&apos;s</a> calling the action for the MLS season</div>
<div style="padding:10px;">
<a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/how-to-watch-mls-season-pass-on-android-20230203-WST-416910.html">Android users</a> Tips for fans <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/how-to-watch-mls-season-pass-on-android-20230203-WST-416910.html">Android users</a> on how to watch MLS Season Pass</div>
</div>

We're taking all your questions about MLS Season Pass AMA, and we'll be answering them soon in a special feature.

MLS Season Pass: Ask me anything - World Soccer Talk

MLS Season Pass: Ask me anything

It’s World Soccer Talk Reader Mailbag time again. This week, we’re talking FA Cup and Championship on <a href="https://go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESPN+</a>, soccer on HBO Max, and the FIFA Women’s World Cup on FOX. Don’t forget to add any questions you might have about soccer and/or streaming in the comments below, and we’ll do our best to answer those next week!



Bill: All 16 matches of the FA Cup [fourth round] were shown by ESPN+ and thats great, but only one of the four Championship matches is on ESPN+. As we all know, on a normal week of 14-15 Championship matches only 3 or 4 are shown on ESPN+. I get that the FA Cup is winner-move-on and the David -Goliath battles plus ESPN gets EPL teams but if they can show so many FA Cup matches, why cant they show more Championship matches?



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;It’s a great question, and it’s one we get from time to time. First, let me say that ESPN+ streams all of the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/championship-tv-schedule/">Championship games</a> the English Football League (EFL) makes available to them. The reason why the EFL doesn’t provide all games is because almost of the clubs in the Football League have their own streaming services on a platform called iFollow.



For many of the clubs, charging fans to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/efl-ifollow-faq-need-know-football-leagues-new-streaming-service-20170509-CMS-211918.html">watch games via iFollow</a> is an important way to generate more money.



With the Premier League, the league goes to market and offers all of the games to broadcasters. In contrast, the EFL offers broadcasters a limited package that doesn’t include every game.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<div class="ck-youtube"><iframe loading="lazy" title="How HBO Max &amp; Telemundo did on USWNT debut" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/4vhVvh_wmlE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>
</div></figure>



Dave: In your recent podcast, you discuss feedback from a commenter seeking a single-team option for Apple/MLS Season Pass. I am curious if anything like this is in consideration for HBO Max (soccer-only plan). Related, while I am very pleased with Peacock so far, I want to sample HBO Max’s USSF coverage for my own curiosity. Is there a month where I might get better value out of $10-$15? Mid-late February for SheBelieves Cup?



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;So HBO Max, as we know it, won’t be around for long. Warner Bros recently merged with Discovery to form Warner Bros-Discovery. And if that merger wasn’t enough, the new company aims to merge HBO Max and Discovery+ together into a combined app. The new app is supposed to be called <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/05/warner-bros-discovery-max-streaming-service-name.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max</a> with an anticipated launch in Q2 2023.



Reports are that Max may include a separate sports tier.



So while HBO Max doesn’t have a free trial, and <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/she-believes-cup-tv-schedule/">SheBelieves Cup</a> is going to be played in February, Warner Bros-Discovery Sports haven’t yet announced their broadcast schedule. 



My recommendation would be to wait another week until we find out from Warner Bros-Discovery Sports what their coverage plans are. And if most of the games are going to be on HBO Max, then February would be an ideal month to take a test drive.



Besides, HBO Max has a ton of great series including the hit series The Last Of Us as well as my personal favorite, the British version of Ghosts.



Cpcva: It’s a bit early but how will FOX broadcast the Women’s World Cup this summer? Will it be on just FS1 and FS2? I have serious doubts it’ll be on big FOX considering the obscene time differences involved.



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;The first two Group Stage games that the US Women’s National Team plays will be live on the FOX network. Those benefit from 9PM ET kickoff times. The third game the USWNT plays is at 3AM ET, so it’s more likely that one will be on FS1.



Unfortunately, the majority of kickoff times for the Women’s World Cup have games in the middle of the night.



Here’s a more detailed article that discusses <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/what-times-are-the-womens-world-cup-games-played-20230118-WST-413603.html">what times the Women’s World Cup games are</a>.



.



That’s all for this week. Don’t forget to ask your questions in the comments below, and we’ll answer in the Reader Mailbag next Tuesday.

Don't miss this week's answers to your questions in our weekly Reader Mailbag column where we answer your streaming questions.

Reader Mailbag: Answers to your soccer streaming questions - World Soccer Talk

Reader Mailbag: Answers to your soccer streaming questions

featured

It’s time for another edition of the World Soccer Talk Reader Mailbag. This week, we tackle US Open Cup coverage, the Premier League Fan Fest, CONCACAF, Serie A and the FIFA Club World Cup. Don’t forget to add any new questions you might have in the comments below, and we’ll do our best to answer those next week. The questions don’t have to be about streaming. Remember, they can be about soccer too.



Dave: A few US Open Cup questions: 1) Have Turner announced coverage plans and/or outsourced rights to someone else? 2) Which rounds historically are the most entertaining, with a good mix of minnows and big names (like Third/Fourth round proper of FA Cup)? I remember last year having several very fun weeks



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;1) There has been no additional news about the US Open Cup TV coverage since <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/us-open-cup-media-deal-20220216-CMS-371017.html">our story discussed the deal</a> almost twelve months ago. Once we get closer to the First Round in late March, we expect to have more details about the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/02/15/cindy-parlow-cone-talks-us-soccer-media-rights/">media rights</a>.



2) The round when MLS teams start to enter (this year is the third round, April 25-26) where they will potentially face off against lower division professional or even amateur teams is always a lot of fun. Everyone loves a good underdog story and some giant-killing moments. We’re hoping for another Sacramento-type run this year, just like last year when they <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/2022/09/07/orlando-city-wins-us-open-cup/">reached the US Open Cup final</a>.



Dave, thanks for your questions. It’ll certainly be fascinating to see how Warner Bros-Discovery broadcasts the US Open Cup given that last year’s coverage on <a href="https://go.web.plus.espn.com/mWebq" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESPN+</a> was one of the best in recent memory.



Bill: Just wondering if you guys went to Fan Fest in Orlando this past weekend and if not, why not (just being nosey)? I know Fan Fest is a very American sports flashy thing and not the seriousness respect of the sport y’all prefer but it looks fun to be there.



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;We were there. Kartik Krishnaiyer and I arrived on Thursday evening to prepare for our early morning interviews with the talent from NBC Sports on Friday. We interviewed <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/rebecca-lowe-reflects-on-10-years-of-premier-league-on-nbc-20230123-WST-416491.html">Rebecca Lowe</a>, <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/tim-howard-on-his-role-as-the-american-voice-of-premier-league-coverage-20230124-WST-416503.html">Tim Howard</a> and The 2 Robbies. Then on Saturday, I interviewed Alan Shearer, Gary Cahill and NBC Sports executives, so keep an eye out for those interviews later in theweek on this website.



Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the weekend there. For me personally, my favorite part was talking to the soccer fans who traveled from across the country to attend the Fan Fest in Orlando. I also loved seeing all of the different shirts that the American soccer fans wore, which was an eclectic mixture of clubs, to say the least.



If you’re reading this and you’ve never attended any of the Fan Fests, I highly recommend you go to the next one. It was so much fun.



Francisco: For next season, is there going to be any streaming service or channel that is going to pick up the rights to broadcast Italian Serie A in Spanish?



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;<a href="https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/330866/1007330/3065" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paramount+</a> continues to have the rights to <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/serie-a-tv-schedule/">Serie A</a> in all languages, but so far the streaming service has been reluctant to offer Spanish-language commentary to the games.



Honestly, though, the cost of providing Spanish-language commentary for Serie A matches may be cost prohibitive. I don’t believe there’s enough demand from Spanish-language viewers to make it worthwhile. 



Francisco, I know that other fans of Serie A have asked for Spanish-language commentary too. My advice would be to try to round up more fans on social media, and ask them to <a href="https://help.paramountplus.com/s/contact-us" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">let Paramount+ know</a> that you want games in Spanish.



Jason: What CONCACAF based competitions are on Paramount+ in 2023?



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;Looking ahead to 2023, <a href="https://paramountplus.qflm.net/c/330866/1007330/3065" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paramount+</a> has the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/concacaf-nations-league-schedule/">Concacaf Nations League</a>, which returns at the end of March.



Jason: What streaming service has the FIFA Club World Cup in February?



World Soccer Talk:&nbsp;Great question, Jason. As you probably know, FOX Sports and Telemundo have the television rights to the competition. While FOX Sports still do not have a direct-to-consumer streaming service (other than Tubi, which showed games on demand at the World Cup), your best bet is to watch all of the games in Spanish via <a href="https://imp.i305175.net/c/330866/1313913/11640" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Peacock Premium</a> for $4.99 per month (which also includes 180 Premier League games per season as well as USMNT and USWNT games).



Presumably FOX Sports will show games via their FOX Sports app.



That’s all for this week. Don’t forget to ask your questions in the comments below, and we’ll answer in the Reader Mailbag next Tuesday

The World Soccer Talk Reader Mailbag answers your questions about TV and streaming coverage, and soccer in general, every week.

ALL POSTS TAGGED "Reader Mailbag"

Reader Mailbag

MLS Season Pass: Ask me anything

Reader Mailbag

Reader Mailbag: Answers to your soccer streaming questions

Reader Mailbag

Reader Mailbag: Answering your soccer questions