MLS Season Pass is the latest venture into streaming for a soccer league, but it faces stiff competition from the other streaming providers that broadcast soccer.
ESPN+ has the Bundesliga, LaLiga, FA Cup, Championship and more. Paramount+ is the broadcaster for Serie A and the ever-popular UEFA cup competitions. Although with less of a portfolio, Peacock is the exclusive provider for a number of Premier League games each match week.
All the offers and prices can stack up for soccer fans. Those who cut the cord looking to save money are spending to watch more. That is where MLS Season Pass on Apple could find its biggest competition.
The pricing competition for MLS Season Pass
MLS Season Pass is $14.99 per month. While it includes every MLS game and behind-the-scenes content throughout the season, it is still significant spending.
In a way, it is perfect for the diehard MLS fan. There is seemingly endless content on MLS Season Pass to learn about each of the 29 teams, their histories and their best players or coaches. On top of that, fans get home-and-away TV broadcasts, radio broadcasts, Spanish-language broadcasts and even French broadcasts for games involving Canadian teams.
Regardless of the great content on the platform, $14.99 a month is still a significant amount. For example, consider the price of the aforementioned providers. ESPN+ is close at $9.99 per month, but it includes much more than soccer, which is abundant on its own. Peacock and Paramount+ are both $4.99 per month each, a third of the price of MLS Season Pass.
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In terms of what that gets you, these three broadcasters do not have the depth that MLS Season Pass offers. However, they can equal, or better, on the breadth. Few can compete with the thousands of games and sports on ESPN+. Second, Paramount+ airs over 2,000 soccer games per year. Then, MLS Season Pass has every single MLS, MLS Next, MLS Next Pro and Leagues Cup game. That totals over 900 games to go along with the bonus content. Peacock and NBC only has the Premier League, but that is still around 180 games per year.
Appealing to or growing an audience?
As stated, covering every MLS game and having video content to boot is great for the league. Fans, new or existing, can learn about each of the clubs, follow their games and hear from coaches and players in one spot.
However, will the $14.99 price tag per month scare some potential new fans away? With Paramount+, Peacock or ESPN+, there is reason for non-soccer fans to subscribe. The two former services have movies and TV shows. ESPN+ also has documentaries, but focuses on an extensive library of live sports.
MLS Season Pass is more expensive than each of those. It only focuses on Major League Soccer. This historic deal is a major risk for MLS and Apple. The season starts February 25.
