In the debut edition of MLS Season Pass, T-Mobile users had included access to watch every game in Major League Soccer on Apple’s streaming platform. With access available for the whole season, T-Mobile subscribers saved $100 on MLS Season Pass. It was a major perk for T-Mobile users, particularly if they had an iPhone.

Now, that offer will not be there. According to CNET, T-Mobile is no longer offering MLS Season Pass. Therefore, T-Mobile users who want access to the full catalog of Major League Soccer games will need to pay full price in 2024. The base monthly fee for the subscription is $14.99, and the annual option is $99.99 for the entire season. If these T-Mobile users also subscribe to Apple TV+, there are discounts available there. The monthly fee is $12.99 and the annual option for Apple TV+ subscribers is $79.

T-Mobile was one of the main ways to get MLS Season Pass for free, or to at least avoid the monthly fee. Now, one of the ways people can get a free MLS Season Pass subscription is with a season ticket to one of the 29 Major League Soccer clubs. Those have been hard to come by as popularity grows for each of the clubs’ fan bases. However, the value of the season ticket benefits from having access to the streaming platform.

Regardless, the omission of MLS Season Pass for T-Mobile users has a serious implication on the breadth of subscribers. Apple does not openly share subscriber counts. However, there is no doubting that this is a serious hit to how many people will be watching the league.

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For reference, T-Mobile is the third-largest wireless provider in the United States. Certainly, not each of the people that has a T-Mobile wireless plan watched Major League Soccer on MLS Season Pass. However, it makes up a chunk of the subscribers. In total, MLS Season Pass on Apple has 2 million subscribers. Take that with a grain of salt, though, as this comes from a combination of several reports, not Apple itself.

Independent of that figure, Apple said it was hitting its goals for subscriber counts on MLS Season Pass. If T-Mobile customers are part of that figure, the number of subscribers will go down. A portion will pay the full fee for MLS Season Pass, that is for sure. But there is a strong chance some T-Mobile users only watched MLS because it came as part of their wireless plan.

MLS season starts this week

Those looking to watch the 2024 MLS season will want to subscribe to MLS Season Pass soon. The campaign kicks off on Wednesday, Feb. 21, when Inter Miami hosts Real Salt Lake. Lionel Messi and his star-studded squad in south Florida are the betting favorites to win MLS Cup this season. Apple will be hoping for the club’s success to drive up subscriptions from people wanting to see Messi.

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