July 21, 2023
UPDATE
Apple celebrates Lionel Messi’s debut with Inter Miami CF on MLS Season Pass
Fans around the world can watch all the Messi action and the Leagues Cup tournament starting July 21
To mark Lionel Messi’s anticipated debut with Inter Miami CF and Major League Soccer on Friday, July 21, fans around the world can tune in to MLS Season Pass to enjoy a range of content that complements all the action on the pitch.
As Inter Miami takes on LIGA MX’s Cruz Azul to kick off Leagues Cup, fans in more than 100 countries and regions can tune in to the match in English and Spanish on MLS Season Pass, and enjoy elevated production elements in honor of this historic moment. MLS Season Pass will feature an enhanced production for Inter Miami’s matches during Leagues Cup, including 18 cameras; Steadicam; four super-slow-motion cameras; Skycam; drone coverage; sideline reporters in Spanish and English; a dedicated one-hour pregame show onsite with features, interviews, and expert analysis; and a postgame show to wrap things up. MLS Season Pass can be accessed through the Apple TV app on smart TVs, streaming devices, Apple devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com.
“Lionel Messi joining Inter Miami marks a historic moment for the sport in the U.S. and reflects the incredible momentum behind Major League Soccer,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services. “We couldn’t be more excited to give fans around the world the opportunity to watch the greatest footballer of all time on MLS Season Pass.”
Apple Fitness+ is introducing a special new 20-minute HIIT workout with a Latin Grooves playlist to celebrate Messi’s arrival to MLS with Inter Miami CF. The workout is led by Fitness+ trainer Bakari Williams and will feature four moves that are repeated with soccer-themed variations. Bakari and his fellow trainers are rocking Inter Miami jerseys. The playlist features songs from Inter Miami’s playlist on Apple Music, which is inspired by Latin culture and brings to life the atmosphere and sounds of the club’s home city.
Fans can check out the full MLS Season Pass collection on Apple Music for the official MLS playlist, club playlists, and more.
To keep up with all the happenings throughout the league, fans can find and follow their favorite MLS clubs in Apple News, and automatically sync with the Apple TV app to watch games with MLS Season Pass. Apple News recently introduced a new Sports tab for users to easily follow their favorite teams and leagues; receive stories from hundreds of top publishers; access scores, schedules, and standings for the top professional and college leagues; and watch highlights right in the News app.
Apple TV+, Apple’s subscription service offering premium, compelling drama and comedy series, feature films, groundbreaking documentaries, and kids and family entertainment, recently announced a new untitled four-part documentary series from SMUGGLER Entertainment. The series features exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Messi and his FIFA World Cup career, culminating in Argentina’s dramatic Qatar 2022 win.
Lionel Messi’s arrival follows the launch of Apple and Major League Soccer’s 10-year partnership that began in early 2023. After the Leagues Cup tournament, Inter Miami will resume its regular season play on Sunday, August 20, against Charlotte FC. For more information about Inter Miami’s schedule, visit www.intermiamicf.com.
About MLS Season Pass
MLS Season Pass, the subscription service from Apple and Major League Soccer on the Apple TV app, is available in more than 100 countries and regions. With an MLS Season Pass subscription, fans can enjoy all MLS and Leagues Cup matches, and hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games in English, Spanish, or French — all with no blackouts — on billions of devices through the Apple TV app on smart TVs, streaming devices, Apple devices, set-top boxes, and game consoles, as well as on the web at tv.apple.com.
Leagues Cup is an unprecedented month-long official Concacaf tournament in which MLS and LIGA MX will pause their respective league seasons from July 21 to August 19. All 47 participating clubs — 18 from LIGA MX and 29 from MLS — will compete in the World Cup-style tournament, with the three top finishers qualifying for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup. Before each Leagues Cup match, viewers can enjoy Leagues Cup Countdown and Leagues Cup La Previa, pregame shows available in English and Spanish, respectively. Fans can get a full recap of the day’s action via Leagues Cup Wrap-Up and Leagues Cup El Resumen — live postgame coverage available in English and Spanish. In addition, fans can enjoy a wide variety of on-demand content that celebrates the action, excitement, and distinct cultures of MLS, LIGA MX, and each of their clubs. For more information on Leagues Cup, visit leaguescup.com.
Fans can subscribe to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app for $14.99 per month during the season or $49 for the rest of the season, and Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up at a special price of $12.99 per month or $39 for the rest of the season.1 A subscription to MLS Season Pass is included with each MLS club full-season ticket account. Through Family Sharing, up to six family members can share the subscription using their own Apple ID and password.
- To watch MLS Season Pass, customers must update to iOS 16.2 or later, iPadOS 16.2 or later, tvOS 16.2 or later, and macOS 13.1 or later. Fans around the world can enjoy Major League Soccer matches on MLS Season Pass in English, Spanish, or French where available, including closed captions.
Press Contacts
Bernadette Simpao
Apple
Sam Citron
Apple
Apple Media Helpline