How To Stream MLS For Free (3 Different Ways)

Though the U.S. has had a football (soccer) league for almost 30 years, the biggest sport on the planet has been slow in getting a foothold in the country. That being said, the past couple of years have done more to make the sport grow in popularity than ever before, with shows like "Ted Lasso" making it accessible and exciting even to newcomers, and the popularity of the World Cup reaching new heights through social media. 

The Major Soccer League (MLS) has also arguably never been as popular as when Lionel Messi, the current champion of the world, and one of the best players of all time, decided to join Inter Miami CF earlier this year — causing a huge rise in demand for tickets.

If you want to experience "the beautiful game," to see twists and turns, and thrills better than most TV shows, there's never been a better time to get into the MLS. That being said, sports can be rather convoluted to stream, with so many different leagues on different platforms. Thankfully the MLS is rather straightforward, so here's a guide to how to stream the MLS for free.

Unlike something like the Premier League which splits its coverage between Peacock and USA Network, there is really only one place to watch MLS games. While ESPN used to be the home of American football (the other one), Apple TV recently made a deal with the MLS and entered a 10-year streaming partnership.

This means the MLS is the sole streaming home of the regular MLS season, with every single game being shown on the MLS Season Pass app — a part of Apple TV. To get it you really only need an Apple ID (which is free to create), the Apple TV app (free to download on most smart TVs, streaming devices, gaming consoles, or just available on your browser) and an internet connection to watch the games. The Season Pass costs $14.99/month or $49/season if you are not an Apple TV+ subscriber, or  $12.99/month or $39/season if you already have an Apple TV+ subscription.

Luckily, the Season Pass does have a one-week free trial, and with over a dozen weekly games, that is a lot of football in one week. Additionally, MLS streams some of the games for free, at least one game a week (you can check which one will be free on the official MLS schedule) 

There's also the option of a streaming platform like Fubo TV or Hulu + Live TV, which allows you to stream traditional cable channels like FOX, FS1 and Fox Deportes (in Spanish). These also carry select MLS games, and there are 7-day free trial on most of these services.