Not even because RBNY are bad, there’s just so much quality there.

Columbus are down in 6th. Charlotte are on a six-game winning streak and they’re 7th. So much quality.

Of course, there are big benefits about the Apple TV deal, beyond the money.

There are no more blackouts, worldwide distribution and MLS clips on social media are free of any geoblocking restrictions.

That's allowed for the big viral moments, particularly including Messi, to travel the world.

The $2.5bn MLS gets from Apple is a good deal financially, and the coverage is pretty good. But there is now no real motivation for other, more established sports broadcasters to help push the game.

There is hardly any MLS coverage on ESPN's Get Up or First Take shows.

So, why? There are a lot of non-sporting factors involved in those figures. It's not simply: quality of product = size of audience.

Interest in MLS might be at an all-time high, but with games behind a paywall on Apple TV, casual sports fans won't stumble across games.

MLS figures are generally pretty tightly guarded but Garber has recently revealed the average audience for games in 2025.

MLS is currently drawing an average of 120k viewers per game on Apple TV. In 2022, when ESPN had MLS rights, the league was getting 347k on average.

Rodrigo de Paul making his Inter Miami debut tonight.

Hasn’t done a single training session with his new team and has basically been on holiday for the past month. Straight in to do Busquets’ running in the middle.

MLS Mix 21: What next for the All-Star Game?

The #MLS has changed a lot since David Beckham flew across the Atlantic to play for the All-Stars.

Now, a mid-season exhibition game feels like a bit of a throwback.

🔗 gittins.substack.com/p/mls-mix-21...