Apple News
MLS games are averaging 120,000 unique viewers per match on Apple TV
Major League Soccer provided its first significant update on the performance of its media rights deal with Apple. During a review of the 2025 season’s first half, MLS Commissioner Don Garber shared specific viewership data for MLS Season Pass games on Apple TV on Wednesday: An average of 120,000 unique viewers per match.
Eric Fisher for Front Office Sports:
“The Apple deal has grown. We’re averaging 120,000 unique viewers per match,” Garber said. “That’s an increase of almost 50% compared to last year. Distribution has helped drive a lot of that.”
MLS has largely sidestepped all audience-related inquiries on the Apple deal’s performance since the league struck the 10-year, $2.5 billion agreement in 2022.
Garber, however, said that MLS and Apple agree that a heightened level of transparency is required to help bring the pact to the next level.
“We and Apple have been trying to figure it all out,” he said. “I know it’s frustrating for those who are looking for more information. We and Apple believe we need to start sharing some more information so you can start looking at what does it really mean. It’s the beginning, not the end.”
So what does Garber’s disclosure mean? … Even Garber himself acknowledged that the league is wrestling with the proper means to evaluate the streaming audiences, particularly given the subscription-based economic model of Apple TV.
“What we’re struggling with, and I think what the industry is struggling with, is there has been no system to be able to evaluate how people are in a subscription service, how they’re viewing and consuming games, and what is the metric that matters most,” he said. “Is it average-minute audience? Unique viewers? Remember, we’re on a subscription service, which is very different than having your games available on a linear network.”
“Other leagues have a game of the night, game of the week, Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV,” Garber said. “All of our games, for the most part, are on Saturday, all up against each other. So when you have 120,000 unique viewers [per game] across that, that’s a lot of people. Aggregate all that. Depending on what week it is, you have over a million people that are unique viewers.”
MacDailyNews Take: The 2025 MLS season includes 30 teams, each playing 34 regular-season games (17 home, 17 away), totaling 510 games across the season from February 22 to October 18. On specific Saturdays, such as the opening weekend (February 22), 13 games are scheduled, while Decision Day (October 18) features a full slate of matches, with Eastern Conference games at 6 p.m. ET and Western Conference games at 9 p.m. ET, plus one interconference match.
The exact number of games fluctuates depending on the week, with some Saturdays featuring fewer games due to international breaks (e.g., June 15–24 for the FIFA Club World Cup and CONCACAF Gold Cup) or other competitions like the Leagues Cup (July 29–August 31).
So, for example, on a 13-game Saturday, an average of 120,000 unique viewers per match equals 1.56 million unique viewers of MLS games on Apple TV.
As the season progresses, the MLS Season Pass subscription drops in price. It’s currently 50% off, or $14.99/month or $49/season; for Apple TV+ subscribers, it’s $12.99/month or $39/season. More info here.
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With tvOS 26, Apple TV lets users designate any AirPlay-enabled wireless speakers as default output
With tvOS 26, Apple TV is expanding its audio capabilities by adding support for third-party wireless audio gear, allowing users to create wireless home theater systems without relying on HomePods. Previously, only HomePod or HomePod mini could be set as permanent audio outputs for Apple TV 4K. Now, users can designate any AirPlay-compatible speaker—such as those from Sonos, Bose, or Bang & Olufsen—as the default audio output directly from the Apple TV Settings app. Once configured, the system retains this setting even after powering down, ensuring a seamless audio experience without the need for manual reconnection each time. This update, set to roll out in September 2025, enhances flexibility for home theater setups, supporting brands like KEF and Audioengine, and eliminates the need for HDMI or eARC connections for wireless audio. However, system and game audio may still route through TV speakers, and it’s unclear if stereo pairing of third-party speakers is supported for immersive setups.
That means when you turn on your TV, sound will automatically play through your chosen speaker — no more re-connecting every time. Until now, this level of integration was limited to Apple’s own HomePod and HomePod mini. Everyone else? Stuck in the “temporary connection” penalty box.
Why does this matter? Because most wireless speakers these days — from Sonos and Audioengine to KEF — support AirPlay. The feature update essentially gives you the freedom to build a legit wireless TV audio system without being handcuffed to Apple’s own hardware.
There’s no HDMI cable to snake around your media console. No eARC port to fight with. Just open up your Apple TV, link your AirPlay speaker, and boom — you’ve got wireless sound every time the system powers on.
This update turns your Apple TV into the central hub of a wireless home theater setup — no HDMI cables, no extra boxes, and no sacrifice in sound quality if your speakers are up to snuff. For those already invested in the AirPlay ecosystem, it’s a smart, frictionless upgrade that finally brings Apple’s “it just works” philosophy to your living room audio.
MacDailyNews Take: Today, there are a ton of good AirPlay-enabled wireless speakers from which to choose!
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iPhone 17 Pro telephoto lens rumored jump from 5x to 8x optical zoom
According to an anonymous tipster who reached out to MacRumors, Apple’s forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models will introduce enhanced camera features, including an advanced telephoto lens offering up to 8x optical zoom, a significant upgrade from the 5× optical zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro models.
Joe Rossignol for MacRumors:
The tipster claimed to be familiar with an iPhone 17 Pro commercial that is allegedly being produced by a film company that has publicly listed Apple as one of its clients…
The tipster revealed three alleged iPhone 17 Pro features that have not been rumored previously:
• An upgraded Telephoto lens with up to 8× optical zoom, compared to up to 5× optical zoom on the iPhone 16 Pro models. The lens can apparently move, allowing for continuous optical zoom at various focal lengths.
• An all-new pro camera app from Apple for both photos and videos. This app would compete with the likes of Halide, Kino, and Filmic Pro. It is unclear if the app would be exclusive to the iPhone 17 Pro models.
• An additional Camera Control button on the top edge of the devices, for quickly accessing the camera and related settings. This would complement the Camera Control button on the bottom-right edge of all iPhone 16 models.
MacDailyNews Take: We seek corroboration.
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