DirecTV for Business has entered a deal with Apple to provide MLS Season Pass to its network of more than 300,000 restaurants, bars, hotel lounges, retail shops and other venues during the 2023 MLS season on their existing satellite equipment.
Starting Feb. 25, when the 2023 MLS season begins, DirecTV for Business establishments will be able to show every regular season MLS match, as well as the MLS Cup Playoffs. In between, events such as the MLS All-Star Game will also be included. (You can see a schedule of MLS Season Pass events here.)
“We welcome the addition of MLS Season Pass to an already market-leading lineup of sports properties that our commercial customers can continue to receive seamlessly through their existing satellite equipment and offer to their patrons," said Rob Thun, DirecTV chief content officer, in a statement.
Apple announced back in November that it agreed to pay Major League Soccer $2.5 billion over the next 10 years to form the MLS Season Pass streaming package, an add-on within the Apple TV app that runs consumers $14.99 a month.
DirecTV didn't detail the pricing model for its business customers.
The sub-licensing deal for the streaming games package follows a similar agreement DirecTV for Business entered into back in August for NFL "Thursday Night Football" -- a property that Amazon is now paying $1 billion a season to license.
DirecTV recently demurred on extending its decades-long partnership with the NFL for the "NFL Sunday Ticket" out-of-market games package which, up until December when the NFL's regular season ended, the pay TV company had been paying $1.5 billion a season to carry.
With Google/Alphabet and its YouTube unit ending up with "Sunday Ticket," there has been speculation that DirecTV might enter a sub-licensing agreement with Alphabet to show the package in bars and restaurants.
DirecTV wouldn't comment about this, but an individual familiar with the company's dealings said that it's talking to "everyone about major sports properties that have gone to streaming."
