MLS Announcers Return to Stadiums in Apple TV Reversal

Apple TV will bring MLS announcers back to stadiums in 2026, ending remote broadcasts to enhance live game atmosphere and coverage quality.

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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Following a season of remote broadcasting, Apple TV announced it will bring Major League Soccer (MLS) announcers back to stadiums starting in 2026. This decision aims to enhance broadcast quality by allowing commentators to capture live game atmosphere, as well as pre-game and post-game interviews and features, for both English and Spanish-language coverage.

Why it matters

The remote broadcast approach sparked immediate criticism from both fans and media, who questioned why the quality of broadcast presentations was diminishing despite paying $99 for the MLS Season Pass. The reversal signals MLS's recognition that delivering improved production quality is essential to upholding their promises to subscribers and sustaining the league's growing presence on the streaming platform.

The details

The remote announcing approach began in 2025 after two seasons of all announcers working on-site during Apple TV's partnership with MLS. This move was initially a cost-saving effort, with some commentators calling matches remotely from NEP Vista Worldlink in Dania Beach, Florida. However, the introduction of remote commentary for select games undermined viewer confidence in the partnership, whose sustainability was already under scrutiny due to concerns about accessibility and declining audience numbers.

  • The remote broadcast approach began in 2025.
  • Apple TV announced it will bring MLS announcers back to stadiums starting in 2026.

The players

Seth Bacon

MLS executive vice president of media who confirmed the decision to bring announcers back to stadiums.

Jonathan Tannenwald

Philadelphia Inquirer reporter who publicly challenged the decision to have announcers call games remotely.

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What they’re saying

“We understand the value of having the announcers closer to the action for the match itself. But we have also really started to understand having those announcers on site, the ability for them to help us capture more content outside the 90 minutes that can then get pushed out across Apple and our own and operated channels is a big benefit to us.”

— Seth Bacon, MLS executive vice president of media (Sports Business Journal)

“MLS exec Seth Bacon confirms: yes, announcers will call games remotely this year. He makes the case it's no different. (He knows I and many viewers disagree.)”

— Jonathan Tannenwald (Twitter (@jtannenwald.bsky.social)

What’s next

The league is also making financial cuts elsewhere, including discontinuing the Spanish-language version of MLS 360 and reducing Spanish-language broadcast personnel.

The takeaway

The decision to reintegrate announcers at stadiums comes during the fourth year of Apple's $2.5 billion partnership with MLS, a period marked by notable operational shifts. The focus on in-person announcers aligns with the goal to deliver a truly premium streaming experience that matches the scale of the investment, though it remains uncertain whether this will reverse declining viewer trends.