AI-generated image: If OTT broadcasting becomes widespread, will sports viewing turn into a culture where people watch games on personal devices in private spaces?
In 2022, Major League Soccer (MLS) announced a broadcasting strategy that was widely regarded as radical. Beginning in 2023, MLS decided to grant exclusive global broadcasting rights for all matches over ten years to the OTT streaming service Apple TV. This decision was clearly a strategic one, made with the U.S. OTT service environment and global expansion in mind. In the United States, OTT streaming penetration is higher than in many other countries and continues to grow rapidly, and the ability to watch from anywhere with an internet connection provides a strong advantage for entering global markets.
However, compared with the broadcasting strategies of existing major sports leagues, MLS’s choice was highly unusual. In the U.S., the Big Four sports leagues (American football, basketball, baseball, and ice hockey) have experimented with OTT streaming but continue to rely heavily on traditional cable and satellite television. Likewise, major global football leagues such as the EPL, La Liga, and the Bundesliga have adopted OTT streaming to some extent while still maintaining substantial reliance on traditional satellite and cable TV broadcasting. From both a U.S. and a global perspective, MLS’s decision to adopt an exclusive OTT streaming model was radical and exceptional.
Why is it exceptional?
For major sports leagues today, broadcasting rights remain the primary source of revenue. Although commercialization has increased advertising, sponsorship, merchandising, and matchday revenue, broadcasting rights still account for a large share of total income. In the case of the EPL, for the 2023–2024 season, broadcasting revenue amounted to approximately £3.3 billion out of total league revenue of £6.3 billion—around 52–55%. In other words, broadcasting contracts remain one of the most decisive factors in the economic success of global sports leagues.
As of December 2025, most popular sports leagues adopt a hybrid strategy that combines OTT streaming with cable and satellite broadcasting. While OTT platforms target younger, digitally savvy audiences, traditional TV broadcasting remains important for older fans and for countries with well-developed cable and satellite infrastructures. This approach also reflects an effort to preserve existing viewing habits, such as family-centered weekend viewing and communal viewing in pubs, while gradually experimenting with new platforms.
Major leagues are reluctant to abandon traditional broadcasting because the existing system of competitive bidding for cable and satellite rights generates enormous revenues. The EPL, for example, auctions its broadcasting rights on a country-by-country basis. Due to the league’s immense popularity, broadcasters engage in intense competition, driving rights fees ever higher. In most countries, where cable, satellite, or IPTV infrastructure is widespread, content providers are willing to incur high costs to secure EPL rights. Established leagues maximize broadcasting revenue by leveraging their mass popularity and brand recognition.
AI-generated Image: Traditional broadcasting via satellite and cable TV, aligned with family-centered weekend leisure patterns.
Why did MLS choose exclusive OTT streaming?
Because MLS is not yet a fully established mass-market league, it was able to take a bolder approach. The proportion of traditional fans accustomed to cable and satellite viewing is relatively small, the fan base is younger, and the league’s global position is still developing. Founded in 1996, MLS does not differ dramatically in age from the EPL (founded in 1992), but it has yet to achieve comparable global popularity. While the EPL can rely on fierce international bidding to drive up broadcasting fees, MLS may benefit more from an exclusive partnership with a streaming platform that appeals directly to highly engaged football fans.
Compared with the U.S. Big Four leagues, MLS also has lower overall popularity and media visibility. The Big Four, like the EPL, have large and relatively older traditional fan bases, which drives intense competition for conventional broadcasting rights. As a result, they have less incentive to shift fully to OTT streaming. The NFL’s continued reliance on traditional cable TV, with only very limited OTT distribution, illustrates this conservative approach.
The characteristics of MLS’s fan base further support the decision. MLS fans are generally younger and more culturally diverse than fans of the Big Four sports. MLS itself has described its audience as the youngest among U.S. professional men’s leagues. According to a 2024 report by For Soccer, 51% of U.S. soccer fans are under the age of 34, and 50% are non-White, making soccer the most racially diverse major sport in the U.S. Approximately 30% of soccer fans are Hispanic/Latino, and 12% of them describe themselves as “avid” fans. Younger, multicultural, and highly engaged fans are more likely to be comfortable with OTT streaming platforms that have grown rapidly in the U.S. over the past decade. Cord-cutting is especially prevalent among younger demographics, and multi-subscription behavior is more common among digitally fluent users. These viewing patterns differ significantly from traditional family-centered TV consumption.
Moreover, MLS’s long-term objective is global expansion. Aligning its season with European leagues from 2026 is part of this strategy. While broadcasting revenue is important, MLS is also pursuing advertising, sponsorship, merchandising, matchday revenue, real estate development, and other business models. Participation in international tournaments, increased player transfers, and the acquisition of global stars are all part of MLS’s effort to integrate into the global football ecosystem. The signing of Lionel Messi to raise global awareness, and the acquisition of Son Heung-min—who led Tottenham to a title and consistently ranks among top jersey sellers—are linked to market expansion in Asia and other regions.
OTT streaming, accessible anywhere with an internet connection, aligns well with MLS’s goal of embedding itself into everyday global life. The ten-year exclusive Apple TV deal sits at the core of this strategy. MLS has likely observed the slowing growth of broadcasting revenue among established leagues like the EPL and concluded that diversified business models may offer better long-term returns. The timing also appears favorable, with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America expected to act as a catalyst for MLS growth. At the same time, MLS has shown flexibility: while viewers initially needed both an Apple TV subscription and an MLS Season Pass, from 2026, MLS matches will be available with an Apple TV subscription alone, increasing mass exposure.
What kind of broadcast do sports fans prefer?
The strengths and weaknesses of OTT streaming and traditional TV are clear. OTT offers a single global access point with minimal time and space constraints, supports on-demand viewing, replays, highlights, and personalized content, and works across devices. For highly engaged or younger fans seeking flexibility, OTT is highly attractive.
In contrast, cable and satellite TV offer simplicity, stable quality, and accessibility for older viewers. They align well with family viewing in living rooms and communal viewing in pubs. Fans accustomed to these long-standing cultural practices are more likely to prefer traditional TV.
Category
OTT Streaming
Satellite / Cable TV
Access
Global, internet-based
Region- and platform-based
Viewing style
On-demand, flexible
Scheduled, real-time
Devices
Multi-device
TV-centric
Ease of use
Easy subscription changes
Simple remote control
Quality
Internet-dependent
Stable and consistent
Fan experience
Personalized, immersive
Communal, social
OTT streaming is an irreversible trend
It is not an exaggeration to say that the future of sports broadcasting lies in OTT. Across media industries, platforms are shifting from cable and satellite to streaming. Subscribing to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV may soon feel as routine as buying a cup of coffee. This shift is already happening faster among younger generations and in digitally advanced countries.
South Korea provides a clear example. By 2025, OTT platforms had gained significant share, and Coupang Play secured exclusive EPL broadcasting rights for six years starting in 2025. Even a traditionally conservative league like the EPL has opted for OTT-only distribution in specific markets. Whether this model can sustain audience size, popularity, and advertising revenue remains to be seen, but the transition has begun.
AI-Generated Image: A typical scene in the OTT era: individual viewing on personal devices in private spaces.
Why OTT broadcasting is not entirely optimistic
The main concern with MLS’s OTT-only model is limited mass exposure. Regardless of business diversification, the fundamental driver of sports growth is increasing the number of people who watch and enjoy the games. OTT reduces accidental exposure—viewers no longer encounter matches by casually channel surfing. It also favors individual viewing and creates barriers for older audiences. As of December 2025, Apple TV’s subscriber base remains significantly smaller than that of platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, or ESPN+.
Broadcasting platforms are not just technical tools; they shape the social meaning of sports consumption. Can solitary viewing on personal devices generate the same cultural impact as family or community viewing? Can content that requires deliberate access become as embedded in daily life as traditional TV broadcasts once were? How will advertising, sponsorship, and marketing evolve as viewing habits change? Ultimately, will these changes expand or shrink the fan base?
Supplementary strategies—such as YouTube highlights, star player acquisitions, targeted advertising, and merchandising—may mitigate these issues. Over time, OTT platforms may become as ubiquitous as cable once was, even among older audiences. But this transition will take time. For a league like MLS, which still needs mass exposure to grow, raising entry barriers too early may risk limiting expansion and pushing the league toward a niche, enthusiast-only market.
How will the meaning of sports viewing ultimately change?
The shift to OTT raises broader questions about how sports fit into our lives. Traditional broadcasting from the 1990s to the 2010s mirrored the era of globalization and standardization: mass, simultaneous, one-to-many transmission. Sports were shared events, embedded in family and community life.
OTT broadcasting reflects contemporary lifestyles: on-demand access, personalization, fragmented attention, and individual consumption. Viewing becomes less about “watching at a fixed time” and more about “connecting when desired.” Sports may begin to resemble strategic simulation games or cinematic experiences consumed alone. Yet, despite fragmentation, humans will continue to seek ways to share the excitement, solidarity, and emotion inherent in live sports.
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