MLS Next Pro Announces Streaming Changes
True soccer sickos watch MLS Next Pro. And now - it's even easier to do so in 2026 with some platform changes.
We’ve got some North Texas Soccer Club content coming for you in the next few days, but I have to admit I was pleased to see the announcement from MLS Next Pro about streaming changes.
In previous years, MLS Next Pro matches were often split in confusing ways. Some were streamed under the MLS section on AppleTV, which meant navigating an already fairly confusing interface to the very bottom to find the streams. Others were streamed on MLS Next Pro. It sometimes meant jumping between the two to find the game you wanted to watch.
But guess what? No more.
According to the press release, it’s going to be a lot easier:
MLS NEXT Pro announced today a global partnership with OneFootball to stream matches on the platform in 2026 - including the regular season, Playoffs and MLS NEXT Pro Cup. Matches will be live and free-to-air to all OneFootball users around the world, beginning when MLS NEXT Pro’s fifth season kicks off Friday, February 27.
I’m not familiar with OneFootball, but it looks like they have a good amount of coverage available from across the world. When you click join, it appears they stream free content and pay-per-view from a variety of leagues. I see games from regional leagues and the Ukrainian Premier League, for instance, for a few bucks. If the press release is correct, MLS Next Pro streams will remain free.
To make it even easier than that, MLS Next Pro will remain a streaming vehicle going forward. No more AppleTV app, at all.
All MLS NEXT Pro matches will also be broadcast live and for free on the League’s website, MLSNEXTPro.com. The 2026 season will mark the first time since MLS NEXT Pro’s inaugural season (2022) that all matches will air on the website.
On Apple’s side of things, MLS Next Pro content was pretty awkward. I imagine some of the games were viewed by dozens of fans, so it was effort without many eyeballs. With this move, Apple is off the hook and can hopefully focus on promoting MLS content with a big season ahead (although, we’ll see).
For the rest of us who want to watch North Texas SC in a historic year as they prepare to open a new stadium in Mansfield, TX, we get to feast.
I’m excited about this change, and I recommend FC Dallas fans tune in more often to watch youngsters like Jaidyn Contreras and Caleb Swann show their stuff.