Major League Soccer just hired the person who will help decide the future of how millions of fans watch the league.
MLS announced that Larry Berg, the longtime LAFC co-managing owner, will become the league’s next commissioner beginning January 1, 2027. He will replace Don Garber, who has led MLS for nearly three decades and will move into the role of chairman.
While the commissioner change is a major moment for the league, the timing may be even more important. Berg steps in just as MLS prepares to make one of the biggest decisions in its history, deciding what will follow its current Apple TV media agreement when it expires after the 2028–29 season.
“I’m honored to lead Major League Soccer into its next era,” said Berg in a statement. “Thanks to the vision and commitment of so many people, Major League Soccer has achieved tremendous success, but I believe our greatest opportunities are still ahead.”
For cord cutters, that decision could determine whether MLS doubles down on streaming, returns to a bigger traditional TV presence, or creates a hybrid model that combines both.
Larry Berg Takes Over as MLS Enters Its Next Media Era
MLS selected Berg after a league-led succession process that included input from the Board of Governors. Before taking over, Berg will step away from his ownership role with LAFC, which he helped turn into one of MLS’s most successful clubs.
In announcing the move, MLS highlighted Berg’s experience building LAFC, growing the club’s fan base, expanding commercial opportunities, and helping establish one of the league’s strongest franchises.
However, Berg’s arrival also creates an interesting contrast with Garber. Garber’s nearly 30-year run as commissioner was defined by expansion, global growth and a willingness to disrupt traditional sports broadcasting. The biggest example was MLS’s decision to move every match into a direct-to-consumer streaming package with Apple.
Garber has defended that decision, saying MLS was “way early” with its streaming strategy and that the league was building a long-term product rather than chasing short-term television revenue.
“Having worked closely with Larry over the past decade, I’ve seen firsthand the qualities that make him an exceptional leader, and I have complete confidence he is the right person to serve as Major League Soccer’s next Commissioner,” Garber said in a statement.
The Apple partnership gave fans one place to watch every MLS match without local blackouts, but it also removed many games from traditional television channels where casual sports fans could discover the league. Berg now inherits that experiment at a critical point.
LAFC Gave Berg Firsthand Streaming Experience
Although Berg does not come from a traditional media background, his time with LAFC gives him experience with the changing sports media landscape.
In 2018, LAFC partnered with YouTube TV for its local broadcasts and jersey sponsorship. At the time, the deal was considered a major shift because it moved local MLS games away from the traditional regional sports network model and onto a live TV streaming platform. The move came years before streaming became a major part of how sports leagues approached distribution.
While LAFC’s local media situation later changed, the experiment gave Berg a front-row seat to the challenges teams face when balancing reach, revenue and the viewing habits of modern fans. That experience could influence how MLS approaches its next media negotiations.
How Much Could MLS’s Next TV Deal Be Worth?
The biggest question facing Berg will be whether MLS can turn its recent momentum into a larger media rights payday.
Reports have suggested MLS could target a deal worth around $400 million to $500 million annually in its next media cycle, a significant increase from previous agreements. The current Apple partnership was valued at roughly $2.5 billion over 10 years when it was announced, averaging about $250 million annually. The agreement was originally scheduled to run through 2032, but was shortened to 2029.
The MLS-Apple partnership was designed around long-term subscriber growth rather than maximizing traditional television revenue. With a new deal approaching in the coming years, MLS is now hoping several factors can increase its value:
A bigger rights deal could allow MLS to keep its streaming foundation while adding more games to broadcast and cable networks.
During Ber’s introductory press conference, he told reporters that the league’snext deal is about “finding media partners that want to co-create the future with us,” according to Front Office Sports. He also told the outlet that the league’s upcoming rights deal has “uncapped upside.”
Could MLS Move Away From Apple?
Despite questions about the Apple partnership, MLS does not appear to be abandoning streaming. The league recently saw strong growth, with MLS reporting a 62% increase in viewership during the first part of 2026 compared with the previous year. Apple has also made MLS Season Pass easier to access by including it with standard Apple TV subscriptions during the 2026 season.
Those moves suggest MLS believes the streaming model is maturing, but the next challenge is exposure. Traditional television still reaches casual viewers in ways streaming struggles with, putting games in front of people who are not actively seeking soccer.
That matters even more now because other streamers are loading up on soccer. Paramount+ has locked in Serie A through the 2026-27 season and just added a new multi-year Concacaf package through 2030, giving it one of the deepest soccer lineups in streaming. ESPN and Disney have also expanded their soccer portfolio, with the UEFA Women’s Champions League and more NWSL matches.
Other notable moves include the UEFA Champions League’s recent multi-year deal with Telemundo and Peacock. Plus, Netflix already has the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cups, which gives it another foothold in the sport. And with the 2030 Men’s World Cup rights expected to be huge, some bidders could try to pair a broader domestic soccer strategy with MLS when its current deal winds down around 2029.
Over the years, MLS has expanded its reach on traditional TV under the Apple partnership, with many clubs airing games for free over-the-air via tape delay. Internationally, the league’s flagship Sunday Night Soccer matchup has also aired on linear television. The next MLS deal could attempt to solve that problem by combining the best parts of both worlds, with streaming for dedicated fans and television exposure for everyone else.
For MLS Fans, The Biggest Change May Still Be Coming
For now, MLS on Apple TV remains the center of the league’s viewing strategy, and fans should not expect any immediate changes when Berg takes over. The Apple partnership still has several years remaining, giving MLS time to evaluate what has worked, what needs to improve, and how the league can reach more viewers. But Berg’s appointment starts the countdown toward the league’s next major media decision.
Garber built MLS’s streaming future, and Berg will be the person responsible for deciding what comes next. The league moved away from the traditional regional sports network model, gave fans one destination for every match, and partnered with one of the biggest technology companies in the world. And the next MLS media deal could determine whether the league remains one of sports’ biggest streaming experiments or evolves into a more traditional mix of television and digital platforms. That could mean more games on broadcast television, expanded partnerships with streaming services, a larger free viewing component, or a combination of all three.
Berg’s background with LAFC makes him an interesting choice to lead the transition into the league’s future for cord cutters. He has seen firsthand how teams can use streaming to reach fans, and the league also understands the importance of building a broad audience beyond the most committed supporters.
With the 2026 World Cup bringing unprecedented attention to soccer in North America, MLS has a rare opportunity to turn that momentum into long-term growth. The question is whether the league’s next rights deal can capture that interest while making MLS easier for more fans to watch. Larry Berg will be the person responsible for finding that answer.
