MLS Broadcast Rights: NYCFC’s CEO Perspective

Brad Sims, the CEO of New York City FC, seems pretty set in his expectations regarding Major League Soccer’s future in local broadcast rights. Interestingly, he believes that the league might never revert to the earlier arrangements where clubs partnered with regional media outlets for local broadcasts—despite it potentially being beneficial for the club he oversees.

As it stands, MLS and Apple are set to end their media rights deal following the 2028-29 season. However, Sims isn’t optimistic about a return to the traditional model of local agreements. “I don’t think something like that will ever happen again,” he mentioned in a recent interview at the SBJ Business of Soccer Conference in Atlanta, coinciding with the U.S. men’s national team’s training camp.

Previously, NYCFC had aired games locally on the YES Network from 2015, which was the club’s first season, until 2022. After that, all team broadcasts moved to Apple TV as part of the MLS Season Pass, which secured a hefty $250 million a year for the league.

There’s some ongoing debate about whether a streaming-only format would work well for MLS games. While Sims admitted that local TV rights would probably serve clubs like NYCFC better, he’s also aware of the complexities involved.

He’s noted, “The model where you could get local rights was economically better,” but he’s not entirely sure that’s the best route for MLS overall. “I think what’s been done and how it’s structured is probably the best path forward.” According to him, it’s crucial to produce content viewers would want to watch—both domestically and globally—while ensuring there are broadcasters willing to invest in those rights.

Moving forward, MLS is keenly observing whether there will be a surge in soccer interest in the U.S. following this summer’s World Cup. The league is considering how to leverage that for better media rights negotiations in the future.