Apple paid $2.5B for global MLS rights in 2022—a 27x jump from the prior $90M annual ESPN/Fox/Univision package. The bet was simple: centralize everything, kill regional fragmentation, build a global audience. Two years in, that strategy is cracking. MLS teams now expect zero return from local broadcasting rights when Apple's deal expires, per reporting. That's a fundamental shift from the pre-2023 model, where clubs could monetize regional audiences separately.