Major League Soccer. *ducks*
Is it safe to come out?
As Major League Soccer enters its 25th season, it’s hard to remember a time when it didn’t exist. Many of the league’s fans have never known a time when the U.S. did not have a professional soccer league.
When the league launched in 1996, there were plenty of detractors who said soccer will never make it in the U.S. There were plenty more Euro snobs who simply turned their noses up at the mere thought of watching Americans in the baggy, peacock uniforms of the league’s early years.
While the league remains more than two decades later, the haters, too, never went away. Whether it’s the American football fans who lack the nuance to appreciate the beautiful game or those who simply refuse to watch MLS because it isn’t European, the league has just as many haters as it does fans. For every Osvaldo Alonso appreciator there is at least one Michael Bradley heckler. For every person excited about the 25th and 26th teams joining the league this year there’s one person complaining about the lack of promotion and relegation.
But to all the haters out there, maybe you should give up and stop hating. Below are three reasons to watch MLS in 2020. But first, here is a guide on how to watch MLS matches this season, from network TV to streaming and replays.
How To Watch MLS 2020
How To Watch MLS On TV In 2020
- ABC
- FOX
- Univision
- UniMás
- ESPN
- ESPN2
- FS1
- TUDN
- CTV
- TVA Sports
- TSN
In 2020, MLS will have 46 matches on network broadcast television across ABC, FOX, Univision and UniMás in the U.S., plus eight more in Canada on CTV. ABC will air 10 matches while FOX promises to show four.
ESPN has 31 matches on its slate with 28 on FS1. All matches on FS1 or FOX will also be available in Spanish on FOX Deportes, plus simulcast on FOX Sports GO.
Univision will show 14 matches, with 18 more on UniMás. These matches will also be simulcast on TUDN and available in English via SAP or streaming on Twitter.
How to watch MLS on Univision.
In Canada, in addition to the CTV matches, TSN will air every Toronto and Vancouver match while TVA Sports will show every game for Thierry Henry’s Montreal Impact.
How To Watch MLS Streaming In 2020
- ESPN+
- FOX Sports GO
- ESPN App
- Club Streams
When it comes to streaming MLS matches, there will be a few options. As mentioned in the section above, many matches shown on TV will have simultaneous streams accompanying them. Twitter is a great place to go for those who want to watch the matches shown on Spanish networks but want English-language commentary.
ESPN+ offers every out-of-market match not shown on broadcast TV. At $4.99 per month ($49.99 for a year), we ranked ESPN+ as the best value for soccer streaming last year. The service also includes USL matches and other leagues around the world (Carabao Cup, FA Cup, Serie A, international matches and soon the Bundesliga). While we wish ESPN would show more of these matches on basic cable, you get a lot for $5 per month.
FOX Sports Go is available for fans who can’t stream their TV subscription through their various devices, allowing FOX subscribers to log in to watch matches that are being broadcast on FOX or FS1. There are similar apps for streaming matches on the ABC/ESPN family of networks as well as Univision channels.
While ESPN+ covers out-of-market streaming, in-market streaming is on a club-by-club basis, so check with your team for how to stream those matches.
How To Watch MLS Replays And Highlights In 2020
- ESPN+
- YouTube
- MLS App
- Pluto TV
- ESPN App
Adding to the value of ESPN+, the service also offers full-match replays of every game it shows. The ESPN App will also stream replays until 48 hours after the end of the game, at which point they’re moved to ESPN+.
For those without $5 to spend per month, the MLS App offers free condensed replays of every match. Pluto TV, a free streaming TV service, includes these same “MLS in 15” highlights, while the MLS YouTube page will have shorter highlight packages for every match. The dedicated Pluto TV MLS channel will also have full-match replays, among other MLS shows.
Why You Should Watch MLS In 2020
The Talent Is There
From its beginnings in 1996, growth in MLS has not been linear. The contractions of 2001 and Chivas USA folding in 2014 are still reminders that MLS is not infallible.
But the league is making progress. MLS in 2020 is nearly unrecognizable from the league in 2000.
Constant expansion has taken a toll on the talent of the player pool, but MLS clubs have countered this by bringing in players from Central and South America. In recent years, MLS has been able to attract stars from Mexico who normally would continue playing in Europe or return home to Liga MX. The Carlos Vela-Chicharito rivalry in Los Angeles will be one of the most intriguing matchups in league history, eclipsing anything David Beckham, Landon Donovan or Zlatan Ibrahimovic did in LA.
The level of play continues to rise, not coincidentally as the salaries on offer continue to rise. While expansion means individual teams here and there may not continue to improve each year, overall the quality is undeniably greater than it was just four years ago.
With all the talent coming in from all over the world, MLS has become one of the best leagues for young talent to thrive. Just look at how Miguel Almiron and Alphonso Davies have fared since moving from MLS to Europe.
Plus, in addition to Chicharito in LA this year, we’ve got new teams in Nashville and Miami. Inter Miami is owned by David Beckham and is sure to either be an entertaining dumpster fire or thrilling success, nothing in between, and we can’t wait to see which one it is.
Appreciate How Far We’ve Come
As I grew up playing soccer, there was no U.S. soccer league. If I wanted to watch soccer, I had to find obscure channels showing European matches at odd hours of the day or watch Liga MX games in Spanish. I did it anyway out of love for the game, but I also watched a lot of other American sports that were easier to find on TV.
Then MLS came along and suddenly there were matches taking place in our very own country and at normal hours of the day.
While European soccer, for the most part, is easier than ever for Americans to watch, the easiest sport in the world to watch is MLS in the U.S. (as we explained how to watch MLS above). NBCSN’s coverage of the Premier League is excellent, but it’s growing increasingly expensive, FOX seems to have given up on the sport and TNT has turned its Champions League coverage into some kind of sick joke.
The best soccer to watch in America is MLS, and it’s only going to get better.
Last year I compared Major League Soccer to country music — it’s not the rock star everyone wants to be, but it’s the solid musician that can still draw in a devoted crowd. MLS might one day become a rock star, but until then we should appreciate having a league that’s been around for 25 seasons, one that can inspire the greatest musician of his generation to pen this little ditty.
It's that new new from Hans Zimmer for MLS Year 25.pic.twitter.com/F6VvHyFhZg
— The18 (@the18com) February 26, 2020
Don’t Be The Asshole
The final reason to watch MLS is to simply not be a hater.
No one likes the dude (let’s be real, it’s almost always dudes) who just shits on everything. So don’t be the asshole.
The league isn’t the best in the world, but it’s also far from the worst.
And let’s be honest, you don’t have much else to do on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and evenings than watch the beautiful game, right? European matches are over by the afternoon so what else are you going to watch to get your soccer fix?
You could binge watch Netflix shows or play video games, but you know you really just want to watch footie 24/7.
Especially in the summer months, when the only other professional leagues in the U.S. in season are MLB and NWSL (the latter of which you should definitely watch, too), MLS provides the perfect sport to watch, whether at home, at a bar or streaming on your phone while on a date.
If Chicharito, a 25-year anniversary and not being an asshole aren’t good enough reasons for you to watch MLS, then I don’t know what will ever get you to watch the best soccer league in America (probably).
