MLS Commissioner Don Garber said that the league is “finalizing deals with its linear TV partners for certain games,” according to Doug Roberson of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. He noted that viewership on ABC and ESPN “increased by 16% this season, year over year,” and that this was among “the best records the league has had on television.” The league's 10-year, $2.5B deal with Apple will start next year, but there “haven’t been many details” released since the agreement was announced in June. Garber “didn’t offer many" Thursday, other than to "repeat that there will be consistent game days (Wednesdays and Saturdays), pregame and postgame shows and improved production quality." Garber noted MLS’s upcoming Apple TV deal "will be a key part of the league’s efforts to grow internationally, with the hopes of reaching both potential future players as well as global fans." He also "pushed back" on the notion that the league is "lagging behind in not yet finalizing a linear broadcast agreement in addition to the Apple streaming deal." Garber noted the offseason "will be spent finalizing broadcast production details and strategy." Garber: “I read articles that we’re behind. We’re not behind. Our season doesn’t start for a while, and certainly we’ll be launching our season with Apple, with great production teams and with all the bells and whistles we’ve talked about” (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 11/3).
