PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Rise up Rose City, your Portland Timbers are just a few weeks away from starting the 2023 MLS regular season with a home match against Kansas City on Feb. 25.
If you’re not one of the 18,000-plus fans expected to be in Providence Park for the home games, or you want to watch the Timbers when they play on the road, things are going to be a little different this season. Thanks to an historic deal between Major League Soccer and Apple, all MLS games will be televised 2023, but the overwhelming majority of them will not be broadcast via traditional network or broadcast television means.
So, how are loyal members of the Timbers Army or casual soccer fans supposed to catch a match on TV?
Here’s what you need to know:
All 34 regular-season Timbers matches will be available to stream on AppleTV through the MLS Season Pass. None of the games will be blacked out, but users must purchase a subscription to be guaranteed to see the action. A few Timbers games will be available for free on the AppleTV+ app and a handful will be available through traditional television outlets. (See chart below)
Subscription prices for MLS Season Pass are in line with other streaming services. Current AppleTV+ subscribers can pay $12.99 per month or $79 for the entire season. Those who do not currently subscribe to AppleTV+ will be charged $14.99 per month or $99 for the season.
The MLS Season Pass plan will include English and Spanish language broadcasts along with the home club’s radio broadcast. Subscribers will also get access to a live whip-around show featuring highlights and analysis from every game, pre- and post-match shows, and a catalog of game replays and other original programming.
Portland Timbers Broadcast Breakdown:
- MLS Season Pass on AppleTV+ (subscription required) = All 34 regular season matches
- AppleTV+ App (free) = 3 regular season matches
- FOX (network) = 4 regular season matches
- FS1 (cable subscription required) = 2 regular season matches
After opening the season at home against Kansas City, the Timbers travel to LAFC on March 4 and return home to take on St. Louis on March 11 before wrapping up the first full month of the season with a trip to Atlanta and a home match against LA Galaxy.