- MLS kicked off its 25th season on Feb. 29 with two new teams and a number of new stars debuting in the league, including Mexican striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez.
- Just two matches into the season, the coronavirus pandemic interrupted play.
- MLS launched a unique approach to resuming play in July—the MLS is Back Tournament, where the Portland Timbers beat hosts Orlando City SC in the Aug. 11 final.
- The regular season resumes August 12 with the first of two matches between FC Dallas and Nashville SC—the two teams who didn’t participate in the tournament due to players testing positive for coronavirus.
- ESPN+ will stream 64 out-of-market matches in the first phase of play, ending Sept. 14, making it essential for following MLS.
- To stream the remaining MLS matches, you’ll want access to ESPN, Fox, FS1, TUDN, and Univision.
What is MLS (also known as Major League Soccer)?
MLS (not the MLS, lest soccer snobs look at you askance) is the top-flight soccer league in the United States. Although there’s a recently launched top-flight league in Canada, the three biggest Canadian cities (Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal) all have franchises as well. Started with 10 teams in 1996, MLS worked through initial growing pains, began expanding in the early to mid-2000s, and is approaching the 30-team mark.
Though it’s not on the level of world football giants like the Premier League, La Liga, the Bundesliga, or Serie A, it’s top 10 in the world by most metrics and is carving out a niche as a place where younger players from South America and Central America are developing en route to those top European leagues. As college football is to the NFL in player development, MLS is emerging as soccer’s answer to college football.
MLS expansion teams in 2020
Two teams have entered MLS in 2020, bringing the league to 26 teams.
Inter Miami CF, with David Beckham as part of the ownership group, is fielding an intriguing mix of players for its inaugural season, including Mexican national player Rodolfo Pizarro (who came from Liga MX side Monterrey), former New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Luis Robles, former Columbus Crew midfielder and U.S. national player Wil Trapp, and up-and-coming Argentine winger Matias Pellegrini.
They’re also rumored to be making a big transfer window splash for the restart: Juventus and French international midfielder Blaise Matuidi.
Nashville SC might be a little less flashy, but they’ve put together a sturdy defense anchored by LAFC standout Walker Zimmerman, with journeymen like Dominique Badji, David Accam, and Abu Danladi being called upon to provide offense.
MLS teams
Western Conference
- Colorado Rapids
- FC Dallas
- Houston Dynamo
- LA Galaxy
- LAFC
- Minnesota United FC
- Portland Timbers
- Real Salt Lake
- San Jose Earthquakes
- Seattle Sounders FC
- Sporting Kansas City
- Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Eastern Conference
- Atlanta United FC
- Chicago Fire FC
- Columbus Crew SC
- D.C. United
- FC Cincinnati
- Inter Miami CF
- Montreal Impact
- Nashville SC (started season in Western Conference)
- New England Revolution
- New York City FC
- New York Red Bulls
- Orlando City SC
- Philadelphia Union
- Toronto FC
How to watch MLS matches online
Most of the matches (especially the Saturday matches) are streamed from local market broadcasts to ESPN+. MLS has a TV package that involves several broadcasters. FS1 and ESPN will typically carry at least one (and sometimes two) matches on Sunday, and Friday night and Saturday games are carried via TUDN or Univision (with an English-language stream via Twitter).
FuboTV
FuboTV started as a streaming service geared toward sports fans, but it’s evolved into a broadly-appealing option with entertainment and news options alongside its robust sports choices. FuboTV starts at $54.99 a month, and depending on the package, you can access as many as 180+ FuboTV channels. If you’re looking to be entertained, Bravo, IFC, MTV, and VH1 are options even at Fubo’s most basic tier.
The Fubo channel list still includes plenty of sports, including the Fubo Sports Network, which has original programming mixing sports and humor. The ESPN suite of channels was added as part of an agreement that also brought ABC and the Disney Channel. Pretty much every sports channel you could think of is available through Fubo, including BeIN Sports, CBS Sports Network, and TUDN. It’s got every channel you need to watch MLS; you’ll just need ESPN+ to round out your MLS streaming.
| Standard | $54.99 |
| Family | $59.99 |
| Ultra | $84.99 |
Hulu Live TV
Hulu Live TV is a great way to stream live TV, as it comes with access to Hulu’s massive library of on-demand content. You’ll be able to choose from movies, shows, and Hulu’s original programming, and keep up with what’s new each month. Hulu plans even include a bundle option where you can access Disney+ and ESPN+ along with Hulu.
Hulu Live TV’s sports coverage includes the full suite of ESPN channels (including ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, and ESPN College Extra), FS1 and FS2), NBSCN, the Olympic Channel, and the Big Ten Network. Most markets have Fox included in its local channel set-up for the odd MLS match appearing there. Hulu LIve TV’s also got you covered for news and entertainment in its nearly 70-channel package.
| Hulu Live TV | $54.99 |
| Hulu Live TV (no ads on Hulu content) |
$60.99 |
Sling TV
If you’re looking for a streamlined, cost-effective streaming package, check out Sling TV. It offers two basic cable packages, Sling Orange and Sling Blue, each of which costs $30 per month. There’s also the third option of getting Sling Orange + Blue for just $45 per month. You’ll get more Sling TV channels by choosing Sling Blue, with its 40 channels including sports favorites like FS1 and NBCSN and cable mainstays like Food Network and Discovery Channel. But Sling Orange brings must-haves Disney Channel and ESPN as part of its package. There’s also a Sports Extra option for each Sling package, with MLB Network, NBA TV, and NHL Network part of each plan.
Sling Orange + Blue will get you ESPN and FS1 for sure, and may get you Fox depending on your market. (Though you can use AirTV to guarantee getting all your local channels with Sling.
| Orange | $30 |
| Blue | $30 |
| Orange + Blue | $45 |
AT&T TV Now
If you’re already looking to AT&T for your wireless needs, you might consider AT&T TV Now to cover streaming for you. AT&T TV Now channels start with Plus and Max, which even include HBO. Then, AT&T plans expand from there, approaching cable selection and pricing with AT&T TV Now’s biggest packages. AT&T streaming also comes with Cloud DVR, letting you record up to 20 hours of TV per month.
At its most basic Plus tier, you can find MLS staples like ESPN, Fox, and FS1 . If you graduate to at least the Entertainment level, you can also get Univision to set yourself up for MLS matches carried there.
| Plus | $65 |
| Max | $80 |
| Entertainment | $93 |
| Choice | $110 |
| Xtra | $124 |
| Ultimate | $135 |
| Optimo Mas | $86 |
YouTube TV
The YouTube TV channel list includes local channels and plenty to keep kids (and kids at heart) occupied, including Disney Channel and its companion channels, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network—all in one easy-to-access package. It even comes with a few Spanish-language channels like Telemundo and NBC Universo. YouTube add-ons include HBO Max, Showtime, and Starz. YouTube TV packages have some advantages over their competitors, including a generous DVR and multiple screens package. From one account, each user can create an individual profile to track favorite shows.
It’s a great option for sports fans. It comes with ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, FS2, and NBCSN at the ready. Deeper sports cuts, like NBA TV, MLB Network, CBS Sports Network, and ESPNU are also part of the YouTube TV plan. While you’ll still need a solution for TUDN and Univision, plus ESPN Plus, YouTube TV covers you for a good amount.
Vidgo
Vidgo offers a package for under $40 a month that pulls together more than 60 English-language channels into its National English Package. Vidgo channels include ABC, Fox, FS1, the ESPN family of channels (including ESPN Deportes), NFL Network, and it’s one of the few streaming services that carries BeIN Sports. But it’s like Fubo in that, even though it started out for streaming sports, it carries a lot more now. There’s even a Social TV platform that allows you to chat with other Vidgo viewers about what you’re watching.
There’s also two Latino options featuring ESPN Deportes, Fox Deportes, and TyC sports at both levels. At the Plus level on the English side, you get NFL RedZone and all the Pac-12 Network regional options.
| Core | $40 |
| Plus | $45 |
| Latino | $15 |
| Latino Mas | $25 |
ESPN+
ESPN+ is a subscription-based streaming service that lets you watch all sorts of live sports action you won’t find anywhere else. Think of it as a way of super-sizing your ESPN viewing, allowing you to stream more exclusive UFC fights.
But ESPN+ offers a lot more than UFC cards, though. In addition to 20 UFC Fight Night events per year, you’ll also get 180 NHL games, at least one MLB game every day for the entire season, and thousands of college sporting events. No matter what sport you’re into, you’ll find plenty to watch on ESPN+: Top Rank Boxing, Grand Slam tennis events, and international soccer from Italian Serie A, EFL, and UEFA Nations Cup. It also offers the equivalent of NFL Sunday Ticket for Major League Soccer games, allowing you to watch every out-of-market MLS game for the entire season. That’s roughly 250 games.
Plus, you’ll gain access to the entire 30 for 30 catalog, 150 entries, and counting.
Odds to win 2020 MLS Cup
According to BetMGM (as of the restart on August 12), these are the teams most likely to win the 2020 MLS Cup:
- LAFC: +275 (wager $100 to win $275)
- NYCFC: +800
- Seattle Sounders FC: +900
- Atlanta United: +900
- Toronto FC: +1200
- Orlando City SC: +1600
- Minnesota United FC: +1600
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