MLS games will be available to bars, restaurants via DirecTV

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Bars and restaurants with DirecTV can still show Major League Soccer games.

The satellite service announced on Thursday that it has reached an agreement to provide MLS Season Pass to commercial establishments through DirecTV for Business.

DirecTV’s residential customers will still need to access MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app. MLS and Apple began a 10-year agreement on Feb. 1 to carry games worldwide without blackout restrictions.

DirecTV says the agreement will allow about 300,000 restaurants, bars, hotel lounges, retail shops and other venues in the U.S. to access the games through their satellite equipment.

It is the second time in less than a year DirecTV has partnered with a streaming service to bring a sports package to businesses. It reached a deal with Amazon Prime Video last fall to air the NFL’s “Thursday Night Football” games.

Even though it will no longer be the residential carrier of the NFL’s “Sunday Ticket” package of out-of-market Sunday afternoon games beginning with the 2023 season, DirecTV remains in the mix to possibly acquire the commercial rights. Google’s YouTube TV won the rights to “Sunday Ticket” last December.

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AP MLS: https://apnews.com/hub/major-league-soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports