MLS Season Pass Shift to a Fresh Apple TV Production Facility

MLS Season Pass Shift to a Fresh Apple TV Production Facility

Major League Soccer (MLS) has announced that it will relocate its media and broadcast production arm, MLS Productions, to a new studio and facilities at the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) headquarters in Stamford, Connecticut, for the 2025 season. This move is part of an expanded partnership with IMG, MLS's media rights partner.

The operation will be based at The Studios at WWE, a state-of-the-art production facility within WWE's new headquarters. The facility serves as the production hub for MLS content and is located within WWE’s headquarters campus in Stamford.

The relocation allows MLS Productions to capitalize on WWE’s advanced production infrastructure and technology at the Stamford site, creating a centralized and modernized environment for their broadcast and media production needs. The Studios at WWE are part of WWE's recently upgraded headquarters, which is known for high-end production capabilities and has been home to various significant sports and entertainment productions.

This strategic move aligns with a trend of major sports and entertainment broadcasters consolidating and upgrading their production bases in Stamford, Connecticut, where other media entities like NBC Sports have also established large, tax-incentivized operations. The partnership and relocation highlight Connecticut’s growing importance as a hub for advanced media production.

In 2023, MLS and Apple debuted MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, creating a single destination where every MLS match is available for fans worldwide. IMG will continue to produce live match and studio productions and programming for more than 600 annual games on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Seth Bacon, executive vice president of media at MLS, stated that they are thrilled to further their partnership with IMG to support their vision of elevating production, creating new viewing opportunities, and pushing the sports broadcast landscape into the future. Barney Francis, executive vice president of studios at IMG, added that together with MLS and Apple, they have set a new standard for the MLS viewing experience, creating a new era of entertaining, highly engaging content for football fans globally.

The bespoke facility, engineered around the needs of MLS Productions, will enable centralized solutions across the MLS workflow. The new location will serve as the hub for popular MLS live studio programming and content in English and Spanish. The new facility, The Studios at WWE in Stamford, is a 30,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art production facility equipped with five studios and the latest technologies.

Together with its production partners IMG and NEP, MLS Season Pass has brought best-in-class production, more expansive coverage, and increased global visibility, surpassing expectations in its first two years, according to the league. The new location for MLS Season Pass will enable MLS Productions to add programming in the new season.

WWE Executive Vice President, Media and Production Lee Fitting expressed admiration for the MLS-IMG partnership and believes that WWE's new state-of-the-art facilities will help take their collective capabilities to even greater heights. The move is part of a renewed, multiyear deal between MLS and IMG that will expand their existing broadcast production relationship.

The WWE facility where MLS Production plans to reside is part of TKO Group Holdings, which recently reached an agreement with Endeavor to acquire IMG. This acquisition is expected to further strengthen the partnership between MLS, IMG, and WWE, ensuring a continued focus on delivering high-quality content to MLS fans worldwide.

1. The operation of Major League Soccer (MLS) Productions will be based at The Studios at WWE, a modernized production facility within WWE’s headquarters campus in Stamford, Connecticut.
2. The new studio and facilities at WWE headquarters for MLS Productions are part of an expanded partnership with IMG, MLS's media rights partner.
3. The relocation of MLS Productions to the virtual production environment at The Studios at WWE will leverage WWE’s advanced production infrastructure and technology.
4. In 2023, MLS and Apple debuted MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, making every MLS match available for fans worldwide, and IMG will continue to produce live match and studio productions for this platform.
5. The partnership between MLS, IMG, and WWE highlights Connecticut’s growing importance as a hub for advanced media production, especially in sports broadcasting.
6. The new facility at WWE's headquarters campus in Stamford, Connecticut, will serve as the hub for popular MLS live studio programming and content, presented in High Definition (HD), with support from digital media and video technologies.

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