The 26th season of Major League Soccer begins on Friday, April 16, with a nationally televised match between the Seattle Sounders and Minnesota United on FS1 (a rematch of last year’s unbelievable Western Conference final). The MLS national TV schedule 2021 grows from there with FOX Sports, ABC/ESPN and TUDN all broadcasting a historic amount of games.
Plans for national television can be broken down as follows: ESPN (26), ESPN2 (one) and ABC (five) plan to televise 32 total regular season matches in 2021, while ESPN Deportes will carry Spanish-language telecasts for each of those 32 games. MLS Cup 2021 (scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 11, at 3 p.m. ET) will also be broadcast on ABC.
That number is the same over on FOX (seven) and FS1 (25), with all 32 then simulcast in Spanish on FOX Deportes.
Furthering the Spanish-language coverage is TUDN, which plans to broadcast 25 regular season matches on Univision and UniMás.
If you want to go big, ESPN+ returns as the exclusive home of 350 out-of-market MLS games, so purchasing that streaming service is an absolute must for MLS fans.
There’s a lot of excitement for the upcoming season with a new team (Austin FC), new stadiums (Austin’s Q2 Stadium, Cincinnati’s West End Stadium and the New Columbus Crew Stadium), new players (Brenner, Cecilio Domínguez, Lisandro, Alexandre Pato and Chofis López among them) and the return of supporters to grounds across the country.
It all makes for great television.
MLS National TV Schedule 2021: ESPN And ABC (ET)
Sun, Apr 18: 3 p.m. Inter Miami vs. LA Galaxy | ABC, ESPN Deportes
Sat, Apr 24: 6 p.m. LAFC vs. Seattle Sounders | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, May 2: 1 p.m. Nashville vs. Inter Miami | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sat, May 8: 6 p.m. Orlando City vs. NYCFC | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, May 9: 1 p.m. Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United | ABC, ESPN Deportes
3 p.m. Portland Timbers vs. Seattle Sounders | ABC, ESPN Deportes
Sun, May 16: 6 p.m. New England vs. Columbus Crew | ESPN2, ESPN Deportes
Sat, May 22: 3:30 p.m. Portland Timbers vs. LA Galaxy | ABC, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Jun 20: 2 p.m. Atlanta United vs. Philadelphia | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sat, Jun 26: 5 p.m. Sporting Kansas City vs. LAFC | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sat, Jul 3: 5 p.m. Columbus Crew vs. New England | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sat, Jul 17: 5 p.m. Atlanta United vs. New England | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Jul 18: 4 p.m. Minnesota vs. Seattle Sounders | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Thu, Jul 22: 7:30 p.m. Orlando City vs. Philadelphia | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
9:30 p.m. Austin FC vs. Seattle Sounders | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sat, Jul 24: 3:30 p.m. Atlanta United vs. Columbus Crew | ABC, ESPN Deportes
Sat, Jul 30: 8 p.m. Orlando City vs. Atlanta United | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
10 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Aug 15: 4 p.m. Atlanta United vs. LAFC | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Fri, Aug 20: 10 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sat, Aug 21: 4 p.m. Minnesota vs. Sporting Kansas City | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Fri, Aug 27: 6:30 p.m. Columbus Crew vs. Cincinnati | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
8:30 p.m. Orlando City vs. Inter Miami | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Aug 29: 10:30 p.m. Seattle vs. Portland | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Sep 19: 4 p.m. Philadelphia Union vs. Orlando City | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Sep 26: TBD. Austin FC vs. LA Galaxy | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Oct 3: 8 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. LAFC | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Oct 17: 1 p.m. New York Red Bulls vs. NYCFC | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Oct 24: 4 p.m. Austin FC vs. Houston Dynamo | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Tue, Oct 26: 10:30 p.m. LAFC vs. Seattle Sounders | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Oct 31: TBD Minnesota vs. Sporting Kansas City | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
Sun, Nov 7: 3:30 p.m. TBD (Decision Day) | ESPN, ESPN Deportes
MLS National TV Schedule 2021: FS1 And FOX (ET)
Fri, Apr 16: 9:30 p.m. Seattle Sounders FC vs Minnesota United FC | FS1
Sat, Apr 17: 6:00 p.m. LAFC vs. Austin FC | FOX
Sun, Apr 18: 5:30 p.m. Columbus Crew vs. Philadelphia | FS1
Fri, Apr 23: 7:30 p.m. Sporting Kansas City vs. Orlando City | FS1
Sun, Apr 25: 5:30 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. New York Red Bulls | FS1
Sun, May 2: 9:00 p.m. Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy | FS1
Sat, May 8: 8:00 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. LAFC | FOX
Sun, May 9: 7:30 p.m. Sporting Kansas City vs. Austin FC | FS1
Sun, May 16: 4:00 p.m. Cincinnati vs. Inter Miami | FOX
9:30 p.m. Seattle Sounders vs. LAFC | FS1
Sun, May 23: 4:30 p.m. Seattle Sounders vs. Atlanta United | FOX
9:00 p.m. Nashville vs. Austin FC | FS1
Sun, May 30: 5:30 p.m. Philadelphia vs. Portland Timbers | FS1
Fri, June 25: 8:00 p.m. Inter Miami vs. Orlando City | FS1
Sun, June 27: 8:00 p.m. Austin FC vs. Columbus Crew | FS1
Wed, July 21: 7:00 p.m. Cincinnati vs. Atlanta United | FS1
Sun, Aug 1: TBD Seattle Sounders vs. San Jose Earthquakes | FS1
Sat, Aug 14: 6:00 p.m. Minnesota United vs. LA Galaxy | FOX
Sun, Aug 15: 8:30 p.m. Portland vs. Seattle | FS1
Sat, Aug 21: 5:30 p.m. Columbus Crew vs. Seattle | FOX
8:00 p.m. New York Red Bulls vs. NYCFC | FS1
Sat, Aug 28: 8:00 p.m. LAFC vs. LA Galaxy | FOX
Sun, Aug 29: 8:00 p.m. Austin FC vs. FC Dallas | FS1
Fri, Sep 10: 7:00 p.m. Atlanta United vs. Orlando City | FS1
Fri, Sep 17: 7:00 p.m. Inter Miami vs. New York Red Bulls | FS1
Sun, Sep 19: 6:00 p.m. Portland Timbers vs. LAFC | FS1
Sun, Sep 26: 6:00 p.m. Sporting Kansas City vs. Seattle | FS1
Wed, Sep 29: 7:30 p.m. Atlanta United vs. Inter Miami | FS1
10:00 p.m. LAFC vs. Portland Timbers | FS1
Sun, Oct 3: TBD Portland Timbers vs. Inter Miami | FS1
Sun, Oct 24: TBD Orlando City vs. New England | FS1
Sun, Nov 7: 6:00 p.m. TBD (Decision Day) | FS1
MLS National TV Schedule 2021: Univision and UniMás
Sat, Apr 17: 2:30 p.m. Orlando City vs. Atlanta United | UniMás
Sat, Apr 24: 3:30 p.m. San Jose Earthquakes vs. FC Dallas | Univision
Sat, May 1: 3:00 p.m. Houston Dynamo vs. LAFC | Univision
Sat, May 8: 3:30 p.m. FC Dallas vs. Houston Dynamo | Univision
Sat, May 15: 3:30 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. Austin FC | Univision
Sat, May 22: 6:00 p.m. Chicago Fire vs. Inter Miami | UniMás
Sat, May 29: 6:00 p.m. LAFC vs. NYCFC | UniMás
8:00 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. San Jose Earthquakes | UniMás
Sat, Jun 19: 9:00 p.m. Austin FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes | UniMás
11:00 p.m. LAFC vs. Houston Dynamo | UniMás
Sat, Jun 26: 8:00 p.m. Real Salt Lake vs. Houston Dynamo | UniMás
10:00 p.m. San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy | UniMás
Sun, Aug 1: 6:00 p.m. Philadelphia Union vs. Chicago Fire | UniMás
Sat, Aug 28: 3:30 p.m. Atlanta United vs. Nashville | Univision
Fri, Sep 3: 8:00 p.m. Houston Dynamo vs. Portland | UniMás
10:00 p.m. LAFC vs. Sporting Kansas City | UniMás
Sat, Sep 4: 8:00 p.m. Real Salt Lake vs. FC Dallas | UniMás
10:00 p.m. San Jose Earthquakes vs. Colorado Rapids | UniMás
Sat, Sep 11: 3:30 p.m. Colorado Rapids vs. LA Galaxy | Univision
Sat, Sep 18: 3:30 p.m. Atlanta United vs. DC United | Univision
Sat, Sep 25: 3:30 p.m. Philadelphia vs. Atlanta United | Univision
Sat, Oct 2: 3:30 p.m. Austin FC vs. Real Salt Lake | UniMás
Sat, Oct 16: 3:30 p.m. LAFC vs. San Jose Earthquakes | Univision
Sat, Oct 23: 3:30 p.m. LA Galaxy vs. FC Dallas | Univision
Sat, Oct 30: 3:30 p.m. Inter Miami vs. NYCFC | Univision
