Apple TV streams entire MLS match using 15 iPhones and broadcast glass

This marks the first time a major professional sport was broadcast entirely on smartphones, demonstrating that commercial mobile hardware can now handle the technical rigors of live tier-one sports. By pairing iPhones with $265,000 Fujinon lenses, Apple and MLS have validated a hybrid model where small-form-factor sensors provide unique tactical angles, like in-net views, while maintaining the long-range zoom required for stadium play. This shift pressures traditional broadcast hardware manufacturers as software-driven mobile ecosystems like Blackmagic’s increasingly offer the genlock and log recording features once exclusive to expensive cinema cameras. Watch for whether Apple integrates these 'iPhone-first' workflows into its broader MLB and Friday Night Baseball portfolios.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max features significant technical upgrades that facilitated this broadcast, including the A19 Pro chip and a triple 48MP Fusion camera system. According to Apple reports from September 2025, the device was the first to introduce Apple Log 2, ProRes RAW, and hardware-level genlock support. This genlock capability, which allows precise synchronization of frame timing across multiple units, is critical for live switching and was supported via Blackmagic Design’s Camera ProDock. Per CNET in May 2026, the MLS production specifically used eight iPhones with native lenses for close-range and bench shots, while seven were rigged into massive external zoom systems to provide standard broadcast perspectives.

Blackmagic Design has been instrumental in this shift, releasing version 3.3 of its Blackmagic Camera app in April 2026. This update introduced broadcast-style controls and integration with ATEM switchers, effectively turning the iPhone into a remote-controllable studio camera head. This effort builds on Apple's long-term strategy of using its own hardware to power its $2.5 billion, 10-year MLS Season Pass deal. Prior to this full-match broadcast, Apple TV had already tested the waters during a September 2025 'Friday Night Baseball' matchup, using iPhones for select cinematic shots—a production so noteworthy that the National Baseball Hall of Fame added one of the iPhones used to its permanent collection, per Apple’s May 2026 press briefing.