Australian football fans have a new reason to set their alarms early, with SBS securing free-to-air broadcast rights for Major League Soccer (MLS).
Under a new licensing deal, SBS will air a featured match from the MLS Sunday Night Soccer program live every Monday morning until October 6, giving fans access to some of the world’s biggest football stars, including Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez.
This marks the first time Australian viewers can watch MLS matches live and free, adding to SBS’s growing football lineup ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
From SBS:
No more Monday morning blues for football fans as Major League Soccer comes to SBS
Monday mornings are looking a whole lot brighter for Australian football fans, who now have live, free-to-air access to selected Major League Soccer (MLS) matches under a licensing agreement between SBS Sport and MLS.
As the 30th MLS season heats up, the SBS Sport schedule now includes the featured match of the week from the MLS “Sunday Night Soccer” program each Monday morning from now until 6 October, broadcast live on SBS VICELAND and available to stream live or catch up in full via SBS On Demand.
This partnership will give Australian fans the opportunity to see some of the best football talent on the planet, including Argentinian superstar and eight-time world player of the year, Lionel Messi (playing his third season with Inter Miami), Uruguay’s Luis Suarez (Inter Miami), Germany’s Marco Reus (LA Galaxy) and France’s Hugo Lloris (LAFC),
Six Australians are currently playing in the MLS, including Socceroos Kye Rowles (DC United) and Patrick Yazbek (Nashville SC).
The next match to be broadcast, at 10am AEDT on 11 March, features LA Galaxy versus St Louis City. Next week’s match (18 March) features Messi’s Inter Miami against Atlanta United. The full schedule is here: How to watch 2025 Major League Soccer (MLS) season LIVE on SBS.
The MLS is now in its 30th year and features 27 US-based teams (including expansion club San Diego FC, which joined the league this year) and three teams based in Canada, divided into two conferences (Eastern and Western). Fans can also access every MLS game with no blackouts, in-depth coverage and analysis, an array of exclusive content, and more on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV which is available in more than 100 countries and regions.
SBS Director of Sport Ken Shipp said:
“We’re delighted to include the premier North American club competition in our global football offering as we count down to the FIFA World Cup 2026™, which will be broadcast live and exclusively on SBS.”
“This is the first time Australian viewers will have the chance to watch MLS matches live and free and will serve as a great appetiser for the World Cup™.
“With the time difference, Sunday Night Soccer in the USA fits perfectly into our Monday morning schedule and complements our already expansive slate of football content.”
“This includes 54 South American CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifying matches, The Weekly Football Wrap program featuring fan favourite Claudio Fabiano, and the Road to FIFA World Cup 2026TM Hub on SBS On Demand.”
SBS has a proud history of bringing the world’s biggest sport and premium football content to Australian audiences and has brought the FIFA World Cup™ into Australian living rooms since 1986.
Last November, SBS on Demand launched a stand-alone, free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) channel, FIFA+, which offers access to original programming, archive footage, live matches, documentaries and interviews, showcasing the very best of the world game.
These initiatives form part of SBS’s broader portfolio of football content, which will build excitement ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026™. Other recent additions include:
· The Weekly Football Wrap, hosted by fan favourite Claudio ‘Claudes’ Fabiano, providing weekly updates and insights into the world of football.
· South American CONMEBOL FIFA World Cup 2026™ qualifying matches: SBS is broadcasting 54 South American qualifying matches live and free through 2024-25, featuring some of the sport’s most exciting national teams and biggest names.
· Road to FIFA World Cup 2026™ Hub: SBS On Demand now features a single-destination hub with match replays, mini-matches, highlights, classic FIFA World Cup™ finals and iconic Socceroos moments, giving fans comprehensive access to football content leading up to the FIFA World Cup 2026™.
The FIFA World Cup 2026™ will be hosted in 16 cities across Canada, Mexico and the United States, from 11 June to 19 July 2026.
All 104 games of the FIFA World Cup 2026™ will be broadcast live, free and exclusively on SBS, SBS VICELAND and SBS On Demand, with 30-minute, 12-minute and 3-minute highlights packages available for every match.
