Apple has frequently touted the use of professional-grade iPhones by filmmakers to make shorts, commercials and even feature-length movies. And it recently added iPhones to the mix for its MLB and Major League Soccer brodcasts.
Now the tech giant is taking the eat-your-own-dog-food approach to a new level. This Saturday, May 23, Apple TV will present a special live MLS match captured exclusively on iPhone 17 Pro — marking the first time the device will be used to shoot the entirety of a major professional live sporting event broadcast.
Developed in partnership with MLS, the broadcast will feature the LA Galaxy vs. Houston Dynamo FC, streaming live on Apple TV from Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. The match kicks off May 23 at 7:30 p.m. PT. It’s the final weekend of MLS play before the regular season pauses for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America.
For the MLS broadcast, crew members with 15 iPhone 17 Pros will be positioned throughout the venue. According to Apple, the small form factor of iPhone allows the production team to shoot “dynamic new perspectives that bring viewers closer to the action.” The iPhone 17 Pro features three 48-megapixel Fusion cameras, offering the equivalent of eight lenses, and pro-level video features like Apple Log 2 (which can capture a wider color gamut in ProRes or HEVC codecs).
In addition to live footage of the match itself, the Apple TV broadcast crew will use iPhone 17 Pro to shoot team warmups on the pitch, player introductions, in-net goal angles and crowd scenes inside the stadium.
Apple TV first incorporated iPhone into a live sports broadcast workflow during the Sept. 26, 2025, MLB “Friday Night Baseball” matchup between the Boston Red Sox and the Detroit Tigers. For that, the production team used iPhone 17 Pro to capture select moments from the game and “cinematic in-stadium footage,” per Apple. Subsequently, the company donated an iPhone that was used in the broadcast to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum for its permanent collection.
The company has since expanded the use of iPhone across additional sports broadcasts, including the MLS Cup in 2025, and has used them as part of its regular production rotation for “Friday Night Baseball” and MLS broadcasts throughout the 2026 season.
Pictured above: Elijah Wynder of LA Galaxy (left) and Antônio Carlos of Houston Dynamo FC battle for the ball in an MLS game played Sept. 6, 2025, in Houston.
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