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Following the likes of the Premier League, La Liga, and Serie A, soccer in the U.S. has resumed play with MLS kicking back off with a unique approach. We've got all of the details about the teams involved, schedules, and how to watch the MLS is Back Tournament from anywhere in the world below.
Major League Soccer kicked off in late February, though the season was curtailed by the second week in March due to the global pandemic. Given the original MLS season was set to run until October, it was unclear how, when, or even if the season would be completed. Those questions were answered with the announcement of the one-off MLS is Back Tournament and the action kicked off on July 8.
Keep reading for all of the details you need to know about MLS is Back as well as advice on how to stream the games online.
What is the MLS is Back Tournament?
MLS is Back is basically a way to condense much of the 2020 MLS season into a one-month tournament. The cup-style competition is being held in Orlando, Florida, with strict health and safety precautions in place.
All 26 MLS teams were set to compete in the tournament, though FC Dallas and Nashville SC were both withdrawn from the tournament due to positive COVID-19 tests. The other teams were divided into three Eastern Conference groups and three Western Conference groups with the top two teams from each group, plus the four best third-placed teams, progressing to the knockout rounds. The original groupings were reformatted following the removal of FC Dallas and Nashville SC, leaving six groups of four teams as below.
| Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Group E | Group F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando City | Seattle Sounders | Toronto FC | Real Salt Lake | Atlanta United | Los Angeles FC |
| Iner Miami | Chicago Fire | New England Revolution | Sporting Kansas City | FC Cincinnati | LA Galaxy |
| New York City FC | Vancouver Whitecaps | Montreal Impact | Colorado Rapids | New York Red Bulls | Houston Dynamo |
| Philadelphia Union | San Jose Earthquakes | D.C. United | Minnesota United | Columbus Crew | Portland Timbers |
Group matches contributed to regular season standings and the overall winner of MLS is Back will gain a CONCACAF Champions League berth as well as over $1 million in prize money.
After the tournament is wrapped up, the regular MLS season will continue with a full schedule set to be devised later, followed by the playoffs and the 25th MLS Cup.
How to watch the MLS is Back Tournament from outside your country
We have details of all the US, UK, Australian and Canadian broadcasters of this tournament further down in this guide. If you're intent on watching MLS games, but find yourself away from home then you'll run into problems when trying to stream your domestic coverage online from abroad as it's likely to be geo-blocked.
That's where a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can be a lifesaver. They allow you to virtually change the ISP of your laptop, tablet, or mobile to one that's back in your home country, letting you watch as if you were back there.
VPN's are incredibly easy to use and have the added benefit of giving you a further layer of security when surfing the web. There are lots of options, and we recommend ExpressVPN as our #1 pick due to its speed, security, and ease of use. It can be used on a vast array of operating systems and devices (e.g. iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, Roku, games consoles, etc). Sign up for ExpressVPN now now and enjoy a 49% discount and 3 months FREE with an annual subscription. Or give it a try with its 30-day money-back guarantee. Looking for other options? Here are some alternatives that are on sale right now.
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No matter where in the world you may be, a VPN is one of the easiest ways to watch MLS. Get in on this deal now!
How to stream the MLS is Back Tournament live in the U.S.
If you live in the U.S. and want to watch MLS is Back, you have plenty of options with ESPN, TUDN, Fox, and FS1 each broadcasting several games. Twitter is even offering live streams for select games with English commentary that are otherwise only broadcast on Spanish-language TUDN. We've listed the broadcasts for each game of the group stage at the bottom of the page.
You can live stream MLS online by signing up for fuboTV, Hulu With Live TV, Sling TV, AT&T TV Now, or YouTube TV. However, each of these streaming services gives you access to different channels and not all of them will allow you to watch every game this season. To make things easier for you, we've broken down which channels each service offers below.
Hulu with Live TV
Hulu With Live TV is $54.99 per month and gives you access to 67 channels including Fox in most areas as well as ESPN, ESPN2, FS1, and ABC. You won't be able to watch MLS games on TUDN but you will be able to watch two streams simultaneously and the service also includes a free 50-hour cloud DVR in case you want to record some games to watch later.
Hulu
Hulu's Live TV package is a great option for a wide variety of purposes, including streaming the MLS 2020 season.
Fubo TV
FuboTV starts at $54.99 per month and gives you access to Fox in most areas of the U.S. as well as FS1. However, the service does not carry ESPN or ESPN2 so you won't be able to watch the games broadcast on the network. The standard plan will even let you watch Spanish language games on TUDN. FuboTV also includes a 7-day free trial so you can test out the service for yourself.
Sling TV
SlingTV starts at $30 per month for either its Orange or Blue plan, though you can try out the service for free for three days. You can catch the games on FS1 with the Blue plan or those on ESPN channels with Sling Orange, though you'd be better served by its Orange & Blue plan at $45 per month to get access to all the channels you'll need to watch MLS is Back except for TUDN. SlingTV also includes 10 hours of Cloud DVR storage for free as well as its own on-demand library.
Sling TV
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AT&T TV Now
AT&T TV Now has plans starting at $65 per month and is one of the more expensive streaming services and this is because all of its plans include HBO. With the service's Plus plan, you get access to over 45 channels including Fox, FS1, ESPN, ESPN2, ABC and Univision depending on where you live. AT&T TV Now also allows you to stream on three devices at once and record up to 20 hours of content with its DVR service.
YouTube TV
YouTube TV costs $49.99 per month and gives you access to over 70 channels including ESPN, ESPN2, FS1 and Fox depending on where you live. If you are a Los Angeles FC fan, then the service just might be for you as it gives you exclusive coverage of the team's games. YouTube TV lets you stream on three devices simultaneously and it even includes a 9-month unlimited cloud DVR.
How to stream the MLS is Back Tournament live in Canada
Canadian MLS fans also have a couple of options to watch this season's games on TV or online.
TSN will show games from all three Canadian teams including every Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps match. While you can watch these games on TV if you're already a cable subscriber, you can also sign up for the network's own streaming service, TSN Direct, for either $19.99 per month or you can buy a Day Pass for $4.99 if there is a particular game you want to watch.
Additionally, TVA Sports will show every Montreal Impact game in the MLS is Back Tournament.
How to stream the MLS is Back Tournament live in the UK
If you live in the UK and want to keep up with MLS is Back, you have a couple of ways to do so. Sky Sports is broadcasting select games including for its TV customers, including many of those taking place at 9am ET (which is 2pm in the UK). A NOW TV Sports Pass gets you access to just its spors channels via its apps for streaming if you don't want to sign up for a satelite TV plan.
Many other games are available to watch for free on FreeSports either via its TV channels or streaming app. FreeSports' app also offers the games on-demand for a limited time after they have taken place so you don't have to watch live in the middle of the night.
How to stream the MLS is Back Tournament live in Australia
In Australia, beIN SPORTS is the main provider of MLS coverage. You can access its content online via beIN Sports Connect or other services such as Kayo Sports, Foxtel iQ, Foxtel Now, and Fetch TV. ESPN also has access to some MLS content in Australia.
MLS is Back Tournament schedule
| Stage | Date |
|---|---|
| Group Stage | July 8 - 23 |
| Round of 16 | July 25 - 28 |
| Quarter-Finals | July 30 - August 1 |
| Semi-Finals | August 5 - 6 |
| Final | August 11 |
MLS is Back Round of 16 Knockout Fixtures and Results
| Date | Teams | Kick-Off Time (ET) | Broadcaster | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 25 | Orlando City vs Montreal Impact | 8pm | ESPN 2 | 1-0 |
| July 25 | Philadelphia Union vs New England Revolution | 10:30pm | ESPN 2 | 1-0 |
| July 26 | Toronto FC vs New York City | 8:30pm | FS1 | 1-3 |
| July 26 | Sporting Kansas City vs Vancouver Whitecaps | 11pm | FS1 | 0-0 (3-1 on penalties) |
| July 27 | San Jose Earthquakes vs Real Salt Lake | 8:30pm | FS1 | |
| July 27 | Seattle Sounders vs Los Angeles FC | 11pm | FS1 / TUDN | |
| July 28 | Columbus Crew vs Minnesota United | 8pm | ESPN | |
| July 28 | Portland Timbers vs FC Cincinnati | 10:30pm | ESPN |
MLS is Back Group Stage Fixtures and Results
| Date | Teams | Kick-Off Time (ET) | Broadcaster | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 8 | Orlando City vs Inter Miami | 8pm | ESPN | 2-1 |
| July 9 | New York City vs Philadelphia Union | 9am | ESPN | 0-1 |
| July 9 | Montreal Impact vs New England Revolution | 8pm | TUDN / Twitter | 0-1 |
| July 10 | Seattle Sounders vs San Jose Earthquakes | 9pm | ESPN | 0-0 |
| July 11 | Atlanta United vs New York Red Bulls | 8pm | FOX / TUDN | 0-1 |
| July 11 | FC Cincinnati vs Columbus Crew | 10:30pm | FS1 / TUDN | 0-4 |
| July 12 | Sporting Kansas City vs Minnesota United | 8pm | ESPN | 1-2 |
| July 12 | Real Salt Lake vs Colorado Rapids | 10:30pm | ESPN | 2-0 |
| July 13 | Toronto vs D.C. United | 9am | ESPN 2 | 2-2 |
| July 13 | Los Angeles FC vs Houston Dynamo | 8pm | FS1 / TUDN | 3-3 |
| July 13 | LA Galaxy vs Portland Timbers | 10:30pm | FS1 / TUDN | 1-2 |
| July 14 | Chicago Fire vs Seattle Sounders | 9am | ESPN | 2-1 |
| July 14 | New York City vs Orlando City | 8pm | TUDN / Twitter | 1-3 |
| July 14 | Philadelphia Union vs Inter Miami | 10:30pm | TUDN / Twitter | 2-1 |
| July 15 | Vancouver Whitecaps vs San Jose Earthquakes | 9pm | TUDN / Twitter | 3-4 |
| July 16 | Atlanta United vs FC Cincinnati | 9am | ESPN | 0-1 |
| July 16 | Montreal Impact vs Toronto | 8pm | FS1 / TUDN | 3-4 |
| July 16 | Columbus Crew vs New York Red Bulls | 10:30pm | FS1 / TUDN | 2-0 |
| July 17 | D.C. United vs New England Revolution | 8pm | ESPN | 1-1 |
| July 17 | Sporting Kansas City vs Colorado Rapids | 8pm | ESPN 2 | 3-2 |
| July 17 | Real Salt Lake vs Minnesota United | 10:30pm | ESPN | 0-0 |
| July 18 | Portland Timbers vs Houston Dynamo | 8pm | ESPN 2 | 2-1 |
| July 18 | Los Angeles FC vs LA Galaxy | 10:30pm | ESPN | 6-2 |
| July 19 | Chicago Fire vs San Jose Earthquakes | 8pm | FS1 / TUDN | 0-2 |
| July 19 | Seattle Sounders vs Vancouver Whitecaps | 10:30pm | FS1 / TUDN | 3-0 |
| July 20 | Inter Miami vs New York City | 9am | ESPN | 0-1 |
| July 20 | Philadelphia Union vs Orlando City | 8pm | TUDN / Twitter | 1-1 |
| July 21 | Toronto vs New England Revolution | 9am | ESPN | 0-0 |
| July 21 | Atlanta United vs Columbus Crew | 8pm | TUDN / Twitter | 0-1 |
| July 21 | Montreal Impact vs D.C. United | 10:30pm | TUDN / Twitter | 1-0 |
| July 22 | Real Salt Lake vs Sporting Kansas City | 9am | ESPN | 0-2 |
| July 22 | FC Cincinnati vs New York Red Bulls | 8pm | ESPN | 2-0 |
| July 22 | Colorado Rapids vs Minnesota United | 10:30pm | ESPN | 2-2 |
| July 23 | Chicago Fire vs Vancouver Whitecaps | 9am | ESPN | 0-2 |
| July 23 | LA Galaxy vs Houston Dynamo | 8pm | FS1 / TUDN | 1-1 |
| July 23 | Los Angeles FC vs Portland Timbers | 10:30pm | ESPN 2 | 2-2 |
by Adam Oram