MLS and Apple change some free game live streaming details on MLS Season Pass

At the start of the year, Major League Soccer and Apple planned to offer six free games each week on the MLS Season Pass streaming platform, with each team expected to get around 14 free games this season.

It now seems that won’t be the case anymore.

There are just two free games on the platform this weekend: Charlotte FC vs. New York City FC (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.) and Seattle Sounders vs. Sporting Kansas City (Sunday, 4:30 p.m.), the latter of which is also televised on Fox and Fox Deportes.

The specific intent to offer six free games each week was widely reported before the season by The Inquirer and other outlets -- not just sports media, but tech media and business media outlets that cover Apple.

Has something changed behind the scenes? Apple’s staff and spokespeople don’t comment publicly, so it’s difficult to tell.

» READ MORE: How to watch Union games in the Apple MLS Season Pass streaming package

Plans can change over times, of course. Fans and critics alike of MLS Season Pass can agree that it’s fine for a new sports streaming platform to be flexible. They’d also likely agree that they’d like to hear from something from Apple about whether the company is pleased with how things have gone so far.

Also yet unanswered is whether will Apple offer more than six free games on some future weekends. In fact, as of now there are no free games listed after this weekend on the schedule on MLS’s website.

But that part, at least, was explained to The Inquirer. Whereas MLS and Apple have been announcing free games a few weeks in advance, now it’s going to be done one week in advance instead.

Union fans will have to pay up to watch Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. game at the New York Red Bulls. The good news is that a familiar voice will be on the call. Former Union local TV analyst Danny Higginbotham will be the analyst alongside play-by-play caller Steve Cangialosi, who was the Red Bulls’ TV voice for years. Cangialosi knows the Union well, and this duo has called two Union games already this year.

Moisés Linares will have the Spanish play-by-play with analyst Jaime Macías.

The game will also be on the radio on 97.5 The Fanatic, with Dave Leno and Jonathan Yardley on the call.

» READ MORE: We know what MLS wants from Apple. What does Apple want from MLS?

If you have Apple TV+ but not MLS Season Pass, you can watch the “MLS 360″ live highlights show for no extra charge.

The Union’s next game on traditional TV is their May 17 regular-season home game against D.C. United (7:30 p.m., FS1, Fox Deportes). It’s the first of three Union regular-season games on traditional TV this year.

The next Union game that will be free to watch will be their debut in this year’s U.S. Open Cup: at Minnesota United in the Round of 32 next Tuesday (9:30 p.m., YouTube).

Warner Bros. Discovery Sports -- the owner of TNT, TBS and HBO Max -- has U.S. Open Cup rights through its new deal with the U.S. Soccer Federation, because U.S. Soccer runs the tournament. A selection of games in each round is on Bleacher Report’s YouTube page, because WBD owns Bleacher Report. The full schedule is available here.

» READ MORE: The Union’s José Andrés Martínez is recovering from a hamstring injury, but not ready to play yet

Charlotte FC vs. New York City FC, 7:30 p.m. (free): Tyler Terens and Devon Kerr in English; Sergio Ruiz and Miguel Gallardo in Spanish

FC Cincinnati vs. D.C. United, 7:30 p.m.: Eric Krakauer and Lloyd Sam in English; Alejandro Figueredo and Luis Gerardo Bucci in Spanish

Inter Miami vs. Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m.: Jake Zivin and Taylor Twellman in English; Pablo Ramírez and Carlos Ruiz in Spanish

CF Montréal vs. Orlando City, 7:30 p.m.: Stefano Fusaro and Greg Sutton in English; Raúl Guzmán and Sonny Guadarrama in Spanish; Frédéric Lord and Vincent Destouches in French

New York Red Bulls vs. Philadelphia Union, 7:30 p.m.: Steve Cangialosi and Danny Higginbotham in English; Moisés Linares and Jamie Macías in Spanish

San Jose Earthquakes vs. Los Angeles FC, 7:30 p.m.: Chris Wittyngham and Danielle Slaton in English; Oscar Salazar and Maximiliano Cordaro in Spanish

Toronto FC vs. New England Revolution, 7:30 p.m.: Matt Cullen and Kyndra de St. Aubin in English; Bruno Vain and Andrés Agulla in Spanish; Kevin Laramée and Sébastien Le Toux in French

FC Dallas vs. St. Louis City SC, 8:30 p.m.: Tony Husband and Ross Smith in English; Jorge Perez-Navarro and Marcelo Balboa in Spanish

Houston Dynamo vs. Real Salt Lake, 8:30 p.m.: Adrian Healey and Cobi Jones in English; Juan Arango and Carlos Suárez in Spanish

Nashville SC vs. Chicago Fire, 8:30 p.m.: Nate Bukaty and Jamie Watson in English; Diego Pessolano and Walter Roque in Spanish

Los Angeles Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids, 10:30 p.m.: Mark Rogondino and Heath Pearce in English; Francisco X. Rivera and Mariano Trujillo in Spanish

Portland Timbers vs. Austin FC, 10:30 p.m.: Max Bretos and Brian Dunseth in English; Jose Hernandez and Pablo Mariño in Spanish

Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Minnesota United, 10:30 p.m.: Blake Price and Paul Dolan in English; Adrian Garcia-Márquez and Francisco Pinto in Spanish; Jeremy Filosa and Gavino de Falco in French

Seattle Sounders vs. Sporting Kansas City, 4:30 p.m.: Nate Bukaty and Tony Meola in English on Fox; Keith Costigan and Maurice Edu in English on Apple; Rodolfo Landeros, Martín Zuñiga and Claudio Suárez in Spanish on Fox Deportes; Jose Hernandez and Pablo Mariño in Spanish on Apple