This Saturday, May 23, Apple TV will stream a special Major League Soccer match featuring the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo FC, marking a historic event as the first major live sports broadcast captured entirely with iPhone 17 Pro Max devices. A total of fifteen smartphones were utilized, with MLS executives highlighting the advantages over traditional camera setups.
During a preview before the game, Seth Bacon, the executive vice president of Media for Major League Soccer, noted that the iPhones could be positioned in areas inaccessible to larger cameras, such as behind the goals and along the sidelines. The small size of the iPhone allows for unique angles and closer shots of player reactions. While eight of the devices used standard lenses, the other seven employed specialized Fujinon Duvo 25-1000 Cinema Box Lenses, each valued at approximately $265,000.
Despite this expensive equipment, the flexibility of the iPhone setup represents a significant advancement in sports broadcasting. However, MLS has not yet utilized audio feeds from the iPhones due to concerns about inappropriate language during the game.