Apple Shoots Entire MLS Match on iPhone 17 Pro Max — A First in Sports History

For the first time in professional sports history, an MLS match was filmed entirely using smartphones. Fifteen iPhone 17 Pro Max devices were used to broadcast the game between Houston Dynamo and LA Galaxy* at Dignity Health Sports Park. Eight of them operated with native lenses, while seven were equipped with external professional zoom lenses.

According to Seth Bacon, MLS Vice President of Media, using iPhones allowed cameras to be placed in locations inaccessible to traditional equipment, such as behind the goal or near team benches. This opens up new angles for capturing player and coach reactions, which was previously impossible due to the size of professional cameras.

The broadcast was delivered in 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. The video feed from each iPhone was transmitted via USB-C to an HDMI converter, then through fiber-optic cables to a mobile broadcast center. There, a team of specialists edited the footage in real time, just like a standard sports broadcast. Viewers on Apple TV* noticed no difference between iPhone footage and professional cameras.

Apple experts emphasized that the image quality from the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s native lenses rivals traditional broadcast equipment. However, expensive external lenses, costing up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, were used for zoom shots. Blackmagic software, available to regular users via the Blackmagic Camera app for iOS, was used for video processing.

This experiment highlights the potential of mobile devices in professional filming and broadcasting. In the future, such solutions could reduce content production costs and expand opportunities for amateur and semi-professional broadcasts.