2023 MLS playoffs: times, how to watch on TV and stream online
The next phase of the 2023 MLS season get underway Wednesday with two wild card matchups. Cincinnati and St. Louis City will face the winners.
The 2023 MLS wild card matches get underway Wednesday, marking the start of the playoffs. Under the new format, this evening’s single-match ties pits the eighth- and ninth-best teams in both conferences against each other with the winners qualifying for the First Round playoffs.
Expectation is high as the New York Red Bulls take on newcomers Charlotte FC (Eastern Conference) while Sporting Kansas City and the San José Earthquakes (Western Conference) will head into battle at Children’s Mercy Park. The winners from today’s wild card matchups will enter Round One where Cincinnati and St. Louis City await.
2023 MLS Wild Card bracket
East
- New York Red Bulls vs Charlotte FC (winners will face Cincinnati)
West
- Sporting Kansas City vs San José Earthquakes (winners will face St Louis City)
Getting the action underway, the New York Red Bulls host the North Carolina team at the Red Bull Arena in New Jersey. Troy Lesesne’s troops edged Nashville SC 0-1 on Decision Day, while those led by Christian Lattanzio beat Messi’s Inter Miami 1-0 in Week 38.
Not long after the final whistle is blown in NJ, the second wild card match will kick off at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City. The hosts, under Peter Vermes’ command beat Minnesota with Johnny Russell bagging a brace in the 3-1 win. Luis González’s team meanwhile ended the regular season with a 1-1 draw against Austin FC to clinch ninth place in the East by one point.
What time are the Wild Card Matches played in the 2023 MLS Playoffs?
The 2023 Wild Card games will be played on Wednesday, October 25.
2023 MLS Wild Card games: kick-off times
New York Red Bulls vs Charlotte FC
- Red Bull Arena, New Jersey
- Kick-off: 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Sporting Kansas City vs San José Earthquakes
- Children's Mercy Park, Kansas City
- Kick-off: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT
How to watch the Wild Card Matches in the 2023 MLS Playoffs live online?
Both of these matchups between East and West will be broadcast live on MLS Season Pass through Apple TV in the United States, with match commentary in English and Spanish. The subscription service allows viewers to stream every 2023 MLS and Leagues Cup game live on Apple TV. Offering monthly or full-season subscription plans, MLS Season Pass is available in over 100 countries and regions.
The MLS Season Pass currently costs $14.99 per month or $29 for the rest of the 2023 season - unless you’re an Apple TV+ subscriber, in which case you’ll get the MLS streaming service at a discounted price of $12.99 per month or $79 per season.