View source for Engineering:MLS Direct Kick

{{Short description|Cable and satellite package}}
{{More footnotes|date=June 2010}}
{{Update|its disestablishment|date=February 2023}}
[[File:MLS Direct Kick 2017.png|200px|right]]
'''MLS Direct Kick''' was an out-of-market sports package distributed by most cable and satellite providers in North America. As of the 2011 season, package subscribers were able to watch up to 221 Major League Soccer regular season games as well as some MLS Cup playoff matches.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Dish Network to launch MLS Direct Kick |first=Jeff |last=Chabot |publisher=HD Report |date=15 March 2011 |url=https://www.hd-report.com/2011/03/15/dish-network-to-launch-mls-direct-kick/ |access-date=15 March 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=MLS Direct Kick|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/direct-kick|access-date=5 April 2011}}</ref> The target market for this package (based on advertisements) is soccer fans who are unable to see games because they have moved out of that team's market. It has been superseded by MLS Season Pass, which returned to DIRECTV in 2025.

==Availability==
MLS Direct Kick was available with these cable and satellite providers:
* ''United States''
** [[Company:DirecTV|DirecTV]]
** In Demand
** Charter Communications
** Cox Communications
** Frontier Communications
** Avail-TVN

==Blackout restrictions==
If a local MLS team is playing and the game is being seen locally, the associated feed on MLS Direct Kick is [[Engineering:Blackout (broadcasting)|blacked out]].  Note also the games being televised on Fox/Fox Sports 1, ESPN/ESPN 2/ESPN Deportes, and/or Univision/Unimás/TUDN telecasts are not available in the package due to the rights of those games being purchased by the previous television stations prior to the beginning of the season. Virtually all of those channels were already included in the packages of the cable and satellite distributors. 

[[Image:MLS Direct Kick.svg|thumb|Original logo|140px|right]]

==History==
The MLS Direct Kick Package was known as The MLS/ESPN Shootout Package in the early years of MLS. The name change occurred prior to the 2005 MLS season.

==See also==
*[[Engineering:NFL Sunday Ticket|NFL Sunday Ticket]]
*[[Engineering:MLB Extra Innings|MLB Extra Innings]]
*[[Engineering:NBA League Pass|NBA League Pass]]
*[[Engineering:NHL Center Ice|NHL Center Ice]]
*NASCAR Hot Pass

== References ==
<references />

==External links==
* [http://www.directv.com/sports/soccer Official DirecTV site]
* [http://www.mydish.com/pay-per-view/sports-and-events/soccer/ Official Dish Network site]
* [http://www.indemand.com/sport-package/mls-direct-kick/ Official In Demand site]
* [https://www.mlssoccer.com/ MLS official site]

{{Sports television in the United States}}
{{U.S. premium television services}}
{{Major League Soccer on television}}
{{Association football on television}}

[[Category:Satellite television]]



{{Sourceattribution|MLS Direct Kick}}