The ground-breaking $2.5 billion media rights deal between Apple and Major League Soccer is only looking better and better amid strong World Cup interest, and burgeoning appeal for MLS itself, especially among younger fans. With Apple’s reach, the league is positioning itself for a break-out year.

Apple has a chance to create a formidable partnership with the NFL to stream games on both mobile and connected TVs, plus buy a stake in NFL Media. If the company can pull it off, it could transform the streaming business.