MLS asking FSC for $20M a year

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by Stan Collins, Dec 20, 2010.

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  1. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Exactly. It could just a BS bluff so when they get $10M, they can crow about it. They could be throwing more friendlies in there or want to work with FSC on broadcasting a weekly show that MLS produces or include SuperLiga or who knows what else.
     
  2. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Excellent, excellent point.
     
  3. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    I understand the sentiment behind this idea, but I should ask:

    there are casual soccer fans? (and "casual fans" find something to be "necessary"?)

    FSC (as long as it remains for the most part as a separate tier specialty channel) is the channel for those who are devoted to the sport.

    and I agree with those who are saying, and I mentioned this earlier, that we don't have any idea what is on the table during these negotiations. (my guess would be more SUM properties, MLS league matches included, on FSC and/or MLS games on foxsoccer.tv)
     
  4. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Because they'd be cannibalizing their audience. We, the freaks, would watch all 4 matches. But a hell of alot of MLS fans are more casual, and they'll make time to watch 2 games a week. (Or 1, whatever.) Alot of other MLS fans will watch THEIR team, and make time for 1 other match.

    It just doesn't make sense for Our Little League to have 3, let alone 4, national broadcasts in English each week.

    In my opinion.
    I hear ya. As a Christian, I wish his name was Muslim Miles. ;)
    Does sex count?
     
  5. SYoshonis

    SYoshonis Member+

    Jun 8, 2000
    Lafayette, Louisiana
    Club:
    Michigan Bucks
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To take this point a step further, FSC is currently trying to get themselves a better place on DirecTV's and Dish Networks' (and, I assume, cable systems') channel lineups. I would think that having no or very little live soccer in the summer would be a hindrance to this end.
     
  6. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    please let us know when "Our Little League" will be grown up enough to handle such a thing.

    do you actually think that a network like FSC (or potentially Versus) is thinking that they're currently showing "too much" (or just the right amount of) MLS content?

    the push of the league in these negotiations is of course to have their media partners (or potential media partners) wanting to show (more) MLS. and to convince them to be willing to pay a decent price for the privilege.

    we'll see how it all turns out. (and you may have "Our Little League" pegged exactly correctly, and the market conditions could play out as you suggest in the weeks/months ahead. but I would note that there appear to be a good number of market forces that are pushing, perhaps slowly and not immediately, for more and more success of the business of MLS.)
     
  7. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006
    We matter. We have a place.:D

    Now, let's switch to fall/spring and I wonder what might happen.
     
  8. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    and it give FSC the room to say, "look, we agreed to a new contract, and we were able to negotiate them down from their fee demands."

    negotiations are about finding "wins" for all sides.
     
  9. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    a crazy awesome MLS summer off-season/pre-season with loads of exciting international club friendlies that don't disrupt the league schedule?
     
  10. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006
    What about the other part?

    Competing with the NFL, college football, then the NBA, hockey, College hoops and all the Euro leagues?

    That could be a problem.
     
  11. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    don't drag this off topic.

    MLS faces competition problems whenever they schedule. and with domestic sporting competition, MLS would really only be moving about 25-30% of their league games if they instituted a summer off-season. (MLS already directly "competes with" all of those domestic sports/leagues you listed. moving a minority of their league schedule would slightly shift when those conflicts occur across the 12 months. luckily, timezones aid in off-setting from direct competition with most Euro leagues.)

    MLS faces a lot of problems. and they're in "no rush" to do anything (drastic) with their current Mar-Nov schedule.

    I was just noting how "good" an MLS off-season in the summer could be. (but we're likely several years, if not infinity years, away from that possibility.)

    now back to your regularly scheduled MLS rights fees discussion.
     
  12. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006
    Hi Beau,

    Next time I go to Vienna to visit I'd love to meet up with you for a drink.
    I have a couple of great business investments. There is this bridge, near downtown Manhattan, old, but in good shape. I'm trying to unload it.

    I promise you want have to haggle. I pretty much need to get out, cash flow issues:(. Whatever you can offer I'll probably accept. None of that haggling stuff.

    Regards.
     
  13. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006
    What topic? Guessing?:D
     
  14. Red Card

    Red Card Member+

    Mar 3, 1999
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm surprised MLS is not also pushing for a team in a southeast city like Atlanta. They would need one to fill a national foot print.
     
  15. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006
    I guarantee they are pushing, but if you don't have viable/committed ownership you just can't go Horowitz it. Better to have nothing than have that.

    I think we aren't going to see all that much movement on expansion over the next few years, no matter what the talk. Things have definitely cooled off.

    I think it's more important to solve DC first and foremost before anything right now.
     
  16. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well nobody down there has the cash to buy into the Pyramid scheme; I mean pay the expansion fee.
     
  17. Sportsfan1

    Sportsfan1 Member

    Jul 22, 2007
    St. Louis, MO
    Club:
    Chelsea FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    4 million but that contract is up. I am not sure why there has not been more press on it. At least the contract with CBC is up.
     
  18. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    yes, guessing at private business negotiations.

    or focusing on who "went public" with this "$20 million" figure and what it could or could not mean for where negotiations stand and where they might be going.

    to me, it's a good sign that both parties want to continue to work together and all that is separating them is a "$7Mill offer" and a "$20Mil request".

    if there's general agreement (or common goals), money issues can be worked out.

    (or, this could all go horrible wrong, and MLS will only be available on TV via ION, are they still around, in a few years.)
     
  19. Sandon Mibut

    Sandon Mibut Member+

    Feb 13, 2001
    I don't think he's gay. Nor do I care.

    I just think his lack of talent forces him to keep his job by blowing the bosses.
     
  20. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006
    LOL.

    I'm more interested in how the illegal cartel (NFL) is going to shake down Minnesota now, while using LA as leverage, to get bundles of tax money for a stadium.

    Talk about a league that is allowed to get away with murder. Hey, when you are tops you can do that.
     
  21. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006
    As a person who has negotiated many a large deal I'm happy to hear they are negotiating and tossing numbers around. It will sort itself out.
     
  22. Zoidberg

    Zoidberg Member+

    Jun 23, 2006
    He could just be doing the wash/dry cleaning.

    Maybe groceries or picking the kids up after school.

    Yard work. Washes the car.

    Get your mind out of the gutter SM. Didn't you say you had kids!
     
  23. FlipsLikeAPancake

    Jul 6, 2010
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    $4 million just for Canada? Pretty good money for a country 1/10th the population as the U.S. I can only assume that deal will get much larger with two new Canadian teams joining over the next couple years.
     
  24. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
    If they're exciting enough, they can disrupt.

    Which means all the touring Barcelona, Real Madrid, Club America, Chivas, ManU matches will show up on FSC.

    A revised SuperLiga?

    CCL?

    Pile it on.
     
  25. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    can and do!

    but, down the road, will they need to be an in-season disruption for MLS? (way to devalue your own regular season by having to get out of the way of and reschedule around these "more exciting" and more lucrative friendlies each summer.)

    why take away from the excitement of pre-season club friendlies by playing them in the middle of the hosts' regular season?

    let those late June to early August matches be exciting and international pre-season friendlies for all teams.

    (note, this off-topic statement is in no way a statement of demanding an MLS summer off-season, and we are all fully aware of the scheduling/weather difficulties that MLS faces, and would face if they went away from a spring to fall league schedule, but the question was initially asked as to what FSC could show as extra content in the summer, so that's how this tangent got going.)

    absolutely, but not at the expense or to the detriment of what should be the heart of MLS's business -- their own games and league matches.

    MLS (even if they are going to bundle international club friendlies in these tv rights packages, which they certainly are going to do and have already been doing) also needs to have the main component of these media deals (and their operation as a whole) be the MLS portion of what they have to offer.
     

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