MLS 2014 TV Thread (Ratings, contracts etc)

Hi all,

Happy New Year!

This will be the new thread for the 2014 season regarding everything related to MLS on TV.

In this thread we can talk about schedules, tv slots, tv stations, tv contracts, general soccer ratings, other sports and TV shows ratings as relates to MLS and of course track and try to speak on MLS TV ratings week to week.

The first few posts in this thread will be dedicated to data so that there is always an easy reference point for the historical information and then we can keep a running tab on the ratings in the thread as we did in previous seasons.

 

MLS 2013 Regular Season TV Ratings Summary

Home teams listed first. All times are Eastern

NBC Sports Network (all ratings for 2.5 hour window unless specified)
Game 0: 95k (RSL vs SEA) Saturday 7:30pm 2/23/2013*
Game 1: 107k (HOU vs DC). Saturday 8:00pm. 3/2/2013
Game 2: 79k (CHI vs NE) Saturday 7:30pm 3/9/2013
Game 3: 82k (KC vs CHI) Saturday 3:00pm 3/16/2013
Game 4: 209k (SEA vs POR) Saturday 8:00pm 3/16/2013
Game 5: 97k (DC vs COLU) Saturday 3:30pm 3/23/2013
Game 6: 100k (NY vs PHI) Saturday 3:30pm 3/30/2013
Game 7: 41k (COLO vs RSL) Saturday 7:30pm 4/6/2013
Game 8: 86k (DAL vs LA) Saturday 3:30pm 4/13/2013
Game 9: 108k (POR vs SJ) Sunday 10:30pm 4/14/2013
Game 10: 58k (LA vs KC) Saturday 10:30pm 4/21/2013
Game 11: 53k (MON vs CHI) Saturday 4:00pm 4/27/2013
Game 12: 122k (COLU vs NY) Saturday 4:00pm 5/4/2013
Game 13: 51k (CHI vs PHI) Saturday 1:30pm 5/11/2013
Game 14: 80k (KC vs HOU) Sunday 3:30pm 5/26/2013
Game 15: 96k (NE vs LA) Sunday 4:00pm 6/2/2013
Game 16: 149k (SEA vs VAN) Saturday 10:30pm 6/8/2013
Game 17: 133k (POR vs COLO) Sunday 7:00pm 6/23/2013
Game 18: 123k (PHI vs DAL) Saturday 5:30pm 6/29/2013
Game 19: 173k (VAN vs SEA) Saturday 11:00pm 7/6/2013
Game 20: 126k (POR vs LA) Saturday 11:00pm 7/13/2013
Game 21: 94k (HOU vs CHI) Saturday 8:00pm 7/27/2013
Game 22: 83k (KC vs NY) Saturday 6:30pm 8/3/2013
Game 23: 58k (PHI vs DC) Saturday 8:00pm 8/10/2013
Game 24: 110k (NY vs PHI) Saturday 8:00pm 8/17/2013
Game 25: 133k (CHI vs KC) Friday 8:30pm 8/23/2013
Game 26: 171k (RSL vs POR) Friday 10:00pm 8/30/2013
Game 27: 67k (NY vs DC) Saturday 8:00pm 8/31/2013
Game 28: 102k (SEA vs CHI) Saturday 10:00pm 9/7/2013
Game 29: 177k (SEA vs RSL) Friday 10:00pm 9/13/2013
Game 30: 131k (POR vs COL) Friday 10:00pm 9/20/2013
Game 31: 247k (LA vs SEA) Saturday 10:00pm 9/21/2013
Game 32: 98k (KC vs PHI) Friday 8:00pm 9/27/2013
Game 33: 89k (DC vs CHI) Friday 8:00pm 10/4/2013
Game 34: 183k (COLO vs SEA) Saturday 10:00pm 10/5/2013
Game 35: 83k(KC vs DC) Friday 8:00pm 10/18/2013
Game 36: 189k (PHI vs KC) Saturday 3:00pm 10/26/2013
Game 37: 68k (SJ vs DAL) Saturday 5:30pm 10/26/2013
Average: 103k (does not include Game 0)
* This was the Preseason Diamond Cup final.


ESPN2 (all ratings are for a 2.5 hour window unless specified)
Game 1: 221k (POR vs NY) Sunday 7:30pm 3/3/2013
Game 2: 179k (SJ vs NY) Sunday 10:00pm 3/10/2013
Game 3: 108k (DAL vs HOU) Sunday 1:00pm 3/17/2013
Game 4: 157k (CHI vs NY) Sunday 5:00pm 4/7/2013
Game 5: 170k (DC vs PHI) Sunday 5:00pm 4/21/2013
Game 6: 145k (LA vs HOU) Sunday 11:00pm 5/5/2013
Game 7: 250k (LA vs NY) Sunday 1:00pm 5/19/2013*
Game 8: 191k (LA vs SEA) Sunday 11:00pm 5/26/2013
Game 9: 393k (NY vs HOU) Sunday 2:00pm 6/30/2013**
Game 10: 138k (COLO vs LA) Saturday 7:00pm 7/27/2013***
All-Star Game: 319k (MLS vs Roma) Wednesday 7:00pm 7/31/2013
Game 11: 184k (DAL vs LA) Sunday 8:00pm 8/11/2013
Game 12: 346k (SEA vs POR) Sunday 10:00pm 8/25/2013
Game 13: 82k (SJ vs PHI) Sunday 11:00pm 9/8/2013*
Average: 197k (does not include All Star Game)
*Window was 128 minutes
**Window was only 80 minutes due to Confed Cup game running long
***Window was 126 minutes

ESPN(all ratings are for ~2 hour window).
Game 1: 262k (POR vs DAL) Saturday 5:00pm 6/15/2013
Game 2: 323k (PHI vs NY) Sunday 5:00pm 6/23/2013
Game 3: 331k (CHI vs KC) Sunday 3:00pm 7/7/2013
Game 4: 300k (SEA vs NY) Sunday 9:00pm 9/29/2013
Game 5: 189k (POR vs SEA) Sunday 9:00pm 10/13/2013
Game 6: 232k (LA vs SJ) Sunday 9:00pm 10/20/2013
Game 7: 247k (SEA vs LA) Sunday 9:00pm 10/27/2013
Average: 269K

ESPNDeportes
Average: 32k

Unimas
26 games: 229k average (removed per MLSFan123, updated number below.)

23 games: 223k average

NBC
Game 1: (NY vs DC) Saturday 12:30pm 3/16/2013
Overnight: .7
Final: .3, 461k

Game 2: (POR vs LA) Sunday 3:30pm 9/29/2013
Overnight: .3*

Game 3: (DAL vs SEA) Saturday 2:30pm 10/19/2013
Final: .3, 395k

Game 4: (DC vs HOU) Sunday 1:30pm 10/27/2013
Final: .2, 294k

*Not sure if this is overnight or the fast national rating

 

2013 MLS Playoff TV Ratings Summary

NBCSN
Game 1: 158k (SEA vs COL) Wed 10:30pm 10/30/2013
Game 2: 142k (HOU vs MTL) Thu 8:30pm 10/31/2013
Game 3: 114k (NE vs KC) Sat 8:00pm 11/2/2013
Game 4: 233k (SEA vs POR) Sat 10:00pm 11/2/2013
Game 5: 195k (POR vs SEA) Thursday 11:00pm 11/7/2013
Game 6: 241k (KC vs HOU) Saturday 7:30pm 11/23/2013
Average: 181k

ESPN2
Game 1: 182k (RSL vs LA) Thursday 9:00pm 11/7/2013

ESPN
Game 1: 296k (LA vs RSL) Sun 9:00pm 11/3/2013
Game 2: 302k (RSL vs POR) Sun 9:00pm 11/10/2013
Game 3: 271k (POR vs RSL) Sun 9:00pm 11/24/2013

ESPN/ESPN Average: 263k

NBC
Game 1: ? (NY vs HOU) Sun 3:30pm 11/3/2013
Game 2: ? (HOU vs KC) Sat 2:30pm 11/9/2013


2013 MLS Cup
(KC vs RSL) Sat 4:00pm 12/7/2013
505k on ESPN, 514k on Unimas

 

2012 Regular Season TV Ratings

Home teams listed first. All times are Eastern

NBC Sports Network (all ratings for 2.5 hour window unless specified)
Game 1: 82k (Dal vs NY). Sunday 3:00pm. 3/11/2012
Game 2: 124/145k (2.5 hour/two hour) (PHI vs COLO) Sunday 4:00pm. 3/18/2012
Game 3: 107k (2.5 hour) (SEA vs HOU) Friday 10:00pm 3/23/2012
Game 4: 76k (DC vs DAL) Friday 7:30pm 3/30/2012
Game 5: 123k (LA vs NE) Saturday 11:00pm 3/31/2012
Game 6: 126k/139k (2.5 hour/two hour) (PHI vs COLU) Saturday 4:00pm 4/14/2012
Game 7: 79k (CHI vs TOR) Saturday 3:30pm 4/21/2012
Game 8: 70k (NY vs NE) Saturday 3:30pm 4/28/2012
Game 9: 96k (SEA vs PHI) Saturday 4:00pm 5/5/2012
Game 10: 120k (HOU vs DC) Saturday 4:30pm 5/12/2012
Game 11: 71k (HOU vs LA) Saturday 2:30 5/26/2012
Game 12: 53k (KC vs SJ) Sunday 4:40 5/27/2012
Game 13: 63k (CHI vs NY) Sunday 5:00pm 6/17/2012
Game 14: 137k (NY vs DC) Sunday 7:00pm 6/24/2012
Game 15: 133k (KC vs CHI) Friday 8:00pm 6/29/2012
Game 16: 151k (SEA vs COLO) Saturday 11:00pm 7/7/2012
Game 17: 259k (POR vs LA) Saturday 11:00pm 7/14/2012
Game 18: 60k (SJ vs DAL) Wednesday 11:00pm 7/18/2012
Game 19: 392k (DAL vs LA) Saturday 8:00pm 7/28/2012
Game 20: 233k (PHI vs NE) Sunday 7:00pm 7/29/2012
Game 21: 148k (HOU vs NY) Friday 8:00pm 8/3/2012
Game 22: 405k (POR vs DAL) Sunday 7:00pm 8/5/2012
Game 23: 252k (NY vs HOU) Friday 8:00pm 8/10/2012
Game 24: 52k (COLU vs LA) Wednesday 7:00pm 8/15/2012*
Game 25: 98k (DC vs PHI) Sunday 5:00pm 8/19/2012
Game 26: 40k (RSL vs PHI) Friday 7:30pm 8/24/2012
Game 27: 124k (DAL vs LA) Sunday 7:00pm 8/26/2012
Game 28: 121k (COLO vs POR) Friday 10:30pm 8/31/2012
Game 29: 143k (CHIV vs SJ) Sunday 9:00pm 9/2/2012
Game 30: 63k (DAL vs LA) Wednesday 9:00pm 9/5/2012
Game 31: 81k (KC vs HOU) Friday 8:30pm 9/14/2012
Game 32: 45k (RSL vs POR) Saturday 8:00pm 9/22/2012
Game 33: 94k (CHIC vs KC) Friday 8:30pm 9/28/2012
Game 34: 102k (VAN vs SEA) Saturday 9:00pm 9/29/2012
Game 35: 82k (LA vs RSL) Saturday 9:00pm 10/6/2012
Game 36: 101k (SEA vs RSL) Wednesday 10:00pm 10/17/2012
Game 37: 39k (HOU vs PHI) Saturday 7:30pm 10/20/2012
Game 38: 50k (KC vs PHI) Wednesday 8:30pm 10/24/2012
Game 39: 62k (CHI vs DC) Saturday 4:00pm 10/27/2012
Game 40: 101k (POR vs SJ) Saturday 6:30pm 10/27/2012
Average: 119k (includes just the 2.5 hour numbers)

* This game overlapped with US @ Mexico friendly on ESPN2 and Univision


ESPN2 (all ratings are for a 2 hour window)
Game 1: 337k (POR vs PHI) Monday 9:30pm 3/12/2012
Game 2: 344k (DC vs NY) Sunday 6:00pm 4/22/2012
Game 3: 275k (PHI vs NY) Sunday 12:30pm 5/13/2012
Game 4: 146k (CHIV vs LA) Saturday 10:30pm 5/19/2012
Game 5: 213k (HOU vs Dal) Saturday 7:30pm 6/16/2012
Game 6: 320k (SJ vs LA) Saturday 10:00pm 6/30/2012
All Star Game: 530k (MLS vs Chelsea) Wednesday 8:30 7/25/2012
Game 7: 270k (SEA vs LA) Sunday 9:00pm 8/5/2012
Game 8: 163k (CHIV vs LA) Sunday 11:00pm 8/12/2012
Game 9: 130k (NY vs KC) Sunday 9:00pm 8/26/2012
Game 10: 125k (PHI vs DCU) Thursday 8:00pm 9/20/2012
Average: 232k (does not include all star game)

ESPN (all ratings are for a 2 hour window)
Game 1: 217k (NY vs COLO) Sunday 4:00pm 3/25/2012
Game 2: 215k (KC vs LA) Saturday 4:00pm 4/7/2012*
Game 3: 508k (LA vs NY) Saturday 8:00pm 5/5/2012
Game 4: 888k (POR vs SEA) Sunday 5:00pm 6/24/2012**
Game 5: 496k (LA vs CHI) Sunday 3:00pm 7/8/2012
Game 6: 344k (NY vs SEA) Sunday 4:00pm 7/15/2012
Game 7: 611k (NY vs PHI) Saturday 2:30pm 7/21/2012
Game 8: 290k (POR vs SEA) Sunday 9:00pm 10/7/2012
Game 9: 211k (SEA vs DAL) Sunday 9:00pm 10/21/2012
Game 10: 265k (LA vs SEA) Sunday 9:00pm 10/28/2012
Average: 405k

ESPN/ESPN2 Combined Ratings: 20 games, 318k

*Was moved from ESPN2 to ESPN
**Had a period of time in first half that overlapped with Italy England Euro QF. The 888k represents only the MLS portion of the telecast. It does not include any of the Euro OT or PK ratings.


NBC
Game 1: 576k (.4 rating) (POR vs SEA) Saturday 3:30pm 9/15/2012
Game 2: ? (.4 rating) (CHI vs NY) Saturday 3:30pm 10/6/2012*
Game 3: ? (.3 rating) (PHI vs NY) Saturday 1:30pm 10/27/2012*

*While I don't know the exact ratings of each, we do know that the average of these two
games was in the 575k range. (all NBC and NBCSN games averaged out to 151k)


Galavision (all ratings are for a 2 hour window)
Game 1: 90k (CHIV vs HOU) Sunday 7:00pm 3/11/2012
Game 2: 77k (LA vs DC) Sunday 7:00pm 3/18/2012
Game 3: 24k (KC vs DAL) Sunday 7:00pm 3/25/2012
Game 4: 31k (COLO vs CHI) Sunday 7:00pm 4/1/2012
Game 5: 45k (CHI vs HOU) Sunday 7:00pm 4/15/2012
Game 6: 34k (DAL vs COLO) Sunday 7:00pm 5/6/2012
Game 7: 66k (SJ vs CHIV) Sunday 7:00pm 5/13/2012
Game 8: ?? (POR vs CHI) Sunday 7:00pm 5/20/2012
Game 9: 23k (PHI vs DC) Saturday 7:00pm 6/16/2012
Game 10: 47k (DAL vs CHIV) Saturday 9:00pm 6/23/2012
Game 11: 44k (TOR vs NY) Saturday 9:00pm 6/30/2012
Game 12: 52k (HOU vs DC) Sunday 9:00pm 7/15/2012
Game 13: 31k (PHI vs CHI) Sunday 7:00pm 8/12/2012
Game 14: 104k (NY vs POR) Sunday 7:00pm 8/19/2012
Game 15: 128k (NY vs DC) Wednesday 8:00pm 8/29/2012
Game 16: 93k (HOU vs CHI) Sunday 7:00pm 9/2/2012
Game 17: 81k (Chiv vs DC) Sunday 7:00pm 9/23/2012
Game 18: 53k (LA vs Colo) Sunday 7:00pm 9/30/2012
Game 19: 42k (CHIV vs DAL) Sunday 7:00pm 10/7/2012
Game 20: 57k (SJ vs LA) Sunday 7:00pm 10/21/2012
Game 21: 20k (DAL vs CHIV) Sunday 7:00pm 10/28/2012
Average: 57k (for 20 games)


Telefutura
All Star Game: 358k (MLS vs Chelsea) Wednesday 8:30 7/25/2012

 

2012 Playoff TV Ratings

Playoffs
Game 1: 201k (CHI vs HOU) Wed 9:00pm 10/31/2012 ESPN2
Game 2: 142k (LA vs VAN) Thu 10:30pm 11/1/2012 NBCSN
Game 3: 137k (SEA vs RSL) Fri Nov 2 10:00 NBCSN
Game 4: 158k (DC vs NY) Sat Nov 3 7:56 NBCSN
Game 5: ? (HOU vs KC) Sun Nov 4 3:30 NBC
Game 6: 335k (LA vs SJ) Sun Nov 4 9:00 ESPN
Game 7: 93k (KC vs HOU) Wed Nov 7 9:05 NBCSN
Game 8: 424k (SJ vs LA) Wed Nov 7 11:13 ESPN2
Game 9: 125k (NY vs DC) Thu Nov 8 7:30 NBCSN
Game 10: 94k (RSL vs SEA) Thu Nov 8 10:00 NBCSN
Game 11: 59k (HOU vs DC) Sun Nov 11 4:00 NBCSN
Game 12: 540k (LA vs SEA) Sun Nov 11 8:00 ESPN
Game 13: 111k (DC vs HOU) Sun Nov 18 4:00 NBCSN
Game 14: 485k (SEA vs LA) Sun Nov 18 9:00 ESPN

2012 MLS Cup
(LA vs HOU) Sat Dec 1 4:30pm
.7/797k on ESPN, 485k on Telefutura

 

Historical Data

MLS Cup Through the Years
2013 Sat., 12/7/13 Sporting/Real Salt Lake ESPN 505k, Unimas 514k
2012 Sat., 12/1/12 Galaxy/Dynamo ESPN 797k, Telefutura 485k
2011 Sun., 11/20/11 Galaxy/Dynamo ESPN 0.6 1.039M
2010 Sun., 11/21/10 Rapids/FC Dallas ESPN 0.4 748k
2009 Sun., 11/22/09 Real Salt Lake/Galaxy ESPN 0.7 1.141M
2008 Sun., 11/23/08 Crew/Red Bulls ABC 0.6 907k
2007 Sun., 11/18/07 Dynamo/Revolution ABC 0.8 1.097M
2006 Sun., 11/12/06 Revolution/Dynamo ABC 0.8 1.245M
2005 Sun., 11/13/05 Galaxy/Revolution ABC 0.8 1.137M
2004 Sun., 11/14/04 Wizards/United ABC 0.8
2003 Sun., 11/23/03 Fire/Earthquakes ABC 0.6 876K
2002 Sun., 10/20/02 Revolution/Galaxy ABC 0.8 1.169M
2001 Sun., 10/21/01 Galaxy/Earthquakes ABC 1.0
2000 Sun., 10/15/00 Fire/Wizards ABC 0.7
1999 Sun., 11/21/99 United/Galaxy ABC 0.7
1998 Sun., 10/25/98 Fire/United ABC 1.0
1997 Sun., 10/26/97 Rapids/United ABC 1.4
1996 Sun., 10/20/96 United/Galaxy ABC 1.4


2011 Final Ratings
ESPN: 4 games: 498k
ESPN2: 17 games: 238k
ESPN/ESPN2 Combined: 21 games: 288k
FSC: 29 games: 71k
Galavision: 18 games: 72k
Telefutura: 12 games 233K rating
All Star Game vs Man United: 781k Wed 8:30pm July 27, 2011 on ESPN2

2010 Final Ratings
ESPN2: 25 games 249K
FSC: 25 games 53k
Telefutura: 23 games 211k
All Star Game vs Man United: 714k Wed July 28, 2010 on ESPN2

2009 Final Ratings
ESPN2: 22 games 284k
FSC: 32 game 53k
Telefutura: 24 games 229k
ESPN Deportes: 69k*
All Star Game vs Everton: 484k Wed July 29, 2009 on ESPN2
*number is only through games played as of Sept 14, 2009. I do not know if this is a complete number

2008 Final Ratings
ESPN2: 27 games 253k (dedicated Thursday night slot)
Telefutura: 26 games 254k
ESPN Deportes: 40k

2007 Final Ratings
ESPN2: 26 games 289k (dedicated Thursday night slot)
Telefutura: 24 games 282k

2006 Final Ratings
ESPN2: 21 games 263k

 

Sources (while they last)
https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/mls-2013-tv-ratings.1980451/
http://www.tvmediainsights.com/2012/07/major-league-soccer-tv-ratings-in-2012/
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/.../ESPN-Booting-MLS-From-Its-Thursday-Slot.aspx
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/02/AR2007050202740.html
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2011/10/26/Research-and-Ratings/MLS-TV.aspx
http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/...LS-Attendance-TV-Viewership-Numbers-Slip.aspx
http://www.rslsoapbox.com/2012/3/22...ruggles-on-nbc-sports-while-real-salt-lake-on
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2010/11/record-low-rating-for-2010-mls-cup/
http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2010/07/big-jump-for-mls-all-star-game/
https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/mls-tv-ratings.1845021/#post-24631720
https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/tv-ratings.1742835/page-6#post-2423303

 

People to follow on twitter for MLS TV information include

@SonOfTheBronx
@MacN_ESPN
@Ourand_SBJ
@thegoalkeeper

 

What point are you trying to make? Even if it is free, it still does not have the household reach of ESPN's yet.

 

That group is pretty small now.

The ESPN's reach ~100 million households and I think there are about ~115 million households in the US with a TV

 

I would guess Unimas is in more homes.

I can't find any hard data on how many households have ESPN Deportes. ESPN states 5.3 million Hispanic cable households but that is just part of their reach.

http://espnmediazone.com/us/espn-deportes-fact-sheet/

 

In the past we talked a lot about how the WNBA did better on TV than MLS did last season.

But TV is such a small part of the whole picture for these niche leagues.

While MLS appears to be growing very quickly, it came to light yesterday that one of the WNBA's corner stone franchises is in deep trouble.

The LA Sparks owners informed the WNBA that they could not afford the losses any more and would be leaving the league immediately and laid everyone off.

The league is scrambling to find new owners as they never expected this to happen.

The team lost $12 million since 2007, including $1.4 million last year.

Interestingly, they decided to just drop the team instead of selling it which must mean it was almost worthless.

 

You are missing the point.

An MLS team that is supposedly struggling was just sold for $68 million.
A WNBA team that was struggling was simply dropped because no one offered any money.

That is the difference.

The businessmen buying into MLS are not doing it for charity, as one lunatic suggested earlier. They are investing because they see the real value via SUM, low expenses and franchise values raising.

The WNBA is currently where MLS was back in 2000/1. There is almost no comparison between the two leagues from a financial stand point any more.

MLS is now wondering how big it can get
WNBA is wondering who will take a cornerstone franchise in a huge market for free