MLS 2014 TV Thread (Ratings, contracts etc)

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by MLSFan123, Jan 1, 2014.

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  1. Dpbarkley

    Dpbarkley Member

    May 22, 2012
    Philadelphia, PA
    This is really the question, right? If ESPN shows a similar bump compared to last year, then I would say the league is just more popular among tv watchers, and they are willing to watch games wherever they are. If not, and just the NBCSN numbers are higher, then it's some combination of NBCSN's presentation and its market penetration.

    My guess - the ESPN numbers will stay mostly flat, and that a lot of this growth is because more people know that NBCSN exists/where to find it. Wasn't it just last summer that it moved from a remote channel on DirectTV to a channel next to the other sports channels?
     
  2. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Shit, flat would actually be an improvement over going down year after year (at least on ESPN2).
     
  3. stingbee30

    stingbee30 Member

    Mar 16, 2006
    I think we are still undermining the effect of this WC on MLS. As I said before, ESPN/ABC is expected to see another 25%-30% increase in ratings from WC 2010. It is numbers game, and the appetite for Soccer is going to increase. If the US Men team performs well during the WC, then it is pretty much guaranteed that you are going to have more MLS players who are going to become household names in this country beside Dempsey, Donovan, or Michael Bradley. But, regardless of the US Men's team performance, WC 2014 will be massive for ESPN/ABC due to better time zone, and more awareness among mainstream America about the game. I will revisit this thread later this year, and remind everyone what I had projected. I'm confident enough that we are going to see greener pastures for MLS on ESPN going forward. Last year's numbers were anomaly, and it was not indicative of future TV ratings.
     
  4. deejay

    deejay Member+

    Feb 14, 2000
    Tarpon Springs, FL
    Club:
    Jorge Wilstermann
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    The ESPN numbers will be interesting to see. If they are also up this probably means that MLS' plan of buying up all the USMNT talent worked.
     
  5. CCinGermany

    CCinGermany Member

    May 3, 2006
    Chicagoland
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This is indeed going to be VERY interesting. I think you are probably right and the difference is down to NBCSN having a higher profile in general and, thanks to most of a season of EPL coverage, with soccer fans in particular.
     
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  6. bbsbt

    bbsbt Member+

    Feb 26, 2003
    So, what gives.... you playin' a game on us?
     
  7. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    Anyone have the number for the superclassico on ESPN?
     
  8. Boloni86

    Boloni86 Member+

    Jun 7, 2000
    Baltimore
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Gibraltar
    Trickle down?
     
  9. scoachd1

    scoachd1 Member+

    Jun 2, 2004
    Southern California
    Fair point neither New England nor Chicago have exactly broken the bank this bank this year. But habits take time to develop. People who have found previous games interesting decided to give this one a chance. I know I wouldn't have been interested in watching New England a couple years ago when their payroll consisted Sharlie Joseph, Benny Feilhaber and $2M for the rest of the team such that you had a USL level player like Zack Schilwaski starting at forward for a lot of games. In Contrast now they have a lot good young player I like watching such as Fagundez, Rowe, Nguyen, and Farrell plus some decent foreign guys like Bengston, Goncalves, and Saer. I was also interested to see Shipp (who I felt was the best player in college last year) play a full game and missed seeing Magee play for the Galaxy. While I agree with the points you mentioned, I don't think you can ignore having more watchable players.
     
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  10. Boloni86

    Boloni86 Member+

    Jun 7, 2000
    Baltimore
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Gibraltar
    Rising tide lifts all boats ...
     
  11. bbsbt

    bbsbt Member+

    Feb 26, 2003
    This more than anything.
     
  12. ukraine76

    ukraine76 Member

    Feb 8, 2001
    New York
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't strongly disagree, but I am not sure that I agree either. I think that abundance of soccer on TV (especially EPL) is hurting MLS viewership. While soccer is a lot more popular than 10-15 years ago, the quailty of play in MLS is a lot higher, there are more stars and better atmosphere on average, ratings have barely helps up or perhaps are even down....
     
  13. joehooligan0303

    joehooligan0303 Member+

    Dec 16, 2001
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    While the theory sounds good this seasons ratings on NBCSN show that your idea is not accurate.
    The ratings are higher than ever so far this year and games with an EPL lead in are even higher. That is what has been being discussed for pages now.
     
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  14. ukraine76

    ukraine76 Member

    Feb 8, 2001
    New York
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I know, but you are looking at just 2012-2014. Not sure that soccer became way more popular in the last 2 years It certainly made more progress between 1998 and 2013 (with lower ESPN MLS ratings in 2013 than 1998 or perhaps flat) than between 2012 and 2014.

    I honestly feel like what helped this year is that so many soccer fans who were not giving the league a chance before were spoonfed MLS due to NBCSN being the channel for both and they may be realizing that the product is not as bad as they were led to believe earlier. There are soooo many people who would watch a game or two, but would not go through the trouble of finding out when it is and what channel. Now, they watch their EPL and they are reminded 10 times than Chicago-NE is on at 4pm. The effect is even greater when it follows an EPL game on the same channel.

    Plus Dempsey, Bradley, Edu, Defoe etc.
     
  15. 4four4

    4four4 Member+

    Nov 13, 2013
    Land of 10,000 Lakes
    That's why we people should purchase MLS Live.
     
  16. holiday

    holiday Member+

    Oct 16, 2007
    iow, life is just a series of 'special circumstances.' :D
    not anymore. :ROFLMAO:
     
  17. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Fox still showing they aren't learning:

    The reaction to Johnson (and broadcast partner Eric Wynalda) was universally negative in social media. Naturally this should come with a warning that Twitter reviews don’t speak for everybody. But it’s concerning that you could hardly find a single viewer praising Johnson or Wynalda for their work yesterday. We’re talking Tim McCarver territory, here. The feedback for Johnson & Wynalda is in the same ballpark as the vociferous outrage over Chris Berman appearing at golf’s US Open.

    This shouldn’t just concern Fox executives that have expressed their commitment to this grand experiment, it should alarm them. It should send them into a panic,cracking each others’ heads open and feasting on the goo inside. If fans are this opposed to Johnson now, it might be too far gone for them to change their minds.

    Even if Johnson shows slight improvement year over year from now until 2018, he will have already lost fans by the time the World Cup comes around. That’s the cold, harsh reality that Fox is missing.

    ESPN and NBC have set the bar ridiculously high for quality soccer coverage in this country. We’re light years away from the days of Fox Sports World and ESPN’s coverage of the sport as a foreign novelty. To their credit, Fox has improved their overall soccer presentation. The studio is a lot better, the tactical analysis is better, and there are no more Michael Strahan segments. However, the network has come under fire when compared to their competitors because Gus Johnson isn’t up to the standard of Arlo White, Ian Darke, or Phil Schoen (anyone who says there aren’t any good American soccer commentators is just being lazy). If Piers Morgan walked into the ESPN studios to analyze soccer, Bob Ley would self-combust.


    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/24/gus-johnson-american-fans-not-impressed_n_5206457.html
     
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  18. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    So we are forgetting http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB115205934369497935 already? People hated ESPN's coverage too, but ratings hit new highs with every world cup.
     
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  19. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not worried about the future WC ratings in regards to MLS. I'm worried about MLS ratings dropping due to Fox being such a turnoff to many. The WC is an event, involves patriotism, and while the popularity of the sport grows, tuning in to an event every four years will have a different effect on ratings than the prospect of poor announcing and poor production, week in, week out which is what MLS would be dealing with.

    It's also an odd mindset to go back eight years and look at the mistakes of another media outlet to somehow validate poor business decisions at the current time. ESPN was terrible in 06, but they also learned from it. That's the key. Fox hasn't learned from ESPN or NBCSN, nor have they shown they're looking to making positive changes. NBC saw the standard ESPN had set and did what they could to reach that same level. They were very professional and of high standard from the start of the EPL/MLS contracts. There's no reason Fox shouldn't or can't do the same. If you accept lower standards from Fox, cool.
     
  20. 4four4

    4four4 Member+

    Nov 13, 2013
    Land of 10,000 Lakes
    Well somebody needs to start a petition. Ha
     
  21. FayMountaineer

    Jan 11, 2007
    Fayetteville,NC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Fox is no prized outlet, neither is ESPN.
     
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  22. SoCalYid

    SoCalYid Member+

    Jun 11, 2011
    BigSoccer :)
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    My beef with ESPN is Twellman, but I don't mind ESPN in general.
     
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  23. Fanatical Monk

    Fanatical Monk Member+

    Jun 14, 2011
    Fantasyland
    Of all the American players they could go for, they pick the least likable player I can think of. The only positive is that Holden will someday (probably soon unfortuantely) fill the shoes of the good looking ex-player.
     
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  24. bbsbt

    bbsbt Member+

    Feb 26, 2003
    Plus perhaps a bigger footprint this season due to the current expansion hoopla (both official & potential) in the news lately?
    Possibly new viewership from NY, Florida, Atlanta, Minnesota, Michigan, California... etc...etc
     
  25. revsfan603

    revsfan603 Member

    New England Revolution
    Jun 20, 2013
    New Hampshire
    Club:
    ADO Den Haag
    I know at least i live in, in New Hampshire the people love the epl, seeing the revs game on after they probably got some carry over.
     

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