that was the worst thing I've every seen. I don't mind the comercial so much. It was more the way it was presented. There was no reason to take up that much screen real estate on decorations. Hell, half of the screen was just a solid background shot. How about this. First, there is no need to have the name of your new gimick that dominant on the screen. Cut down the font size and increase the screen sizes for both feeds. Second why not take the score line out from above the live picture and put in a seperate bar graphic somewhere in the unused part of the screen. That way you can increase the size of the live feed which will make it a little more acceptable by the fans. We don't care about any stupid background animations some intern came up with because he thought it was pretty. We care about the game. And the sponsors care about their product. Do us and them a favor. Bring someone in to redesign your new toy. All flash and no substance. Shame on you.
It saves MLS money, so I can't complain with them for trying it. I like it when they have an injury on the field, its good timing. However, doing it while the ball is still in play is a horrible idea. Go back to the ALCS in 2003 when Manny hit a homerun on the first pitch in an inning and no one at home knew what was going on. Now what they should get rid of is the sky cam. I don't like the idea of having it out there, and im sure the players dont as well.
They said they were only going to do it during goal kicks so I think they're impeding on action as little as possible. Rarely does something happen within 30 seconds of a goal kick. I just don't think many people on here understand the business side of all this. It's not like this is MLB where money pours in like a biblical flood. If someone prefers no soccer league to soccer games on TV with 2 minutes split screen with ads...well I just don't know why they're on here.
Well I have ideas but they stole them for the movie Batman Forever. Advertisers want to run 30-second traditional ads. They obviously have provedn very effective which is why they are what most commercials are. Speaking of creative, I seriously hope FC Dallas sells the naming rights to the Frisco complex. It's easy money.
I accept that the league wants to do this, and needs the money. But FFS, there's no reason the game couldn't have been 1/3 bigger. Sh**, they might as well just use the whole screen for the ad. They'll get more money, and we won't lose anything.
i'm sure they can improve it a bit by using more of the screen space for the game/ad - but if it means more money for the network showing the game that is a good thing...
Is that a fact - exactly how much more is "ABC or MLS or whoever (sic)" getting for the split screen ads? No, and yet somehow MLS got through nine seasons without them
Get a freaking grip people!!!! It is two ads per half. ONE MINUTE EACH HALF!!!! Considering all programs have comercials and the lack of popularity of soccer in this country it is remarkable it has taken this long for any kind of ad during play.
The Atlanta Hawks traded Dominique Wilkins and a draft pick for Danny Manning. I never think anything is too stupid to happen in sports...especially if Steve Sampson is anywhere nearby.
I do understand the business side of this. That's why I'm so pissed about it. One of the reasons I really enjoying watching soccer as compared to all, and I do mean all, of the other sports on TV, is being able to watch for 45 minutes without a commercial. What I truly appreciate is the unbounded limits of commercial interests. These ads are not going to be the difference between success and failure of MLS. And while, I'm not usually one to go for slipperly slope arguments or domino theories, I truly view these split screen ads as the camels nose underneath the tent. What happens when it goes from twice a half to three or four times a half? Or, why not have an ad for every injury? Or, a 15 second ad every goal kick? Will you complain then? Welcome to death by 1000 cuts. Also, this is far more intrusive both because of the clunky presentation (which, yes, can be easily improved upon) but especially because they take over the sound too. I am far more tolerant of those special animations that fill up a much smaller portion of the screen.
LETTER TO MLS: 1) At 3pm, ABC didn't make any announcement that the game was moved to ESPN when the 'breaking news' about the Pope hit. I sat and watched Catholics cry for 15 min before crying myself, after I found out I could have watched the start of one of the most anticipated soccer games in MLS history, right on ESPN. 2) Side-by-Side ? Showing commercials during live soccer and killing the sound and commentating of the game? It wasn't even a good commercial! After ten years of MLS and 13 years past the first uninterrupted televised game in the US, I had hoped this issue was gone. However, I see we've resurrected the advertising model during a live soccer match. Ugly, get rid of it. Show me a banner at the botton of the screen, but don't take the game down to 20% of the screen size and eliminate the sound, and call it "side by side". Please. 3) Sky Cam - A camera on a cable suspended over the field slightly above all the players. OK, a neat idea, but seriously adds NO VALUE to any other camera angle seen before. Get rid of that too. Do the players like a cable and 60lb tv camera 10 feet above their heads? I bet not. Can't wait to see the reaction when the ball hits the wire one day. 4) Camera Shots - BACK UP ! And show the game from the side, like from the midfield up high. I need to see the runs off the ball and the play as it unfolds. Seeing live soccer action up close is like sitting in the front row of the Home Depot center but forced to watch the whole game through binoculars. You miss everything! 5) Can we get some High Def ? Please fix these issues so I can remain a loyal MLS TV fan. Yes I go to all the Rev games at home, but in order to follow along with the league, I need to watch on TV too. Make TV good please BTW, Fox Sports World (now FSC) did a great job last year broadcasting from the HDC, I watched every game from the HDC, because I knew it would not frustrate me. Maybe I should never watch ABC broadcasts if they remain the way they are? They are merely theatrical versions of the game and I'd rather mow my lawn. Beast -- Frustrated Soccer Fan Boston, MA
Unless I'm mistaken MLS has paid ABC/ESPN2 to broadcast the games and the World Cup. It costs them money instead of makes them money. I can't tell you for sure that the 30-second ads get more money than the little on-air logos. But if the logos were more profitable, there would be 5 of 'em around the scoreboard every game. If anybody knows where to find out how much each of those costs and advertiser I (among with others) would love to know.
What all you teeny-boppers don't seem to realize is that soccer coverage on TV in the USA used to cut away from live action to show full-screen commercials. I for one see this as back-sliding down a slippery slope.
Are you just looking for things to complain about? IIRC in the past when news has overtaken MLS games they've been relegated to late-night tape delay replays. It's not as if ABC news works in sync with ABC sports. And besides, there was probably too much chaos in the news room with all the breaking news for them to remember about the MLS game being moved.
I will say ABC should've thought about this a day or so ago. Not necessarily about the MLS game but what to do about any programming pre-empted. They had been told by the Vatican that he was gonna die soon. Still they got the game to ESPN without missing any action if you switched channels enough. But hey, people screw up.
I DO have an idea. As I said a couple of times, networks wouldn't run so many 30-second ads if they weren't the most effective. If logos over the screen were the most profitable and effective they would show Budweiser logos during Desperate Housewives. Alas they break away and show 30-second commercials.