OT: Project Help - Help get Soccer recognised for TV purposes!!

[Rewinder]

I'm doing a project on the state of soccer broadcasting here in the USA, more info here
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=7876780#post7876780

I know this isn't the place for it, but I was hoping to draw attention to this thread to those who normally do not visit that board. Is there anything one of the Mod's could do to help me gain attention on that thread? Any help will be appreciated, thanks.

[Rick B]

I can't work dancing smilies so the above Edit will have to do I'm afraid!! Hope it goes ok.

[Rewinder]

Thanks alot Rick. Depending on how my research goes, and with the guidance of the professor(one of the most knowledgeable on the tv industry) this may turn out well enough for me to post my presentation for everyone to see.

[Postman is a Prophet]

Time for my rant/conspiracy theory:

The real reason that Soccer isn't shown well in the U.S. by cable feeds is because of one thing and one thing only (and it's certainly not a lack of a market): Commercials.

A football match runs for 90 minutes with one short break in the middle. Compare this to baseball, the American pastime, where every 15 minutes-->5 minutes of commercials. Channels like ESPN don't want to take 1:30-2 hours of their prime time/even mid-day time for the same amount of money that a single "World's strongest man" or Sportscenter rerun gets them, so we get 4-6 Champs league games a month.

Frankly, I doubt whether soccer can EVER become as popular as other sports in the US so long as this stranglehold continues. Or rather, I should rephrase that; Soccer is being restricted from blossoming in the US by TV corporations. Then again, the internet and other technology have created an almost subculture for soccer fans; example 1? Bigsoccer.com

[mobjack]

I remember watching a game a few years ago when the screen condensed itself towards the right by 2/3 and on the left 1/3 they ran Pissweiser commercial for 30 seconds. When it wasn't that, they'd rotate a Bud or Coca-Cola logo on the top right corner of the screen. Corporate bastards.
It's weird here in the US, they'd hate if the teams wore corporate logos on the uniforms, but they don't mind the game being interrupted every five minutes for bad product advertising.
I looooove watching a soccer match and there are no ads, zero, nothing but game.

Good luck with your project, I'm going to put in my two cents on your link there, and do please tell us how this all goes over.