Uefa Champions League + Uefa Cup On Usa Tv

[fotis]

HI EVERYBODY.
I AM A BIG SOCCER FAN AND I AM STAYING IN LOS ANGELES,USA.
I AM ONLY ONE YEAR IN USA AND I HAVE FOUND MANY DIFFICULTIES WATCHING SOCCER ON TV.
IS IT POSSIBLE SOMEONE TO INFORM ME HOW MANY GAMES (FROM UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE) ESPN AND ESPN2 WILL SHOW THIS SEASON?
I REMEMBER LAST SEASON I COULD FIND ONLY A FEW GAMES ON THESE CHANNELS.
THE SAME PROBLEM I HAD WITH UEFA CUP.THERE WERE ONLY A FEW GAMES (ON FOX WORLD SPORTS INTERNATIONAL) PLUS A FEW ON PPV.
ANYWAY, I WILL APPRECIATE IT WHATEVER INFORMATION YOU CAN PROVIDE ME.
THANKS IN ADVANCE.

FOTIS(E-MAIL: FOTISSOCCER@YAHOO.COM)

[BrianCappellieri]

Welcome to BigSoccer, Fotis.

The schedule and TV rights haven't been announced yet. As far as I know it is still unclear if ESPN(2) will show one or two matches a week when the group stage begins or any at all.

For the UEFA Cup, I've only seen it on FSW. From what I heard they will most likely show the English clubs and maybe a few others and of course the final.

[jp77]

espn2 WILL be showing one game per week starting in early September. I think it will be on Wednesdays (maybe Tuesdays)

[SJEarthquakes25]

Originally posted by BrianCappellieri

For the UEFA Cup, I've only seen it on FSW. From what I heard they will most likely show the English clubs and maybe a few others and of course the final.


Does that us American-based Ipswich Town supporters will get to see them in action depending on their Performance against Avenir Beggen?

[BrianCappellieri]

Possibly, SJE. :)

JP, is that a definite? Do you have a link by chance?

Thanks

[rangers00]

First match day, 9/17, Tuesday only:

http://www.international.espn.com/intl/english/schedules/DailySchedule.jsp?Date=09-17-2002&Network=2&TimeZone=PST&LTS=A

No telecast on Wednesday:

http://www.international.espn.com/intl/english/schedules/DailySchedule.jsp?Date=09-18-2002&Network=2&TimeZone=PST&LTS=A

[rafaelj]

Last season ESPN International showed two or three matches per day (= up to 6 a week) ... but only VERY FEW places (bars) in the US show ESPN International, the regular cable/satellite customer is stuck with ESPN and ESPN2 - and they're inexplicably hostile to Champions League soccer, so far the schedule for August and September has no (= 0) Champions League advertised.

I hate ESPN.

[rangers00]

Originally posted by rafaelj
Last season ESPN International showed two or three matches per day (= up to 6 a week) ...

Try 10. 8 on ESPN International and 2 on ESPN Dos.


but only VERY FEW places (bars) in the US show ESPN International,

Of course not, because ESPN International can't be broadcasted into the U.S. market. ESPN didn't have the right to broadcast Monday Nite Football and the NBA in the U.S., but did for the Latin American market.


the regular cable/satellite customer is stuck with ESPN and ESPN2 - and they're inexplicably hostile to Champions League soccer,

They are hostile to CL soccer because the American public are hostile to CL soccer. ESPN is one of the very soccer friendly channels, IN PLACES THAT EMBRACE SOCCER!!! Look at the coverage they have on ESPN Latin America, ESPN PacRim and ESPN Asia.

So who's to blame here? ESPN or Americans? You have to blame your fellow Americans for not flocking to CL telecasts like they do to NFL telecasts. Get 10M households to watch the CL, I bet in a nanosecond that you'll get 8 CL matches on ESPN/ESPN2 per match day.


so far the schedule for August and September has no (= 0) Champions League advertised.


How can you say that? the link I provided above just tells you coverage started on September 17, matchday 1.

[MasterShake29]

I've noticed ESPN doesn't necessarily have the complete list until near the game date, so if it doesn't show all the way to the final yet don't panic. They may wait until the draw to list the matches they'll show.

[West Coast Thug]

Originally posted by MattBurlew
I've noticed ESPN doesn't necessarily have the complete list until near the game date, so if it doesn't show all the way to the final yet don't panic. They may wait until the draw to list the matches they'll show.
I hope you're right.

[jp77]

I work at ESPN. so you can believe what what I say.

[rangers00]

Originally posted by jp77
I work at ESPN. so you can believe what what I say.

jp77, question for you. Can you tell us why ESPN got rid of the La Liga telecast in the U.S.? It used to be a delayed telecast in the wee hours. Its effect on ratings, compared to alternate programming like drag racing, cheerleaders, should be minimal. Did la Liga ask for a boatload of money for 1 delayed telecast?

[BrianCappellieri]

Check out SoccerTV. (http://www.soccertv.com/) They had some details about what CL coverage ESPN has the rights to.

[fotis]

Here is a reply to my questions from ESPN2 on April 10th:

Entering the 2001/2002 season, ESPN took the opportunity to add some
windows
for live telecasts of UEFA Champions League matches on Tuesdays, and
the
viewership wasn't there to justify continuing more than one game a
week.
Champions League matches will remain a fixture on ESPN2.

Although we appreciate your frustration, the decision not to
sub-license
games (including pay-per-view) was made by UEFA. ESPN and all other
UEFA
Champions League rights holders worldwide are required to follow the
directive put forth by UEFA through its marketing partner, TEAM .
Therefore, ESPN has no recourse at this time.

Any comments?

[rafaelj]

Funny - every season the same thing - we're all frustrated by the CL broadcast situation on ESPN-U.S. and when we vent our frustration along comes a wise-guy trying to blame us - the viewers - or at least the rest of US TV viewers for not being interested enough in soccer.

I do remember rangers00 from last season and his very defensive and harsh posts - what is it with you - are you an ESPN shareholder??

It's great though to hear from jp77 - an actual ESPN employee - maybe we can get some more info this year directly from the source ...

My dilemma is still the fact that CL soccer takes places at definetely non-prime-time - so even when there's not a huge audience in the U.S. - does it really make more sense to broadcast vintage NBA etc?

I just wished ESPN would not have the rights - they're making good money with the broadcasts all over the world and we're stuck here with the short end of the stick ...

[BrianCappellieri]

Originally posted by rafaelj
Funny - every season the same thing - we're all frustrated by the CL broadcast situation on ESPN-U.S. and when we vent our frustration along comes a wise-guy trying to blame us - the viewers - or at least the rest of US TV viewers for not being interested enough in soccer.


Hate to say it but he's right. Do you think if the CL got incredible ratings they wouldn't show it?

That's the thing, vintage NBA highlights gets better ratings and even more importantly for ESPN it is much cheaper to broadcast. Getting TV rights from UEFA isn't cheap but producing their own stuff is.

[rafaelj]

Of course we all know that soccer doesn't have the same ratings in the US like Football, Basketball, Baseball ... and I assume we all wish it did ...

It would be great to know some exact numbers and facts about all of this though. Even rangers00 wonders how Spanish soccer in the late hours could have worse ratings than cheerleading - the same principle applies to 11:30 a.m. PST or 2:30 p.m. EST - How could a Real Madrid-Bayern Munich quarterfinal score less points than some obscure Motocross broadcast??

Does UEFA/TEAM really ask for more money when ESPN shows more than one match per week? They seem to have bought the rights for the whole non-European world market, don't you usually pay a lump sum, and then show whatever you want ... (?)
And why show even one match per week when you can make such great business with Vintage NBA at 2:30pm instead? Is one match per week the minimal condition for ESPN to be able to keep the rights for the rest of the world?

So if anyone knows the real facts about all of this, please, please, enlighten us!

[rangers00]

Originally posted by rafaelj
Funny - every season the same thing - we're all frustrated by the CL broadcast situation on ESPN-U.S. and when we vent our frustration along comes a wise-guy trying to blame us - the viewers - or at least the rest of US TV viewers for not being interested enough in soccer.

I do remember rangers00 from last season and his very defensive and harsh posts - what is it with you - are you an ESPN shareholder??

Nope, just want to bash Americans for NOT interested in the premium club tournament in the world. Why don't Americans have the same taste as Latin Americans? That's how you get 10 games per CL match day.


It's great though to hear from jp77 - an actual ESPN employee - maybe we can get some more info this year directly from the source ...

There is nothing he can tell you that we don't already know. This is strictly business.

- viewership is ultra low
- asking price of the product doesn't match the ultra low interest in this country.

Cheerleader, drag racing, strongest men, etc. are there as program fillers because they are dirt cheap. ECL aren't program fillers because UEFA knows it's the premium club tournament in the world, even not so in the American market.


My dilemma is still the fact that CL soccer takes places at definetely non-prime-time - so even when there's not a huge audience in the U.S. - does it really make more sense to broadcast vintage NBA etc?

Absolutely yes. That's why I blame the Americans before I blame ESPN. ESPN is the ultimate "money drives programming decisions" channel. That's why you get 10 CL games on ESPN Latin America and about the same # on ESPN Asia.

[rangers00]

Originally posted by rafaelj

It would be great to know some exact numbers and facts about all of this though. Even rangers00 wonders how Spanish soccer in the late hours could have worse ratings than cheerleading - the same principle applies to 11:30 a.m. PST or 2:30 p.m. EST - How could a Real Madrid-Bayern Munich quarterfinal score less points than some obscure Motocross broadcast??

That is easy, because you are only looking the "revenue" part of the equation, but forget an equally important part, the "cost".

Say, Real Madrid x Bayern Munich gets ratings of 0.15, drag racing gets ratings of 0.12, yet Real Madrid x Bayern Munich costs a lot more than drag racing, which program would you show?

And the ratings are so low that these programs are merely as program fillers. Revenue is approaching 0. Why would you pay a lot more for content that generates reveneu approaching 0?


They seem to have bought the rights for the whole non-European world market, don't you usually pay a lump sum, and then show whatever you want ... (?)

Yes, it's so nice to treat sports content as a buffet. Do you think the NBA, being paid by a lump sum by TBS/TNT, would let TBS/TNT show whatever they want? NBA games 7 days a week? Heck, why not? NBA games should have bigger audience than TNT's repeated showings of 1980 grade B movies.

Nope, ESPN paid for the exact # of CL games. Otherwise why would ESPN cancel the Tuesday telecast in the middle of last season?

- there is no production cost involved, game is produced for ESPN Intl. anyway.
- ratings, as you say, should be better for CL games than drag racing/strongest men/cheerleaders.


Is one match per week the minimal condition for ESPN to be able to keep the rights for the rest of the world?

Of course. The contract call for at least one game per match day.


So if anyone knows the real facts about all of this, please, please, enlighten us!
You can keep asking, but do you think an ESPN employee is going to tell you IN THE PUBLIC the intricates of their business decision? get real!

Do you think you would tell the ***REAL*** cost of goods, the hidden deals and the decision making criteria of your business/products to your potential customers?

Anyone who does that is waiting to be fired.

[jp77]

Plain and simple, ESPN doesn't make any money on soccer. This year, it's international networks are only showing 2 leagues, the Champions League and the Dutch League. Last year they had rights for the Champions League, Italian (on Pac Rim), Scottish League, La Liga (Latin America). These networks get almost no paid advertising, it 95% promos that air in commercial breaks.
I would love to show La Liga on Monday afternoons on ESPN2, like they used to 3 or 4 years ago. The ratings were low. I can remember when I was in high school, listening to Mike Hill and Eddie Mighten cover Dutch League games on ESPN2, also shown on tape-delay.

Basically, we'll have to do with Champions League on the Duece on Wednesdays, starting in early September. They tried showing Champs League on Tuesdays on ESPN last year, but the rating sucked.....so they only show it on WEd's on ESPN2.