MLS 2016 TV Thread (Ratings, Historical Data, Contracts etc)

That seems pretty huge actually. Is MLS finally getting the Spanish-speaking audience back after losing them some time in the 90s? Or is it just the Galaxy?

 

It's definitely Galaxy to some degree and also let's not judge it by the opening game. Numbers went down a lot last year. If they can settle into 300-350k range total - great in my opinion.

The good news is that this Sunday TV viewers were treated to very good and decent quality games. I felt that it was pretty damn impressive for opening day.

 

Toronto FC attracted 96,000 viewers to TSN.

Montreal at Vancouver did 205,000.

https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/e...ports-property-coming-up-short-153817345.html

 

A TV viewing nugget from MLS's opening weekend int'l coverage. Sky Sports delivered record 100K viewers for #CHIvNYC on Sunday.

— Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) March 9, 2016

 

Also, those are English numbers for TSN. Unknown what Montreal/Vancouver got in Quebec as yet on RDS.

 

This.

And Sunday night is traditionally a better night for tv ratings than is Friday night.

 

MLS 2016 Regular Season TV Viewership Summary

Home teams listed first. All times are Eastern.

Averages are only listed if we have compiled all the games for a specific network.

FS1 (all ratings for 2.5 hour window unless specified)
Game 1: 267k (SEA vs KC) Sunday 7:00pm 3/6/2016

Fox Deportes (all ratings for 2.5 hour window unless specified)
Game 1: 24k (SEA vs KC) Sunday 7:00pm 3/6/2016

ESPN (all ratings for 2.5 hour window unless specified)
Game 1: 362k (POR vs COLU) Sunday 4:00pm 3/6/2016

UDN: (all ratings for 2 hour window unless specified)
Game 1: 148k (LA vs DC) Sunday 10:00pm 3/6/2016

Unimas: (all ratings for 2 hour window unless specified)
Game 1: 320k (LA vs DC) Sunday 10:00pm 3/6/2016

=======================================

Non US numbers

Canada

Game 1: 96k NYR vs TFC: Sunday 3/6/2016 TSN
Game 2: 205k VAN vs MON Sunday 3/6/2016 TSN

England
Game 1: 100k CHI vs NYC Sunday 3/6/2016 Sky Sports

 

I have always said there is money to be made from overseas contracts. The wild and unpredictable nature of MLS games can be a huge selling point in parts if the world where the local domestic leagues follow pretty much the same script from year to year.

 

^^^^^^^^

If I add all those numbers together I get 1, 522 with 7 games meaning an average 217..

FSI 267
Fox 24
ESPN 362
VDN 148
Uni 320
Canada 96
205
Eng 100

1,522

Just asking as I am from Australia and am trying to get a feel for what an MLS game rates.

 

What a game to watch too. A good advertisement for the league. Nice work by Chicago to show up, although nyc not playing defense in midfield was helpful.

 

A caveat to that type of calculation. The TV viewership is collected differently between the three countries. I know one significant difference is that the US rating is households alone, whereas Canada's includes a public viewing estimate (sports bars, etc). The SkySports number is done differently, the US does an average over the entire block the program was on (so the game may peak with much higher numbers at one moment than in the average), I believe that is not the case in the UK.

 

Another thing to note. Here in the US we simulacast games on two stations at a time, so if you are looking for the number for anyone game, you need to add numbers from two sources.

The station pairings are typically

ESPN(or ESPN2)/ESPN Deportes
FS1/Fox Deportes
UDN/Unimas

 

Digital viewing is increasing.

A digital viewing nugget from #MLS Week 1. #PORvCLB was the second most-watched regular-season game ever streamed on WatchESN.

— Paul Kennedy (@pkedit) March 9, 2016

 

damn, why couldn't he just throw in the number? I am curious what size we are talking about here....

 

Click on the time stamp. Someone did ask. He responded he didn't have it.

 

It can't be big. http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/...amid-fall-in-MLS-Cup-final-TV-viewership.html

 

"Online viewership" is likely a very different metric. It is likely a "stream starts" or unique IP "count."

TV average audience data (persons ratings) is just that, an estimate of the TV audience size at any average minute of the program per Nielsen. I do not believe Nielsen regular reports "average audience ratings" for online content/viewing -- but ESPN would have some online analytics tool to track/count their own online presence and digital streamed activity.

"Average TV audience" size to "online count/viewership" comparisons are very likely an apples to oranges comparison.

 

Article has a partial answer:

 

Impressive numbers, but due note that some of those data are "reach/cume" numbers, as opposed to "average audience" (the standard Nielsen tv metric).

 

The average audience has been 100,000, while the peak has been 200,000.........

 

Why the hell would someone who lives in northeast Texas be under blackout restriction for mls live on the Dallas Houston match? Wtf???

Anyone understand why this would be occurring

 

So you pay the monthly pay tv subscription to the local/regional broadcast partner showing the games.

http://live.mlssoccer.com/mlsmdl/help.jsp

 

Yet that network is not offered on my cable package... Having seen the score on Twitter I suppose this is a blessing.

 

Upgrade your cable package. Get satellite. Change provider. Go to a public establishment showing the game. You have options. The blackout rules are known ahead of time and fairly well publicized. It is all business.

 

Thanks for the advice. If I actually thought I was in a Houston market I would have considered all those options. Again. Don't live anywhere near Houston. I'm not a dumbass. Upgrading the package wouldn't matter. Just asking a question in a forum dedicated to the broadcast aspect of MLS to see if anyone understood the logic. Have a nice day.