The 2018 MLS TV Thread

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by KCbus, Mar 6, 2017.

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  1. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Rank Date Competition Teams TV1 Total


    12 8/18 MLS Seattle Sounders / Los Angeles Galaxy ESPN: 239000 / ESPND: — 239,000

    http://worldsoccertalk.com/2018/08/25/watched-soccer-games-us-tv-august-15-20-2018/

    20 8/24 MLS Orlando City SC / Atlanta United ESPN: 305000 / ESPND: — 305,000

    25 8/24 MLS Los Angeles Galaxy / Los Angeles FC ESPN: 257000 / ESPND: — 257,000

    27 8/23 MLS Houston Dynamo / FC Dallas UniMás: 244000 / UDN: — 244,000

    29 8/26 MLS Portland Timbers / Seattle Sounders FS1: 235000 / FOXD: — 235,000

    34 9/1 MLS Seattle Sounders / Sporting Kansas City UniMás: 102000 / UDN: 94000 196,000

    37 8/26 MLS New York Red Bulls / DC United FS1: 168000 / FOXD: — 168,000

    38 9/2 MLS DC United / Atlanta United FS1: 155000 / FOXD: — 155,000


    http://worldsoccertalk.com/2018/09/08/watched-soccer-games-us-tv-august-22-september-2-2018/


    Some Concacaf league games got in the 30K, not too bad.
     
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  2. eddygee

    eddygee Member+

    DC United
    May 12, 2007
    Moco, Maryland
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sorry I've been slammed with work I will compile data by Friday I have some numbers not all but can drop a couple nuggets the MLS TV average is 316k.
     
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  3. jack sticker

    jack sticker Red Card

    Rangers
    United States
    Jun 5, 2018
    Look at Fubo TV. Comcast Sucks
     
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  4. NeilB

    NeilB Member

    Mar 17, 2000
    Mount Kisco, NY
    If that holds, MLS ratings (316K) will be higher the NHL averages on NBCSN (302K). While combining the NBC, NBCSN, and NBC streaming ratings NHL's average goes up to 417K, it would be a pretty significant milestone for MLS.

    https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Daily/Issues/2018/04/12/Media/NHL-audience.aspx
     
  5. jack sticker

    jack sticker Red Card

    Rangers
    United States
    Jun 5, 2018
    Oh god you had to go there. NHL fan boys are going to be swarming telling you about playoffs.
     
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  6. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  7. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    Yeah if you compare to just NBCSN you have to take out the games on ESPN and Fox... Those channels are both simply watched by more people than NBCSN...
     
  8. eddygee

    eddygee Member+

    DC United
    May 12, 2007
    Moco, Maryland
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #808 eddygee, Sep 20, 2018
    Last edited: Sep 20, 2018
    Closest apple to apple is looking at ESPN vs NBCSN and FOX vs NBC
    Numbers are close and is a testament to MLS TV ratings catching up with NHL. Because of NHL exclusive deal with NBC their games aren't fractured amongst TV audiences but MLS has been neck and neck with those numbers FOX is 409k to NHL 416K. Numbers will fluctuate the last month.
     
  9. eddygee

    eddygee Member+

    DC United
    May 12, 2007
    Moco, Maryland
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    For MLS a league with a smaller geographic footprint of 23 teams to NHL 31 to have closed the TV gap like it has with months of months of regular season long TV ratings to show a growing audience. I forsee the TV numbers to continue to grow as more markets are added into MLS. Think about this MLS still has no presence in 6 of the Top 25 Markets in the US.

    11 Phoenix (Prescott) 1,919,930 1.712
    14 Detroit 1,779,380 1.587
    16 Miami-Ft. Lauderdale 1,677,850 1.496
    20 Sacramnto-Stkton-Modesto 1,412,940 1.260
    21 St. Louis 1,189,890 1.061
    23 Charlotte 1,145,270 1.021
     
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  10. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The catch is that some of the best ratings come from non MLS cities.

    But perhaps I am confusing National team ratings, I remember some articles that indicated Austin and Norfok Virginia having some of the best soccer ratings in the USA, but maybe that was world cup and not MLS games.
     
  11. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    I don't know if MLS has that much smaller footprint in the U.S. than the NHL. There are 7 Canadian NHL teams so there are 24 U.S.-based NHL teams compared to the 20 U.S.-based MLS teams.

    There are eight Top 25 markets that don't have have NHL teams including two top 10 markets.

    8 Houston 2,450,800 2.137
    10 Atlanta 2,412,730 2.104
    14 Seattle-Tacoma 1,808,530 1.577
    18 Orlando-Daytona Bch-Melbrn 1,519,570 1.325
    19 Cleveland-Akron (Canton) 1,498,960 1.307
    20 Sacramnto-Stkton-Modesto 1,379,770 1.203
    22 Charlotte 1,189,950 1.038
    25 Portland, OR 1,143,670 0.997

    #14 Seattle on that list for now but they are likely to get an NHL team very soon. Of course, Miami is about to leave the MLS list so that's pretty much a wash.
     
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  12. eddygee

    eddygee Member+

    DC United
    May 12, 2007
    Moco, Maryland
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    MLS National TV FootPrintCapture.JPG NHL National TV FootPrintCapture.JPG
    Well actually MLS National Foot Print is quite smaller than NHL.
    NHL 24 US based teams account for 65,368,240 DMA TV homes or 58.29% US TV
    MLS 20 US based teams account for 56,550,090 DMA TV homes or 50.426% US TV
    Which along with NHL being 75+yrs older than MLS is why NHL is NHL still has the slight TV advantage. When you add in NHL's potential Seattle Expansion team which could join NHL in 2021, the NHL US DMA TV homes bumps to 67,248,990 or 59.967%which by 2021 would be close to 70 mil with US population gains.
    Now this is the kicker and proves MLS expansion strategy is wise. When you add in the announced Expansion Teams to join MLS by 2020 #24 FC Cinncinnatti, #25 Nashville, #26 Miami MLS would have 26 US based teams that will account for account for 60,130,560 DMA US TV homes or 53.619% of the US TV audience with 28 Teams that number jumps to 63,829,870 or 56.918% and the inevitable 32 teams would put MLS in 68,604,230 DMA US TV homes or 61.175%.
     
  13. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    It is good that you did the math. The total number makes a better argument than your original point about the number of markets without teams. MLS does have teams in more small markets than the NHL. Not part of this analysis but the NHL also has a lot of teams in the Northeast where markets bleed over more.

    I would argue that the NHL revenue advantage is not just based on age of the leagues. The other big revenue factor for the NHL is the huge Canadian deal which benefits all the league teams and local tv audience/rights contracts for a lot of the teams. People get too fixated on the national U.S. tv deal for the NHL. MLS does get some Canadian tv money but nothing like the NHL. MLS has almost no local tv revenue yet.

    Even if MLS tv ratings get close to the national NHL ratings total revenue is going to still be way behind.
     
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  14. eddygee

    eddygee Member+

    DC United
    May 12, 2007
    Moco, Maryland
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    NHL Turmoil
    https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/is-bettman-avoiding-nbc-or-is-nbc-avoiding-bettman.2497817/

    https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/nhl-2017-2018-tv-ratings.2394535/page-25

    MLS Revenue
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_professional_sports_leagues_by_revenue

    http://www.sportingintelligence.com...join-worlds-top-10-leagues-by-revenue-120601/

    The NHL debate is very interesting I follow and like both leagues I like tracking the business sides of both leagues so I'm always up for good debate and discussion on it. I agree about the NHL, Revenue but, I think MLS revenue streams will rise faster than what you think. You already have MLS Apparel sponsorships rising the Adidas Revenue catching up then out pacing NHL Adidas deal. I post on the hockey HFBoards.com alot and the sentiment of many on their at the end of the season is what's been said amongst Rogers who bought the rights is that they overpaid and are bleeding money from the deal the ad revenue isn't meeting forecast projections. There is also discontent amongst NBC and NHL who both took shots at each other: NBC went the rare public route of saying the NHL made a mistake by not sending players to the Olympics and said it didn't help already down ratings.

    I'm a Caps Fan but I think that NHL like a old retired child star is living off of revenues earned from yesteryear. Gary Bettman very smartly signed long term deals 5-10 years ago when NHL was on a much better footing the question is what happens when those deals expire. I think it's a real possibility that they will see a significant reduction in the Canadian deal which pays $400 mil US when the Canadian dollar is strong and not wildly fluctuating. They get $600 mil in total from TV.

    The difference is they make alot more in local tv deals. I think MLS has alot of incoming growth

    1-Adidas deal rose from $25 mil to $117mil and is up for renewal in 2023 up 6/7 teams would have been added by then further increasing the value of the deal.

    2.The new TV deal is up for renewal in 2022 I expect $300-450 mil from that

    3.The Global International TV deals are up for renewal after this season.

    4. The Canadian TV deals are up for renewal in 2022.
     
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  15. scoachd1

    scoachd1 Member+

    Jun 2, 2004
    Southern California
    It is about the inventory of commercials per game. Watching US football and basketball seems like watching a stream of commercial interrupted by some guys playing sports (watching live isn't a picnic either as the last college football game I went to (rose bowl) dragged on for about 4.5-5 hours. Haven't watched NHL in years (watched quite a bit in my youth when you had 3 choices for TV), but I'm sure the amount of time for commercial in a game dwarfs that of MLS.

    One big thing in soccer favor is that younger generation doesn't have the patience for that stuff. I don't watch anything live and many kids don't even watch anything but highlights. So having a huge inventory of spots per game has little value, if everyone is just skipping by them. So if soccer is used to monetizing non-stop action they may be ahead of the game in the next decade.
     
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  16. eddygee

    eddygee Member+

    DC United
    May 12, 2007
    Moco, Maryland
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #816 eddygee, Sep 22, 2018
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2018
    MLS TV 2018 TV Ratings

    ESPN Networks FOX Networks Univision Networks

    Week 1

    HOU v ATL 469K UNI March 3 Sat 330pm
    SEA v LAFC 456K ESPN Mar 4 Sun 5pm
    SKC v NYCFC 180K FS1 Mar 4 Sun 730 pm
    LAG v Port 168K FS1 Mar 4 Sun 10pm

    Week2

    ATL v DC 576K ESPN Mar 11 Sun 3pm
    RSL v LAFC 429K UNI Mar 10 Sat 330pm

    Week 3

    NYCFC v OCSC 239k UNI Mar 17 Sat 330pm

    Week 4

    FCD v Portland 198k UniMas Mar 24 Sat 330pm

    Week 5

    OCSC v NYRB 171k UniMas Mar 31 Sat 1pm
    San Jose v NYCFC 115k ESPN2 Mar 31 Sat 8pm
    LAG v LAFC 676K FOX Mar 31 3 pm Sat

    Week 6

    ATL v LAFC ESPN 259k Apr 7 Sat 5pm
    LAG v SKC FS1 229k Apr 8 Sun 9pm
    OCSC v Portland 181k ESPN Apr 8 Sun 4pm

    Week 7

    Phil vs Orlando ESPN 253k Apr 13 Fri 8pm
    Chicago v LAG UNI 341k Apr 14 Sat 330 pm
    ATL UTD v NYCFC FS1 197k Apr 15 Sun 6 pm
    Sporting KC v Seattle ESPN 248k Apr 15 Sun 4 pm

    Week 8

    Seattle v Minnesota ESPN 204k Apr 22 Sun 4 pm
    Portland v NYCFC FS1 152k Apr 22 Sun 6 pm
    NYRB v Chicago UNI 281k Apr 21 Sat 330 pm

    Week 9

    Philly vs DCU Unimas 148k UniMas Sun Apr 28 330pm
    Colorado vs Orlando ESPN 173k Sun Apr 29 4pm
    LAFC vs Seattle FS1 248K Sun Apr 29 9pm

    Week 10

    Toronto FC vs Seattle ?? FS1 Wed 5/9/18/ 730pm**
    LAFC vs FC Dallas 384k UNI Sat 5/5/18 155pm
    NYRB vs NYCFC 334k ESPN Sat 5/5/18 355pm


    Week 11

    FCD vs LAG 395k UNI Sat 5/12/18 330pm
    Port vs Sea 231k ESPN Sun 5/13/18 400pm
    OCSC vs ATL UTD 285k FS1 Sun 5/13/18 600pm
    LAFC vs NYCFC 233k FS1 Sun 5/13/18 830pm

    Week 12

    ATL UTD vs NYRB FS1 176k Sun 5/20/18 700 pm
    CHI vs Houston UniMas 239k Sun 5/20/18 400 pm **
    Portland v LAFC FOX 465K Sat 5/19/18 300 pm

    Week 13

    SKC vs Columbus FS1 144k Sun 5/27/18 600 pm
    Hou vs NYCFC UniMas 281k Fri 5/25/18 855pm
    LAG vs San Jose UDN 328k Fri 5/25/18 1055pm**
    (No Unimas Number Reported for last double header game)

    Week 14

    Port vs LAG ESPN2 272k Sat 6/2/18 5 pm

    Week 15

    Columbus vs NYRB ESPN 292k Sat 6/9/18 5 pm

    Week 16

    ATL UTD vs Portland FOX 1.074M Sun 6/24/18 400 pm
    NYRB vs FC Dallas UniMas169K Sat 6/23/18 600 pm**

    Week 17


    SEA vs PORT FOX 1.159M Sat 6/30/18 430 pm
    ATL UTD vs OCSC ESPN 285K Sat 6/30/18 700 pm
    San Jose vs LAG UniMas 276 Sat 6/30/18 1000 pm
    Toronto FC vs NYRB FOX 1.109M Sun 7/1/18 505 pm

    Week 18


    LAFC vs OCFC FS1 127K Sat 7/7/18 1100pm
    NYCFC vs NYRB FS1 ??? Sun 7/8/18 700pm

    Week 19

    ATL UTD vs SEA FOX 1.558M Sun 7/15/18 200pm
    LAFC vs PORT ESPN 253k Sun 7/15/18 600pm

    Week 20

    ATL UTD vs DC United UNI 341K Sat 7/21/18 330pm

    Week 21


    OCFC vs NYCFC ESPN 176K Thur 7/26/18 800pm
    LAFC vs LAG ESPN 291K Thurs 7/26/18 1030pm
    SKC vs FC Dallas ESPN 211K Sat 7/28/18 900pm
    Seattle vs NYCFC ESPN 191K Sun 7/29/18 500pm
    LAG vs Orlando FS1 140K Sun 7/29/18 930pm

    Week 22

    ATL UTD vs Toronto ESPN 207k Sun 8/5/18 400pm
    NYRB vs LAFC FS1 ??? Sub 8/5/18 600pm

    Week 23

    Toronto FC vs NYRB ESPN ??? Sun 8/12/18 400pm
    DC United vs Orlando FS1 ??? Sun 8/12/18 800pm
    Seattle vs FC Dallas FS2 139k Sun 8/12/18 1000pm

    Week 24

    LAFC vs RSL ESPN2 119K Wed 8/15/18 100pm
    Seattle vs LA Galaxy ESPN 239K Sat 8/18/18 730pm
    DCU vs NE Revs FS1 ??? Sun 8/19/18 730pm

    Week 25

    NYCFC vs NYRB FS1 ??? Sun 8/22/18 700pm
    HOU vs FCD UniMas 244k Thurs 8/23/18 900pm
    OCFC vs ATL UTD ESPN 305k Fri 8/24/18 800pm
    LAG vs LAFC ESPN 257k Fri 8/24/18 1030pm
    Portland vs Seattle 235k Sun 8/26/18 930pm
    NYRB vs DC United 168k Sun 8/26/18 700pm

    Week 26


    Seattle vs Sporting KC UniMas 196k 9/1/18 Sat 400pm
    DCU vs ATL UTD FS1 155K Sun 730pm 9/2/18 Sun 730pm

    Week 27

    NYCFC vs DC United UniMas 377k 9/8/18 Sat 455pm
    Colorado vs ATL UTD UNI 290k 9/15/18 Sat 330pm

    Week 28

    Chicago vs OCSC FS1??? 9/16/18 Sun 500pm
    DCU vs NYRB ESPN 216k 9/16/18 Sun 100pm




    Total Network Average 317.8k
    Average ESPN Networks 253.8k
    Average Fox Networks 409.9k
    Average Univision Networks 289.8k



    All ratings are sourced from the below sites
    http://www.showbuzzdaily.com (Search MLS or Major League Soccer)

    http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/?s=MLS
    http://worldsoccertalk.com/category/tv-ratings/
     
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  17. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    Anyone have a number for the campeones cup?
     
  18. DanielCzech

    DanielCzech Member

    Mar 10, 2015
    Club:
    --other--
    Sunday, ESPN: PHILADELPHIA UNION / SPORTING KANSAS 184k
    Sunday, FS1: LA GALAXY / SEATTLE SOUNDERS 133k (+78k on Fox Deportes)
     
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  19. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    Some better late than never numbers from me.

    USA - Mexico 827k ESPN 2.3 million Univision
    USA - Brazil 512k FS1 1.4 million Univision
    Mexico - Uruguay 1.9 million Univision
     
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  20. eddygee

    eddygee Member+

    DC United
    May 12, 2007
    Moco, Maryland
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks so a couple of notes

    -211k with FS1/FSD not bad for FS1 this year. FS1 ratings for all it's league soccer properties are down only. The highly rated games have been with National team games, not sure if a change is needed in on air talent. Would love to see them grab Ray Hudson and Phil Schoen after BEIN goes under.

    -184k on EPSN beat follow on ESPN programming after the game by a wide margin so its good to show your worth to a network. Looks like after the game alot of people turned off ESPN more than 55%
    -Another positive this game in the same time slot beat out a TBS MLB game.

    88- MLS REGULAR SEASON L: PHILADELPHIA UNION SPORTING KANSAS ESPN 1:00 PM 127 0.08 184k

    143 -ESPN ORIGINAL DOCUMENTARY ESPN 3:07 PM 23 0.04 80k

    150 MLB REGULAR SEASON: ORIOLES VS YANKEES TBS NETWORK 1:00 PM 210 0.04 155k
     
  21. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    America's Team is clearly Mexico................
     
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  22. Westside Cosmo

    Westside Cosmo Member+

    Oct 4, 2007
    H-Town
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    NHL may eventually have a national TV problem but their local ratings - even if down - are still exponentially higher than MLS local TV ratings (which has been a difficult thing to track because some of the local TV stations that MLS is on in some markets aren't rated or no published ratings). See the below, even what looks like low ratings are still relatively healthy audiences in the larger markets.

    http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2018/04/23/Media/NHL-ratings.aspx
     
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  23. GunnerJacket

    GunnerJacket Moderator
    Staff Member

    Sep 18, 2003
    Gainesville, GA
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Regrettably today's match between RB:NY and AUFC will come at the same time as the Falcons hosting the Bengals. Disappointed the Atlanta casuals will be pulled in two directions.
     
  24. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    Campeones cup: ESPN 2 101k, Univision 1.1 million.

    Doubt we'll see English language coverage of this tournament again, and it might keep ESPN from ever looking at the ccl. The massive Spanish language eating though we'll probably guarantee this games survival.
     
  25. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Maybe wait until there's an American MLS team in this game before making a knee jerk hot take?
     
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