Rumor: US Soccer/MLS TV Deal

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by bye_urn, May 12, 2014.

  1. bye_urn

    bye_urn Member

    Aug 13, 2009
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #1 bye_urn, May 12, 2014
    Last edited: May 12, 2014
    Grant Wahl ‏@GrantWahl 32m
    .@sbjsbd reports new MLS/US Soccer deal with ESPN/Fox Sports/Univision worth $90M/year. That would be more than NBC pays PL each year ($83M)

    No longer a rumor
     
    ImaPuppy and Marko72 repped this.
  2. ttrevett

    ttrevett Member+

    Apr 2, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've been stewing about this for the past few weeks. I know I don't have any right to complain about the lack of MLS on cable TV as it is available to anyone willing to stump up the coin for MLS Direct Kick on PPV, but for those of us without a local team, we are able to see very little MLS. There are whole weeks that go by without a national game. Again, I shan't complain as if I was that interested, I should shut up and pay for direct kick. As a fan of the US Soccer team, and a growing fan of MLS Soccer primarily based on recent personnel moves Garber has made, I think not having a bigger footprint on out of market cities is a big miss, and I hope this new deal fixes that. We in Atlanta won't have MLS until 2017 at the earliest, so I'll have to pay a massive fee to be able to watch the games I want to see in my home for another 3 years?
     
    Tom Collingsworth repped this.
  3. MLSFan123

    MLSFan123 Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Boston Area
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Direct Kick looks to be gone in the new deal.

    The digital rights have moved from MLS control to ESPN.

    MLS Live cost $60 for the whole year, I don't think that is massive but ymmv

    We don't yet know what the new digital rights will cost

    The new deal will have 125 games a season aired on tv, which includes regular season and playoffs. It will be 3 games a week during the regular season. friday nights on Unimas, Sunday at 5 on ESPN and Sunday at 7 on FS1.
     
  4. SpencerNY

    SpencerNY Member+

    Dec 1, 2001
    Up in the skyway
    MLS Live is worth it. Other than Seattle v New England looking like an 8 bit Nintendo game off and on yesterday the streams have been excellent.
     
    Marko72 repped this.
  5. bye_urn

    bye_urn Member

    Aug 13, 2009
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And then some of us just find ways of watching online.....without cost...
     
    Lithium858 repped this.
  6. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    Official announcement:

    http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...ghts-partnerships-espn-fox-univision-deportes

     
    cpwilson80 and Tom Collingsworth repped this.
  7. Bluecat82

    Bluecat82 Member+

    Feb 24, 1999
    Minneapolis, MN
    Club:
    Minnesota United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A key word there for me: All

    As in "ESPN and FOX Sports will split all U.S. Soccer matches"

    Not just the home matches + Mexico road WCQ.

    All.
     
  8. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    "All" that US Soccer and SUM control and can/do sell.

    The away matches (WCQs, specifically) will likely still be a separate set of rights (held by the individual CONCACAF national federations) that ESPN/FOX/Univision is not acquiring as part of this domestic deal.
     
    FlipsLikeAPancake and dwsmith1972 repped this.
  9. GiallorossiYank

    GiallorossiYank Member+

    Jan 20, 2011
    NJ/Roma/Napoli
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Goodbye beIN?
     
  10. dwsmith1972

    dwsmith1972 BigSoccer Supporter

    May 11, 2007
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As @tab5g points out, away games are not US Soccer's to sell. Those rights are with the home team's federation.
     
  11. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    FOX sports programming head: "The best way to support the USMNT is to support the domestic league."

    (Preach it!)
     
    Lithium858 and ttrevett repped this.
  12. StrikerX4

    StrikerX4 Member

    Jun 16, 2011
    Lawrence, NJ
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The ESPN3 support is huge. This will really enable more people to watch MLS. NBC's streaming of EPL is good, by ESPN3 is so integrated with other platforms that it should be even more accessible.

    Really looking forward to the increased MLS coverage.

    Fox doesn't deserve to be in on this deal. Their coverage and production has always appeared second-rate to me, and they really annoyed me by putting a bunch of CCL and UCL on FS2 and Fox Soccer Plus this year (I have neither, and FS2 as I understand it is SD only?). I am also thoroughly unimpressed by their effort to force feed us Gus Johnson as a play-by-play guy, and I dread having him calling USMNT matches.
     
  13. MLSFan123

    MLSFan123 Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Boston Area
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    They were ultra clear in the press conference.

    *The deal does not include away qualifiers.
    *They are looking at ways to get the away qualifiers to a larger carrier but that US Soccer does not have control.
     
  14. gunnerfan7

    gunnerfan7 Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Jul 22, 2012
    Santa Cruz, California
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What did they mention about the streaming? I can't seem to get ESPN3 where I am very often, much less watchESPN, and I was considering purchasing MLSLive this year, but I'm afraid that if ESPN brings MLS games under ESPN3 then I'll be kinda screwed...
     
  15. FirstStar

    FirstStar Hustlin' for the USA

    Fulham Football Club
    Feb 1, 2005
    Time's Arrow
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hate to say it, but you are one of a very few in that boat. For most of America, ERPN3 is a boon.
     
  16. MLSFan123

    MLSFan123 Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Boston Area
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not much but from articles it appears it will be subscription based under ESPN3/Watch ESPN.

    Live Streaming rights move to ESPN's control. MLS retains "other" digital rights.
     
  17. aarond23

    aarond23 Member+

    Feb 24, 2006
    Indianapolis
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I need to figure out how to get the SAP button to work on Unimas :) if it works currently, its never worked for me.
     
  18. Heist

    Heist Member+

    Jun 15, 2001
    Virginia
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    They said as much in the press conference. This does NOT include the away qualifiers.
     
  19. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    They are not contractually obligated to have it (the SAP in English) working now (or earlier) with MLS.

    Apparently that will be required in the new contract for 2015-22.
     
  20. ttrevett

    ttrevett Member+

    Apr 2, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Anyone else think 8 years is too long for MLS to sell its broadcasting rights? I have a feeling they will be looking back in 2022 and thinking they lost a bunch of money on this. I am bullish on MLS, with the way they are running it currently and the pace of expansion, as well as the demographics that show soccer becoming increasingly popular in the young male demographic. I wonder if this is negotiable if MLS hits some viewership or attendance mileposts?

    I know the guaranteed revenue stream is important, but I think this is a bit too long-sighted (and short-sighted all at once) for MLS.
     
  21. Heist

    Heist Member+

    Jun 15, 2001
    Virginia
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't think so. The money we get in 2015 is exactly what we will need to grow to be what you are expecting for 2022. Without it, the projected growth isn't going to happen.
     
  22. tab5g

    tab5g Member+

    May 17, 2002
    MLS and USSoccer are allowing SUM to follow FIFA's lead.

    It seems like an ok system of aligning things with WC cycles. If FIFA sold rights in the US in 4-year rather than 8-year chunks, I'm guessing SUM would do the same. I see no real benefit to SUM going just the 4-year route when the 8-year route seems to be working out ok.

    Maybe that will change come 2023.
     
  23. Hobo

    Hobo Member+

    Apr 29, 2007
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pretty pumped after the press conference and also psyched at how many time "the" MLS was said. I'm a big fan of definite articles ;)
     
  24. jond

    jond Member+

    Sep 28, 2010
    Club:
    Levski Sofia
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes. I think this deal doesn't look nearly as good in the latter half of the deal. Money looks great now but will it look great come 2019?
     
  25. ttrevett

    ttrevett Member+

    Apr 2, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Can't tell if that emoticon suggested sarcasm, but they don't even call THE NFL, just NFL in this country. It's our manner of speech, not a sign of disrespect to MLS.
     
    Hobo repped this.

Share This Page