Why is ESPN Anti-Soccer in the U.S., but Pro-Soccer Everywhere else?

In that case shouldn't foreign ESPNs carry more MLB, NHL, NBA et. al.? Different markets have different demands and serving the wishes of the general market is far from absurd. ESPN is competitive in terms of airtime and its purpose is to make money. Playing an entire matchday of Champions League is not a good way for the American ESPN to make money. Playing something most people do not want to watch and will lose ESPN money (if they market the games, different thread) is actually what makes no sense whatsoever. I too wish there were more games but through FSW, Shootout I can maintain sanity. If you don't like ESPN, Business and media is a great place for you.

 

You're missing the point here! The problem is what ESPN is showing when the games are going on. I don't know anyone who would take time off work to watch Billy Joe fishing, or John Doe playing poker! That's the issue. I watched the Bayern:Real game at a very packed sports bar. They wouldn't even let me watch part of the 1st half because the bar was already full!
Why should they buy the rights to CL (and restrain other companies from buying it) if they can't show the games that count? fvck'em

 

My point exactly. You might remember last week I wa going on about the bad announcers for Holland vs USA. See the difference in quality when the game is going around the world like today? The Scottish and Irish fellows doing the match today were light years ahead of Stone and Balboa. It's obvious ESPN does treat soccer fans in the US with contempt. I say dump Stone and Balboa and bring in the guys from today or are people involved in television too prejudiced too use foreign accents on solely American broadcasts? I hope the answer's no.

 

FYP

 

I don't know what sort of ratings daytime poker gets on ESPN 2, but poker on tv in general hasn't been doing so bad.

http://www.miami.com/mld/observer/living/food/7925087.htm

It comes down to this: the reason more soccer games aren't shown on ESPN is because the ratings just aren't there. Often, ESPN's lame daytime events are timebuys- whereas the rights for the Champions League cost money, and don't bring in big ratings in the US. Do the math.

 

The question is, why should ESPN buy the Exclusive Rights to CL when they'd prefer to show Joe Blow fishing (maybe not poker) when the games are going on?

 

Why does ESPN show stuff besides soccer during the day? At night, yeah, it's different. There's more NBA/NHL/College B-ball/whatever fans than there are soccer fans.

I don't have all the answers, but here's a few.

Champion's League goes on the air at 2:30 PM ET and signs off at 4:45 PM ET.

2:30 - 2:45 PM, they can show a regular amount of commercials.

2:45 - Kickoff. They show no commercials for 45 minutes, at which time, it's about 3:30.

They have 15 minutes to show a regular amount of commercials.

The second half ends just after 4:30, then they have the commercials, wrapup, then ESPN News until 5 PM.

Bottom line - If they have standard 22-25 minute shows, they can show more commericials then if they show soccer. If they show more commercials then they make more money. It doesn't matter if anyone watches or not.

You know those infomercials that air between 2:30 and 6:30 AM, or whatever? They're aired then to make money. Doesn't matter if people watch or not. Same with the CL games.

It's all about money.


As for the announcers, ask in the business and media forum, but I believe Derek Rae, Tommy Smyth, Eddie Mighten, and Shamus Malin, or whoever those guys are, are contracted to ESPN International. Not ESPN United States.

 

Because they prefer to show the CL games on ESPN Deportes. It's not their problem if you don't get this channel. As long as someone in the country gets it, your complaint to ESPN would be responded with:

"talk to your cable company and inquire about this channel".

And you should consider yourself very lucky. One MSO in L.A. (was it Comcast or Charter?) was the first one to sign up ESPN Deportes.

The more you want this channel, the more pressure ESPN can apply to the MSOs to get this channel as a package (including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN News, etc.) at ESPN's extortion price...

 

Yes, try to visit Asia sometimes. You will very soon be sick of the soccer on ESPN.

Goals, Football Focus, EPL Preview, EPL Review, EPL pre-game show, EPL post-game show, 6 EPL games (on ESPN and Star Sports) this past weekend, 7 CL games (on ESPN/Star Sports), CL post-game, CL wrap, CL magazine, etc.

And worse yet, they repeat these content over and over again...

ESPN suck eggs. Where are all the NFL, NBA and NHL games?

Ans: no NHL games, only 2 NBA games on ESPN and Stars.

ESPN Asia didn't even show these three playoff games:

Carolina x St. Louis
Green Bay x Philadelphia
Carolina x Philadelphia

Why is ESPN so pro-American sports in the U.S., but anti-American sports in Asia?

 

Shouldn't it be "Why can soccer on TV make money everywhere else, but not in the U.S.?"

 

Why do we need ESPN?

I hope my short allegory helps people.

 

False. ESPN2 has had 20-25 MLS telecasts every year, plus almost all games of the USMNT, not to mention all game of the World Cup. ESPN indeed is very friendly to U.S. soccer.

Yes, and you'll probably see 50-60 MLS games, probably all international tournaments involving U.S.A. (e.g. Gold Cup, Confederation Cup, WCQ, etc.), on top of the World Cup on ESPN/ABC.

What does that have to do with this forum? UEFA and Europe?

One thing your camp of people have been whining for years, and I mean at least 4-5 years, is that

EVERY ONE OF YOU THINK ESPN'S SHUNNING OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE == SHUNNING SOCCER!!!

ESPN is an American channel. If it's to promote soccer, it's American soccer, not a tournament an ocean away.

I've said this 492093032 times. The American sports culture is extremely American-centric. Americans are not interested in foreign competitions, even in sports we like, such as Carribean World Series, European Championship basketball, Japanese baseball, let alone a European tournament in a low profile sport (soccer).

Look no further than the popularity of la Liga/Serie A vs the ratings of MLS.

... for American soccer, not European soccer.

Champions League gets what it deserves on ESPN2. It's a foreign tournament that Americans don't care. If you want soccer on ESPN, stick with the MLS on Saturday afternoon. If soccer hit big time in the U.S., you'll get more MLS, not Champions League, on ESPN.

 

Fox Sports World is not the answer to our TV problems. Some of you guys seriously need to get it thru your head, FSW doesn't give enough exsposure to MLS because it's not well known and is not in as many households. If ESPN shows a sport a lot of times (like NBA, NHL, MLB, NFL) then it will become popular, just take a look at this weekends golf tournament.

 

Which I didn't watch, because I was tired after getting up at 7:30am to watch Chelsea v. Arsenal on FSW.

This forum and thread isn't about MLS, anyway.

 

Actually, you'd get a lot more mileage out of this question on the Business and Media fourm.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=12

Then again, it seems every third thread over there is somebody yelling about how ESPN is irrational in their hatred for non-pointy football.

 

Yea I agree 110%!

Just to add further proof to this though: The ratings on ESPN for college basketball and hockey are terrible. I haven't seen their baseball numbers, but I'm sure they aint great either since they mostly only show out-of-market games (who in market A would watch a baseball game between a team from market B and one from market C, considering the team from market A plays almost everyday??)

Americans have said over and over that their sport's league seasons are way too long and boring. The ESPN ratings illustrate this.

And I don’t buy this argument that Americans are patriotic to the point that they would ignore an international product that is clearly superior to a similar domestic product, IF both products were marketed to them equally. The idea that Americans are more patriotic than most of the rest of the World is pure myth! They’re not, plain and simple.

You see that giant "Fox-Box" that takes-up half the screen during ESPN's soccer broadcasts?? That's a commercial!!

 

ESPN/espn2 is one of the most pro-soccer channels in the United States.

 

You mean, relative to all channels or compared to other sports-channels? If its the latter I don't think you know what you're talking about! If its the former... well.. okay. They show more soccer than A&E, MTV, and Bravo. Yippeeee.

 

Do you think foreign products like la Liga, European Championship and Champions League are unproven in the U.S.?

There have been many years that ESPN carried these products, and what's the result?

Your only antidote evidence is the packed bars that watch foreign soccer. My evidence are people in the TV business keep taking out foreign soccer telecasts out of their inventories, unless it's a niche channel like FSW or GolTV.

The argument is not that there is 0 true blue Americans accepting European soccer. The argument is that it's minimal, not enough to warrant more broadcasts.

 

The problem, as I see it, is that we're showing far too much US soccer.

I hope we have all come to the realization that US soccer is bland and dull in comparison to the soccer of nearly any other country.

I, a soccer-obsessed moron, will not sit down to watch an MLS game: the quality of play is terrible, the players are unskilled, and the announcing forces me to watch the game in silence; yet, if ever I see a game from any other country, I will drop everything I am doing (including homework and eating) to watch until the final whistle.

If ESPN/ABC's marketing of soccer in the US continues to contain only US soccer, I fear this sport will never reach the status that it could (as the most popular sport in this country; yes, the United States of America) if more international games were shown.

 

other sports-channels.

It is. Think what you want, but I am correct.

 

Fixed your post.