Do a million people per week watch MLS?

Discussion in 'MLS: General' started by RfrancisR, May 22, 2011.

  1. RfrancisR

    RfrancisR Member+

    Aug 7, 2006
    New Orleans Diaspora
    ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN Deportes ~350,000 viewers per week

    Galavision ~ 300,000 viewers per week

    FSC ~50,000 viewers per week

    6 local matches at ~60,000 per week is ~360,000 viewers per week

    Total
    ______________________________________
    1,060,000 viewers per week

    Am I overestimating or underestimating?
     
  2. MLSFan123

    MLSFan123 Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Boston Area
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The numbers look good except for the local numbers. Those are way too high I think.

    The Portland Seattle game had excellent numbers in Portland and even then it was only around 34k. I am sure some local numbers can be as low as 10-15k.
     
  3. hoboken16

    hoboken16 Member

    Jan 16, 2003
    Jersey City, NJ USA
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think they meant watching the game on thier local TV/Cable station (MSG, Comcast)
     
  4. 760Epicenter

    760Epicenter Member

    Apr 15, 2008
    Level 1
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    i never watch the games on tv. ususally through some stream online. maybe i should it on tv more often though
     
  5. RfrancisR

    RfrancisR Member+

    Aug 7, 2006
    New Orleans Diaspora
    I mean through local stations combined. For example: when NYRB played Houston in Houston and New York a combined 60,000 people would watch. With six local matches per week, that would mean 360,000 combined watched those games (this is an estimate based on the few local numbers I've seen over the years).
     
  6. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    Actually if you add in the online viewing (espn3 MDL) it would be much higher.
     
  7. UnionFreak1

    UnionFreak1 Member+

    Oct 14, 2009
    Tucson, Baja AZ
    Club:
    FC Tucson
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    same here.
     
  8. RfrancisR

    RfrancisR Member+

    Aug 7, 2006
    New Orleans Diaspora
    Do we know online viewing numbers or good estimates? I'll add them in, if so.
     
  9. CMeszt

    CMeszt Member+

    Farewell Sweet Prince
    Jan 9, 2004
    Gentrification's Apex.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Galavision/Telefutura seems high... do we have numbers to back that up? Especially since Galavision is a cable/satellite only channel that you'd have to order a Spanish Language package to get in most markets.
     
  10. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    No, ESPN will occasionally announces numbers from ESPN3, but not always. I have no idea how many people use MDL (or Direct kick for that matter which would increase the numbers by a bit more).
     
  11. goldy21

    goldy21 Member

    Apr 10, 2007
    I've was just selected as a Nielsen viewer. Hello MLS ratings bump!
     
    1 person likes this.
  12. MLSFan123

    MLSFan123 Member+

    Mar 21, 2011
    Boston Area
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I understood what you meant but I continue to think those numbers are incredibly high for the local broadcasts especially when you factor in how small the numbers are for the home teams ratings.

    I again will point you to the Portland number. That was one of the highest ratings I have ever seen locally in 16 seasons and that was an away game and still was just 34k viewers.

    And then you also need to factor in that not only do most home teams draw very small, ratings, some teams do not even telecast home games.

    I think a local viewership of 150k to 200k would be more valid, but to be fair my guess is as good as your since we only get this type of info in drubs and drabs.
     
  13. celeste4life

    celeste4life Member

    Dec 16, 2007
    United States
    Club:
    CA Peñarol
    Nat'l Team:
    Uruguay
    You need to add the people in the stadiums as well
     
  14. TBR

    TBR Member

    Mar 15, 2007
    DMV
    Club:
    CD Aguila
    Nat'l Team:
    El Salvador
    Well congrats! :p
     
  15. Twix1138

    Twix1138 Member

    Jul 9, 2010

    literally....


    since there are so few nielsen boxes around (25000?), you could literally bump up the ratings 1-2% by yourself.
     
  16. Andrew Jackson

    May 24, 2010
    Oxford, Miss.
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    standard Nielson ratings give no remotely reliable number as far as viewers is concerned.
     
  17. HailtotheKing

    HailtotheKing Member+

    San Antonio FC
    United States
    Dec 1, 2008
    TEXAS
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Which has lead to the prevailing thought of:

    If Neilsen ratings are reporting "X" people ..... it's surely a good bit above that.
     
  18. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    Oh I know, Neilson can't even get DVR or multi-person viewing right. I doubt they will figure out the internet any time soon. ESPN3 does occasionally announce the number of streams. Also, MLS would be able to track the number of MDL viewers at any given time. As for Direct Kick, they have the subscription numbers somewhere but who knows how to get a rating for any one game.
     
  19. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    Oh without a doubt. the only number they can accurately track is households. And even then they are statistically off base with only 25000 boxes in the US. They claim to have a "viewer or people" number but it is based on a people meter. Each person has to sign into it to get a headcount. That only happens for the first week, after that whomever was first logs in and everyone else sits on the couch and watches.

    The "actual" number is much higher than reported and is probably true for most sports.
     
  20. troutseth

    troutseth Member+

    Feb 1, 2006
    Houston, TX
    The real kicker is to make sure about "10 family members between 18-35" are logged into the people meter during each match. Also, WATCH THE COMMERCIALS AT HALF TIME!

    I am not kidding.
     

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