Although it's a press release (i.e., inherent self-interest and potential spin), here's some good news from the Univision/MLS partnership side. URL: https://corporate.univision.com/cor...year-year-among-total-viewers-2-adults-18-49/ Excerpt: "Audience growth was also amplified by Univision Deportes’ broadcast of MLS fútbol matches on Univision networks. MLS on Univision’s flagship channels – Univision and UniMás – averaged 310,000 Total Viewers 2+ and 156,000 Adults 18-49, up +24 percent and +16 percent from the prior year, respectively. This has been the best quarter ever for MLS fútbol viewership on Univision Networks; in fact, Q3 2017 is on pace to be MLS’ most-viewed season ever on the leading Spanish-language networks. Additionally, telecast of MLS fútbol matches on Univision and UniMás have outperformed telecast of the MLS matches on FOX Sports 1 by double-digit margins among Total Viewers 2+ and Adults 18-49, as well as on ESPN by double-digit margins among Total Viewers 2+."
310,000 is damned good for MLS matches. And it is encouraging to see this growth on Spanish language telecasts because of the growing hispanic population in the US. That bodes well for the future, and this appears not to include simulcasts on Univision Deportes, so the total audience for MLS matches on Unimas and Univision could be around 340,000 - 350,000. In my mind, this yoy growth may indicate growing acceptance of MLS in the hispanic community. Nothing but good news here. MLS should be pleased.
Yes that's a really good number. The Hispanic population is still a little under 20% of the total U.S. population. Use that as an imperfect proxy for the Spanish language TV audience and it is impressive that there are more MLS TV viewers in the Spanish language audience (<20%) than the rest of America (>80%).
To go along with our continuing conversation about the TV industry changing.... Comcast just announced a nationwide TV streaming service. If that doesn't tell you something then you are blind. A huge cable TV company just released a streaming only TV service. There are new TV streaming services coming out every day. Hulu live just came out also. I will say if Comcast wants to be competitive with with Sling, PlayStation Vue, Hulu live, etc they are going to have to offer more channels. Just looking at the sports add on they have no FS2, Bein Sports (you have to add an additional package to get Bein), SEC network. The starter package gives you only networks, which most people can get 80% of for free over the air. https://www.xfinity.com/learn/insta...dHoc_CM_XITVUpgrade_NonStreamParticipants_SLA
Especially with the Fubo.tv channel having com out. 75 channels that cover everything that sports shows up on, even the auxiliary channels used by NBC for Premier League, etc.
My problem with fubo is is claims to be sports focused but gives you no access to any ESPN networks which literally every other streaming service does.
I think there's a situation where a cable channel paid the Lakers a ridiculous sum of money to carry their games, and then tried to get cable and other distributors to pay them a ridiculous sum for that channel. Most balked, and the upshot is that the Lakers (and Gals) have low availability. Hopefully someone in LA can confirm this or correct me.
Nope. This is the one where they paid the Lakers and Galaxy insane amounts, and then did succeed in getting other distributors in paying them ridiculous amounts. The distribution for this channel is fine. Then they tried the same thing (new channel) for teh Dodgers... and nobody carries it but TWC. (Leading to the Dodgers leading MLB in attendance). At face value it was a terrible financial decision, but in reality it's why I and many other people still pay $100+/month for cable. This channel will never be on streaming.
TV Report: U.S. game at T&T drew just 620,000 viewers Shity station to put on a USMNT game on to begin with.
The broadcast rights belong to the home team. They were bid on in a process which I'm certain was as fair and above board as any enterprise which BeIN's ownership takes part in.
The Dodgers have traditionally led MLB in attendance as far back as the Memorial Stadium days. The only stadium larger than Dodger Stadium at any point in time was the old Mistake by the Lake. Millennials may only recall the years when the Dodgers sucked and no one cared. And they're historically good right now, and LA fans are nothing if not frontrunners.
Not just that. This deal involved Traffic as they were the ones that bought all of the CFU home broadcast rights and then held the bidding war that beIN won. I'm absolutely positive there were no kickbacks to Traffic's BoG and/or the various CFU federation heads involved in this. Traffic is an upstanding organization that has totally never been investigated by the FBI and certainly never indicted by the DoJ..
CFU, Traffic, and BeIN Sports? With fine citizens like these, I'm surprised anyone could even conceptualize the slightest hint of impropriety. (Oh, for added current relevance, BeIN Media owns Miramax. That's right; we're talking about Harvey Weinstein's bosses.)
At the end of the last few seasons, John Ourand (a writer for the Sports Business Journal) has embedded a table like the one I've posted below in his end-of-season MLS TV summary article. I'm hoping he does the same again this year.