The 2023 MLS TV thread

Discussion in 'MLS: News & Analysis' started by NFLPatriot, Jan 6, 2023.

  1. Fighting Illini

    Fighting Illini Member+

    Feb 6, 2014
    Chicago
    And I think even more than looking at the current lay of the land, the attitude within MLS is that they might as well be an early adopter at what the whole industry knows is the future.

    It seems unlikely that the relatively highly priced national Season Pass product is a workable equilibrium long term. They're going to have to do something to get single-team packages to fans at a lower price.

    Better to spend 2024 and 2025 figuring that stuff out than making a twilight struggle for market-by-market carriage in a dying cable industry, and then getting forced into the same trial and error on streaming in the 2030's when the Big Four are right there with you.
     
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  2. pr0ner

    pr0ner Member+

    Jan 13, 2007
    Alexandria, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I remember when DC United had their 1-year foray into FloSports, the main reason why they did so is because Flo was actually paying United to air the games. I don't think NBCSports Washington or WJLA 24/7 News were paying DC United to air games, either before or after the FloSports experiment.
     
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  3. wantmlsphilly

    wantmlsphilly Member+

    Aug 2, 2006
    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #128 wantmlsphilly, Jan 27, 2023
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2023
    So MLS dreams of being a league of choice one day in my mind would never happen because the CONCACAF region could never complete with the Champions League. Leagues Cup will likely be more competitive than CONCACAF Champions League at least in generating revenue for the tournament. Let's face it the leagues outside MLS & Liga MX only have a few teams that are competitive. It has been a theory of mine that eventually this will lead to some type of hemisphere tournament because that's where the real revenue could be generated. It would also eventually help teams keep more domestic talent. With Apple now partnered with MLS what might the future have for such an idea? After reading this vague tweet today, maybe I'm not the only one who thinks this might just happen in the future.
     
  4. mbar

    mbar Member+

    Apr 30, 1999
    Los Angeles, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I got an email yesterday from the Galaxy promising my MLS TV code on February 1st. I'm honestly surprised that they might deliver this on time.

    It would be nice if there was some preseason action on the channels in February. Basically whatever is being streamed wherever could be on the team channels. Here's hoping.
     
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  5. wantmlsphilly

    wantmlsphilly Member+

    Aug 2, 2006
    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  6. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Which is the only realistic option. There's no good way to schedule Chicago to play in Rio mid-week during the season for some group stage game, and any other format where we keep N. America and S. America split until the semi-finals is just another name for what they announced today.
     
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  7. soccermilitant

    soccermilitant Member+

    Jan 14, 2009
    St.paul
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think the leagues cup should include the CPL
     
  8. newtex

    newtex Member+

    May 25, 2005
    Houston
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    The Leagues Cup is a joint venture of MLS and LigaMX. CPL is neither.
     
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  9. wantmlsphilly

    wantmlsphilly Member+

    Aug 2, 2006
    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #134 wantmlsphilly, Jan 27, 2023
    Last edited: Jan 27, 2023
    That's the dilemma but if they are starting in 2024 with four teams much like Leagues Cup started small.... You can see it ballooning to eight or even sixteen after the World Cup. Early December in a rotating host country finishing the week before Christmas and just taking teams that finished the top of Copa Libertadores and CCL. Many of the South American Leagues run similar to MLS as I always believed it's just a matter of time.
     
  10. eddygee

    eddygee Member+

    DC United
    May 12, 2007
    Moco, Maryland
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    A former Fox Sport Exec Patrick Crakes told me on Twitter back around 2019 when I asked him why couldn't MLS HQ take the reigns of RSN negotiations and come to some sort of deal with a RSN where MLS and RSNs agreed to pay and MLS get no more or less on than $2-3m per team.

    He said the issue isn't where RSNs value MLS its literally that they can't afford to pay for what they have.

    MLS was in a situation where they pressed Networks to pay a premium they though it was arguably worth $300m to make up for possible future RSN revenue they could've gained even though only a small handful made revenue off local rights.

    When Networks fell well short $50-100m short they took the cash Apple was offering along with linear TV olive branch with FOX as a future cash channel to grow TV revenue around the 2026 WC. It would be hard to gain TV revenue in 4 yrs time if they completely vanished off TV.
     
  11. eddygee

    eddygee Member+

    DC United
    May 12, 2007
    Moco, Maryland
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As many have said MLS was essentially the last Major League at the table and as a result never got properly fed always getting scraps. MLS only got in on the last bit of the Cable sports media bull market in 2014. The missed out on the 2000s Cable Sports run. They'll look wise by the 2030s moving now and establishing itself as a player in the market for big streaming media rights money. A position they were never able to do in a crowded Big 4 Cable TV market. Even when Sports Industry slowly recognized ok its maybe a Big 5 now. TV networks in a terrible Era weren't going to pay MLS accordingly as they did their sibling predecessors and a prior time.


    That NFL Amazon and NFL You Tube TV deal is a example of the future of Sports and streaming where the Big players on TV start to vacuum the money on the streaming side as they've done with the networks. MLS was smart to stake their ground now in that space.

    The future for MLS will be these hybrids deal where they use streaming as the base and they use networks money as a supplement income source they try to seek to increase slowly over time.
     
  12. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We're starting to see a greater stratification of sports rights now. There is the NFL, and then the NBA. After that there's a significant gap to where MLB is, and then an even bigger gap to the NHL. MLS is currently below all of those.

    The NFL's clear advantage is that they have a limited catalog of games, and distinct broadcast windows. They have scarcity and popularity. They have also been incredibly shrewd operators. The NFL virtually has no off-season. They shifted the Super Bowl into mid February, which keeps the NFL talk going right into the start of MLB Spring Training....which gets nary a mention on the major sports outlets (ESPN, Fox) in the US these days. Then shortly after the Super Bowl, NFL free Agency hits, then the combine and then the Draft, and next thing you know it's OTA's and then training camp.

    The NBA has recognizable stars, and they have learned from the NFL as well. They go from the Finals, then to the Draft, then Free Agency, and then Summer League. Next thing you know it's pre-season already. The NBA has the advantage of global appeal too, so that will soften the hurt caused by RSN's going bankrupt.

    MLB? Sure opening day is still a big deal, but then what? It's barely on National TV and the major cable outlets. You don't hear much about it until the All Star Game. Really, Fox and ESPN don't mention it much until the playoffs, but then we are full swing in the NFL regular season. MLB is very dependent on the RSN deals. Which could prove problematic going forward. MLB is going to have to find a solution in the new media landscape.

    The NHL, is likely the last league to get a fairly large Cable deal. They're certainly benefitting from being on ESPN, as they get much more mention on Sportscenter than they had been getting in the previous 20 years prior to the new deal. Hockey is very much a regional sport sport though. RSN's going under will have an effect on them.

    MLS is paving their own way, which is what they've done since the league was formed. Could we see MLS do for streaming what SUM provided them all of these years? The owners build out the league's media production wing.....then also use it to provide services for the other leagues? Partner with Apple, and create a new LLC that's jointly owned and operated? This is just pure spitballing. There could be an opportunity for a new revenue stream.
     
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  13. sitruc

    sitruc Member+

    Jul 25, 2006
    Virginia
    ******** MASN.
     
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  14. Westside Cosmo

    Westside Cosmo Member+

    Oct 4, 2007
    H-Town
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    MLS may stake its ground but its locked into a 10 year deal and EPL rights will come up before then in the soccer space, not to mention every other league that has deals. They will be displaced every time by more popular sports and leagues. Its hard to imagine MLS is going to get significant TV dollars even post WC when Apple has exclusive streaming rights.

    MLS took the least bad of the available options they had on the Apple TV deal. Makes more sense for them than other leagues since they had less opportunity cost to lose by staying with the traditional networks. Biggest mistake Garber made was doing the long deal back in 2014 in which he ended up missing out on the first movers in streaming bidding on the new package - poor timing in hindsight. And local TV revenues never filled in.

    BTW, read the quotes from the below link on the 2014 deal, half of the comments about the quality of the deal are almost the exact same as quoted with the Apple TV deal (consistent times, channels, etc.).

    https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Journal/Issues/2014/05/12/Media/MLS-TV.aspx
     
  15. soccermilitant

    soccermilitant Member+

    Jan 14, 2009
    St.paul
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The nhl doesn’t market there star players
     
  16. HailtotheKing

    HailtotheKing Member+

    San Antonio FC
    United States
    Dec 1, 2008
    TEXAS
    Club:
    San Antonio Scorpions FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Isn't the Apple deal "at minimum" ???? Meaning it absolutely CAN go up over the course of the deal (like say a WC bump etc) ?
     
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  17. Westside Cosmo

    Westside Cosmo Member+

    Oct 4, 2007
    H-Town
    Club:
    Houston Dynamo
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I believe (maybe it was alluded to, not that specific if I recall) that if the MLS Season Pass subscriptions get above certain undisclosed levels that MLS shares in some of the upside or gets some of the incremental revenue. So MLS does have some skin in the game to grow the sales of the package.
     
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  18. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    Lol the subscriptions aren't going to get above any level. This will be a best 100 percent financial loss for Apple, and I think they know it.
     
  19. wantmlsphilly

    wantmlsphilly Member+

    Aug 2, 2006
    Philadelphia, Pa.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sign Messi and who knows what happens.
     
  20. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    I don't know. Most people will just watch his debut and that's it. Like Beckham.
     
  21. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    It's a GLOBAL deal........sure the American fans who shun soccer aren't going to go for the sub. Messi's BILLIONS of fans living all around globe??? I would venture it's a safe bet that more than a handful; will get MLS Season Pass Subs.....
     
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  22. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
    Any news on how many got that 14.99 Saudi league streaming service?
     
  23. jaykoz3

    jaykoz3 Member+

    Dec 25, 2010
    Conshohocken, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  24. crookeddy

    crookeddy Member+

    Apr 27, 2004
  25. midfielder467

    midfielder467 Member

    Jul 20, 2014
    Club:
    Central Coast Mariners
    From Australia the Apple deal looks clever.... the last deal was 65 million and the media release says 250 million from Apple and maybe 50 million from the old broadcasters so somewhere between 250 & 300 million.

    Then you need to add, some kinda revenue between MLS & Apple for both overseas and US revenue over undisclosed base lines...

    Plus some kind of income share for the MLS C Lega MX cup.... again undisclosed ...

    So revenue is min 250 million and could go to ????? if marketing's goes well...

    Plus side for marketing...

    *the World Cup in 2026

    * MLS V Lega MX

    * MLS broadcasting matches in English, Spanish & French,

    Apple are well known for marketing so having Apple trying to grow your product is not a bad thing... I dare say they are better than MLS folk....

    In Australia at one stage we had the EPL & A-League on the same network [Fox], when Fox lost the EPL Football ratings fell as many opted to go watch the EPL and did not wanta pay two subscriptions... but many who watched the EPL when on Fox also watched the A-League... if Apple buy the EPL it will if the US follows what happened in Australia will add hughly to MLS ratings.

    Could go either way things

    I love the idea of playing everything on Saturday and some Wednesdays however may not suit everyone .

    Expansion.

    Given current entry fees plus building a stadium... cost to enter could be a billion... you can pick a number of European sides for that... be interesting to see how this goes...
     

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