Apple TV buys all MLS broadcast rights for 10 years

Thats what I did

BUT he's using my Apple account to sign in, we're sharing.

 

hey Don, i hope you are dragging your TV down to the Friday meet-your-rep-and-install-MLS-season-pass free lunch for STHs?
When I read the STH email, i thought of you!

 

Already took my rep to lunch a few weeks ago. And I was able to access my MLS season pass with help from BigSoccer crowdsourcing. So, I'm good. But just think of the huddled masses who haven't met their rep and can't figure out this Apple stuff. The humanity!

 

I tried to explain to my 89 year old uncle again last night about this thing and he also says he has absolutely no interest in spending $115 to watch the LA Smog Breathers, the Flounders or LumberJoey!

He doesn't even want to let anyone touch his TV!

This Apple crap in my opinion is going to be a complete joke!

 

That must be it then. The only place I could find people talking about needing iTunes was in a reddit thread where they don't have apple devices and they are trying share an account.

 

No wonder Apple stores are always so crowded with people needing support for their devices.

 

So the real issue is that the Quakes just aren't worth $100 to a segment of the fanbase.

I actually predicted at the very start of this thread (or maybe a different thread) that this Apple deal would hurt the Quakes more than other clubs. The problem once again is Fisher. His lack of ambition has created a luke warm or cold fan base that just won't pay $100 to watch the Quakes. Fans of more ambitious clubs more likely to pay up.

 

The Quakes haven't been worth $100 in the last 10 years.

I hope it will push Fisher to sell the club but I don't think that will happen.

The more he is making money off of this thing, the better it is for him so I'm sure he won't sell.

 

My biggest regret is that a portion of my MLS Season Pass money is going into Fisher's pocket. I was never not going to sign up for this though. I signed up almost the moment I could (technically before the service officially went live).

I have to say though, if MLS waters down the regular season by allowing 18 teams into the playoffs I'll save my money next year and just start watching from the second half of the season when games will actually start to matter.

 

Wrong. The issue is that no MLS team is worth $100 to a segment of their respective fan bases. Or, to those who are yet to become fans. A subscription model is counterproductive to growth of the product. Especially when the cost is significantly above what was once free.

If it was only the Quakes that don't draw eyeballs on TV, MLS could have stuck to its TV contracts. MLS went to a subscription model as a short term cash grab. The long term impact will be an atrophying of viewership.

 

You said it!

What a joke!

We went from free watching a crap team for free to having to pay $120.00 and having to get devices installed and they are still crap!

I never heard of anything like it.

 

Yeah, I think it's only natural that more people will want to pay to watch their club if their club is actually good.

If the Quakes have a good season more people will sign up for this service.

If price is too big a barrier I'm sure Don Garber and Tim Cook have a knob they can turn to lower the price whenever they want.

 

MLS Season Pass is FREE for season ticketholders. Think about that for awhile.

There would be a massive revolt of the most fervent fans league-wide if it were otherwise.

 

I bill by the hour and I wasted one trying to sign up on February 1. Worth more than $100, BTW.

 

Always wondered how this made any money...



and of course there's always the

 

You said in the long term there will be atrophying viewership. If the reason for that is price they can always lower the price.

It won't be due to any technical issues as 95+% of MLS target audience is already streaming stuff.

 

It seems to me the STH's are very eager to use their free MLS Season Pass. So much so they are willing to give up a lunch hour to have the Quakes help them with the setup. That's a good sign.

 

95+% of the MLS target audience already knows how to setup streaming.

For the other 5% they can have lunch with the Quakes, talk to friends and family (including Big Soccer), order Geek Squad or the Genius Bar.

 

And remember, more games will be free to watch this year than any other year in MLS history.
Games will still be on Fox and Telemundo.

And as Goodsport says, any kinks in the system will continue to be ironed out.

If you think the Quakes were free to watch last year it's only because you think cable tv is such a necessary cost you just consider it to be free.

Younger people are not signing up for cable tv.

 

I question that figure.

I don't believe 95+% of MLS or Quakes fans will use this.

Maybe 95% of the Quakes fans on this board will but I doubt many others will.

Especially the foreign fans will definitely not use it.

 

A cloistered system will collapse upon itself. Almost no one who is not already a season ticketholder will be seeking out the MLS season pass subscription. And those who are season ticketholders are not being charged for the pass. Hard to see this as a working business model for Apple, unless it is a beta test for the same system involving the NFL.

 

Absolutely, the data being cited is pure nonsense.

 

Especially this year, maybe 30-40% will use it but even that number in questionable.