First, don't know where this goes... Second, since I don't get ABC over here, it's not so much a complaint but an observation (if you don't accept that then you can eat it): since WC '02 the only soccer ABC has shown has been the three standard MLS games per season. I can imagine they have no interest in broadcasting friendlies, but no WCQs for Germany have yet to be shown over the air, while, IIRC, at least a few qualifiers by this time in the calendar of the last cycle have made it to ABC. Any of this inaccurate? If not, what's up?
Airtime on ESPN 2 is much cheaper than on ABC. The increase in audience on ABC is not sufficient to generate revenue for MLS/SUM to pay the extra costs. Expect ESPN 2 to carry most if not all of the qualifiers, except for those away games that PPV operators outbids MLS/SUM for, and/or the September qualifier that falls on a college football Saturday.
I really do miss watching the USMNT on ABC. It's the only time I get to watch the Nats at my friends house (no cable or sattelite, but insanely comfy living room).
IMO it comes down to the lack of commercials. If I was the MLS, I'd allow the network broadcasting the ability to go away for 2 1-minute breaks per half (15' and 30' in supposedly). The action would continue as usual (think auto racing). Granted, people will be mad when they miss a live goal, but if it gets more soccer on TV, it's a good sacrifice.
We have a winner. Based on past history, the Mexico, T&T, Panama, and Costa Rica game should all be available via standard cable (likely ESPN/espn2). I'm not sure about Guatemala. Typically SUM/USSF tries to arrange a broadcast rights swap. Most countries go along with it. In the U.S. ESPN/espn2 is about as large a non-over the air audience as you can get. The better question might be whether or not the games are broadcast in HD or not. ESPN-HD is already running, and espn2-HD is about to start up.
I'm guessing you'll find that you're in a small minority on this. As it stands now, there's more soccer beamed into my house than I can watch. There are entire leagues that I get that I choose to ignore. Ten years ago, I watched whatever I could get - and I liked it! Anyone in the U.S. that doesn't get more soccer than they can watch isn't willing to spend $40-50/month on digital cable, DirecTV or DISH.
According to the Sports Business Journal (a piece published in 2003), when the Fed, through IMG, signed the TV contract that would run up to the 2006 World Cup, it did not include any games on ABC. This was because, the article said, IMG asked for a "shared risk" (read: rights fee) from ABC, which decided instead to pull out of negotiations. Having said that, I can't help but wonder if SUM's purchase of the Nats tv rights (I belive it got the men and women but I don't know) could allow for a renegotiation of the contract. And at least in my opinion, there's a pretty darn big carrot dangling out there: the home game against Mexico on Labor Day weekend. How's a crowd in excess of 50,000 in Foxboro on network TV sound to anybody? Or a return engagement on Sunday in Columbus (which it would have to be, since OSU plays at home the day before)?
And apologies but I can't put up a link because you have to pay to get at the archives. I just happened to be given the article when it came out.
I do remember that both home & Away matches against Jamaica were on ABC in 2001. The rest with the exception of the Honduras match in Honduras was on PPV ESPN & or ESPN 2. If ABC doesn't show any, it's not a total loss, though it would be nice if they did show one or two games. Expect Fox Sports World to possibly pick up one or two games again. If it gets to the final weekend Qualifiers We can see if on Sunday ESPN or ESPN 2. Saturdays I can say Fox Sports World. But if ABC wants one game or two I believe it will be early in the Hex. Possibly the road match in Mexico.
Remember that SUM now has the rights to the Gold Cup. Throw in the handful of friendlies the USMNT will play this year, and there will be plenty of US games to go around. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Gold Cup wind up on Fox Soccer Channel, and some of the friendlies on the FSC/HDNet combo.
I'm not so sure about the Gold Cup. SUM probably acquired the Gold Cup rights to satisfy Telemundo, which bought the Mexico National Team rights from SUM/Grupo Pegaso. Also, the Gold Cup might interfere with FSC's MLS and ChampionsWorld Series coverage. But for friendlies, I think FSC and HDNet might do those if the sponsors (primarily Nike, GM, and Phillips) sign off on it.
The Gold Cup TV rights have already been sold to Univision. I don't know how the games will be split among Univision/Galavision/Telefutura, or if there are separate English-language rights still available.
Can SUM make new deals with other networks for qualifiers? Lets say, for some reason, that Fox said it would be willing to air a few WCQ's here and there. Would it be ok for them to do so? I'm not sure the Disney network would care that much. It would be a good plug-in for FSW though if that were the case.
Can't happen because a)FOX normally doesn't have any free Saturdays at all, except in the Fall, b)FOX/FSW is always going to charge upfront money, because MLS is a separate deal, and c) the affiliates would not carry it (except the owned-and-operated stations in the big markets) because it would be a money-loser for them. Virtually no way they could sell local ads. Reason C is one of the main reasons FOX has not seriously bid for NBA or NHL rights since 1998. The affiliates outside the big markets can't make money off anything except the NFL, NASCAR, and possibly baseball if their markets have a history of supporting a particular team (i.e. Southern Mississippi River w/St. Louis Cardinals).
Remember too that WCQ and MLS rights have been available several times in recent years and none of the other networks have shown any real interest in bidding for them. Given the stagnant nature of ratings since the WC/MLS deal was signed in 2001 or 2002, I don't see why anyone woud all of a suddent try to make a bid for a single game or two that might be difficult to get on the Mouse. I know this isn't perfect, but they are spotlighting the "last game" for Mia, etc., on ESPN Classic. This might open an avenue for other soccer events. Just a thought.
Which apparently is the second ever "live" event on Classic. Locally, they've announced that some game will be on Classic, soon. Sounds like Classic is being morphed into ESPN3. Which would suck for me. For the sake of soccer, I switched from DirecTV Total Choice to DirecTV Para Todos. It gave me all the Spanish channels like Telemundo and Fox Sports en Espanol, but among the handful of channels I lost was ESPN Classic. And Classic is in nowhere near the number of homes as espn2, much less ESPN or ABC.