Your Thursday Kickoff: Can New York Red Bulls break their MLS Cup curse? https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/your...-new-york-red-bulls-break-their-mls-cup-curse MLS Cup winners and scores: Results from every Major League Soccer championship in history https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...inners-scores-throughout-history/76721927007/ MLS second-highest attended league in the world https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-second-highest-attended-league-in-the-world MLS Commissioner Don Garber talks Apple subscribers, Messi and growth of soccer https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/05/mls-commissioner-don-garber-apple-messi-soccer.html Assessing the MLS and Apple TV partnership two years into the decade-long deal https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5972753/2024/12/06/mls-apple-tv-media-rights-deal-growth/ Club World Cup draw: Inter Miami vs Al Ahly opens tournament, Man City to face Juventus https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5972076/2024/12/05/fifa-club-world-cup-draw-results/ Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders will face big-time teams in next year’s Club World Cup https://www.inquirer.com/soccer/clu...er-city-inter-miami-real-madrid-20241205.html 'LA Galaxy still the clear-cut favorites' - Jalil Anibaba on MLS Cup predictions, Inter Miami hiring Javier Mascherano and MLS's 'disheartening' coaching diversity issue https://www.goal.com/en-au/lists/la-galaxy-favorites-jalil-anibaba-on-mls-cup-predictions-inter-miami-hiring-javier-mascherano-mls-coaching-diversity-issue-robin-fraser-riqui-puig-marco-reus-new-york-red-bulls/blt72502e2e0d972ead LA Galaxy sweat fitness of Marco Reus for Cup with Riqui Puig out https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/42801978/la-galaxy-sweat-fitness-marco-reus-cup-riqui-puig-out Galaxy will lean on other stars, brace for the Red Bulls’ pressure in the MLS Cup final https://www.latimes.com/sports/socc...-do-to-beat-the-red-bulls-and-win-the-mls-cup How Greg Vanney unlocked Galaxy greatness in one of the most stunning MLS turnarounds https://www.latimes.com/sports/socc...12-06/galaxy-coach-greg-vanney-mls-cup-return MLS Cup is a chance for LA Galaxy to become the league’s glamour club again https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/dec/06/mls-cup-final-la-galaxy-new-york-red-bulls-soccer MLS hopes Lionel Messi remains 'for a long time.' Here's the latest on his contract talks. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/soccer/2024/12/05/mls-messi-inter-miami-future/76807444007/
Game of the week on Sunday afternoon for 2025 being discussed. Over a million fans a week watching all broadcast combined is a strong selling point to advertisers I would imagine. Possible app for Android.... My wish come true!
Possible is likely false hope. It's December.... the season starts in February. Unless this possible app is very far along in the development cycle.... probably not happening next season. A million fans a week is not a strong number. If it was ESPN/Fox would have bid far more money and been far more serious about MLS' broadcast rights.
A million fans a week is for all the games across the network, not just one game. The difference is watching any game you see mostly the same advertisements, like the caring son helping his mom with the dilemma of how to get the lights just right for her new car. Selling advertising for games on ESPN would be for the total inventory and highlighted by the average of each game. Apple has a larger inventory and fifteen games is an average of over 67K for each game which might sound plausible but I'm sure others would argue against it. . With the rumor of over two million subscribers and season ticket holders getting MLSSP app with their tickets. Half of those fans would be at the game and might not watch any other game besides their team. So the million a week isn't a crazy number with international fans and those who just purchased without season tickets.
It is such a no brainer, with 30 teams, to pull at least one match a week out of the Saturday 7:30 local time slot. I mean such a complete and total no brainer. Should have an early Saturday game too but i guess baby steps.
There has been at least one game most weeks under the current deal, but it's at the whims of FOX/FS1 timeslots. One Apple exclusive in a consistent slot plus a Fox game wherever it fits seems like a reasonable idea. One downside of a dedicated daytime slot is that it can stick some games in terrible summer heat.
You can kind of work around that with picking the hottest cities early and late. Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, Minnesota, Seattle, Portland, San Jose could all host during June, July & end of August as they stop for LC. Give Texas, LA, San Diego and East Cost teams the front and end of season.