http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=618569&cc=5901 In the wake of this article I was wondering something. What are the local TV deals like? Individually? With this NYRB MSG deal, who pays who? And for how much? Same with the Sounders and KING/KONG? Can anyone lay it out for me? I'd be curious to see what local TV revenue is like, and also where does it go? Does MLS take a chunk, or do the clubs pocket it?
DC got paid for their most recent TV deal (they lucked out in that MASN had started up just before and both MASN and CSN bid for them). I do believe that most teams do not make money off their local TV deals though and they are mostly "time buys" like what the league used to do to get onto ESPN. It's actually unclear from the article whether RBNY is actually getting paid for this TV deal. That said, I can understand MSG wanting the programming since they are light in the summer without any baseball (only have WBNA, I think).
Why delete the Expansion thread? Cause Ottawa fans are rooting for their cause and it ticks off the St. Louis fans?
The Houston Dynamo have a new local TV deal. Non-nationally broadcast games will be aired on 11.2, a secondary digital channel of the local CBS affiliate. The team is basically being given the airtime and will be selling its own ads and sponsorships for the broadcasts including pre and post game shows. There will also be mohthly and weekly magazine shows on 11.2 and features on the main channel 11 news. 11.2 is carried on the local Comcast cable system but will not be available to satellite viewers. Some of the games will also be on Fox Sports Houston cable channel. The local Spanish language broadcasts will stay on channel 43, a local independent Spanish broadcaster. So as far as local TV money, what there is of it, it is up to the Dynamo to sell the ads. I'd be surprised if there is any sharing of that money to the league.
Newtex above covers the Houston situation and I would bet that no one actually gets any rights fees locally other than maybe the Galaxy from Fox Sports West or Prime Ticket. Most of the teams are probably in revenue sharing arrangements (whereby the team and broadcaster split ad revenues/profits after production costs are taken out) or time buys (where the team buys the time for the games on the station and keeps all ad revenues). IIIRC, MSG actually had the announcers broadcast the road games from a NY studio rather than travel with the club last season (or maybe 2007) if that gives you any indication of the type of fees that are out there - not much.
LOL! That's what I was thinking. Maybe the deal with MSG could get NYRB a LITTLE money because NY is the biggest media center in the country and MSG has not much else in the summer however I doubt any other teams get jack squat.
Man, when they get their stadium, they may become the flagship team of the league. DC United, Chicago, and LA have the history and the success, but with Houston's success and the way their organization runs, I can't help but think they may become the face of the league. but anyway, I don't think MLS teams make much, if any from TV deals. However, its still exposure for them and sponsors which is huge for MLS teams at this point in time.
Tha Gals signed a multi-year local TV deal with FSN pre-Becks and supposedly were the first MLS club to earn a rights fee, although I imagine it was a very small amount of money. So them and DCU seem to be it, although there might be a few others out there. TFC perhaps makes some money off of their Canadian TV deals. As far as I know any local TV rights fees would go directly to the club and the league office takes the national money.