Is that just on DirecTV or for the entire InDemand system? If that's just DirecTV, then multiply that number by about 3 for DishNetwork and Digital Cable coverage and you're looking at around 60,000 subscribers. At $50 each, you're looking at around $1.2 million in revenue.
That's a lot higher than I would have guessed. I suspect a big part of the difference between $69 and $49 was ESPN's cut. As far as the amounts bandied about I would be shocked if the carrier (cable, DBS) cut was as low as 10 percent. I could easily see it being a 50/50 split. Of course I have no basis of fact, these are merely opinions. Arena games, NFL Europe, the old Canadian Football League (during the US expansion era), all of these have been, or are, available to those without subscription. Of course you do need access to various regional sports networks. A lot of college sports and niche minor leagues (indoor soccer, professional lacrosse, rugby) also show up sans blackout. I think the only subscriptions are for the big four, MLS, WNBA, college football, and men's college basketball.
If they iron things out, and you can order the package early next year. I bet there will be a higher number of subscribers, you can add me to the count.
Mass. Digital Cable Subscribers? Is there anyone in MA out there who is getting the Shootout right now via Digitial Cable? I still can't get it on my system.
When I subscribed to the Shootout with DirecTV, they let me know that I would be automatically resubscribed next year unless at some point I specifically request not to. So if things are ironed out as they say, it will be even smoother for current subscribers to subscribe next year. - Paul
Re: Mass. Digital Cable Subscribers? I can't get it either, but they just introduced FSW, so I'm hoping to do better next year. I'd like to have it just for the playoffs (being in NE, it's about the only way I'd ever get to see any).
updating with an old post out of curiousity. what is the current number of people subscribing to the Shootout?? (the original number listed about a year ago was 20,000. And was the technical problems of 2002 fixed in 2003? I don't have the Shootout, thus can't answer that question.
Just in case anyone "in charge" is lurking what would be really really cool is if they could show the matches more than once--that way you don't have to decide between two (or sometimes three) games shown at the same time, you can catch the "other" games at a later time (esp. important for those of us with tivo/replay tv features who want to time-shift our viewing).
Yep. That would make the whole thing perfect. Who would be the person to contact about that? MLS, DirecTV, my Congressman? Anybody?
In addition to the subscriber base, they probably do a bit of business with a la carte sales. I believe it's $6.99 per game.
My cable service is Charter Communications who does not carry the MLS Shootout package. Which is disappointing because I would order it if I could. Not enough people watch MLS on television to justify all of the game being on television. As the league gets more popular more networks will pick up games. For example Fox Sports World picked up MLS games this year. Now two games every Saturday are on. That is probably what the average fan would be willing to watch.
Yahoo Platinum does this. The games are archived about 25 minutes (or so) at the conclusion of the match. Since it uses the real player or windows media player (user choosing), you also have the ability to start, stop, pause and all that whenever you want. $9.95 a month, also giving you access to other programming. Of course, if you have a crap computer or internet connection, preformance will vary.