I just got the new issue of Sports Business Journal and saw an article on this, if it has been brought up before my apologizes. Basically it says that ABC passed on renewing its deal with US Soccer which expires at the end of this year. The deal began in 1999 and included a ESPN component was a pure time buy. Apparently US Soccer and IMG asked for a new contract that would include some sort of revenue sharing. Brad Hunt IMG's senior vice president of North American soccer (US Soccer's agency) said that after the World Cup US Soccer wanted to move beyond a time buy "because networks just don't have enough incentive to promote property under such an arrangement". ABC showed three games this year averaging a 1.0 rating, ESPN and ESPN2 split the rest of the 16-game schedule. Buying time on a broadcast network typically cost US Soccer about $275,000 an hour with the price obviously lower on cable. Hunt admited that TV is not yet a revenue generator for US Soccer. So this brought a bunch of questions to my mind, ABC/ESPN still holds the rights to MLS and the World Cup so where exactly does US Soccer go from here? Also have we reached a stage where we can go beyond time buy for the USMNT? I'm just curious if anyone can shed some more light on this, I don't think CBS or NBC would bid for the US Soccer's rights when ABC Sports still holds the MLS and World Cup but who knows.....Anyway, thoughts, insights, anything is welcome.
I say good! I hope that ABC/ESPN stop showing MLS and USMNT games. They are horrible at broadcasting soccer games. I already talked about this on this thread: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4087
Wow, at least ABC/ESPN shows them. The Disney family is perfect for this league. Fox Sports World doesn't reach nearly as many households as ESPN does, and you don't actually think Fox will show an MLS game of the week do you? Do you think NBC and CBS want MLS? Then again theirs always UPN.... It would be BAD if MLS was taken off MLS/ESPN.
Way to pull up a thread from almost a year ago. I just realized this when I looked at the date that this point is moot, as this thread was started in October 2001, before the new TV deal was signed. I believe the contract says MLS will be on the Disney family through 2006, along with the mouse getting the rights to World Cups in 2002 and 2006. In actuality, Anschultz bought the rights, gave them to MLS, and MLS gave them to ABC, in exchange for MLS continuing to be shown on the Disney family.
Seeing as we are more than 4 months away from the start of a new year, there is plenty of time for a deal to be ironed out. IMHO, this would be perfect for a fledgeling national network like the WB or UPN. UPN, thanks to the WWF...err.. WWE, actually has a national presence now. They would promote the games and work out some sort of revenue-sharing arrangement, if not buy the rights outright. Sachin
This current issue doesn't have anything to do with MLS or the World Cup. It only deals with the USSF and national team games like WCQ
Exactly. This only affects the USMNT and of course the women I assume. But what this means is that we won't be seeing anymore USMNT games on TV for a while if this isn't resolved. I'm not particularly happy about it personally. I'll be really pissed if we don't get the early qualifiers on TV, I remember I had to pay PPV money to see the one @ Honduras in the first group stage. Money well spent to see that strike from Mathis
Honduras was in the HEX. The Mouse wanted to televise the match but wasn't able to because the PPV operator bought it up before USSF could work out a deal with them. Sachin
I think the MLS should get out of that deal and go to NBC cause they are way better. ABC does an extremely bad job at advertising the MLS. They only advertise it when it's on which sort of defeats the purpose of advertising in the first place. NBC would be much better since they get more viewers than ABC and would promote it more. But I don't think we will see a change like that happening anytime soon so we're stuck watching it on ESPN2 for a long while.
MMM....SO USSF IS PAYING 275,000,00 So the federation is paying 275.000.00 dlrs for game broadcasting ??? would it be better to pay less money for a REGULAR SOCCER HIGHLIGHT?? this will surely increase atendance, keep THE AMERICAN FANS UPDATED,expose soccer for the other 65% of the AMERICAN POPULATION that do not even know the we beat MEXICO ON THE SOCCER WORLD CUP and the cost could be share with MLS .