The 2019 MLS TV thread

I watched the first episode this morning. Pretty cool stuff.

 

Is "history" the right word when you've only existed (on grass) for a year?

 

I'm on episode three. It's not bad. Bob Bradley is a pretty interesting character.

 

In his tweet promoting this season's ESPN coverage of MLS, Herculez Gomez mentioned that MLS ratings on ESPN Deportes were up 75% last season:

La audiencia de la MLS en ESPN @ESPNDeportes Deportes aumentó 75% ... ¡75%!

Algunos dirán que es por las llegadas de Carlos Vela, Zlatan o Wayne Rooney.

La realidad es que se debe a las narraciones de @RichardGol_espn y su servilleta 😎 #MLSxESPN https://t.co/LlnFQWvCWk

— herculez gomez (@herculezg) February 28, 2019

 

So.. they went from 4 people to 7...

 

So pessimistic. It was 12 to 21.

 

I get the joke, but really ESPN Deportes historically drew an average about 35,000 per game. Add 75% to that and you get 61,250. If you add that to MLS’s 276,000 last year and you get whole picture for MLS’s tv audience. That would mean that MLS drew an average of 337,250 a game last season across both platforms.

 

This is ESPN’s front page right now.

 

I'm watching Somos MLS on UDN right now. I don't know if it's a new show or if it's been around before and I've just been ignorant. Pretty good highlight show so far, even if I don't know Spanish.

 

If anyone has SBJ access, this article is likely to provide some hints on the 2022 TV/streaming strategy that MLS will pursue when the current deal(s) expire:

https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com...04/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/MLS-2022.aspx

 

I don't know how many years Somos MLS has been on, but it's not new.

 

Combining local, national, and international rights is going to have a decent effect on parity. LA Galaxy makes about $3.5 million per year on TV, while other teams subsidize the cost of having their games broadcast. https://www.forbes.com/sites/chrissmith/2018/11/14/mls-most-valuable-teams-2018/ Leading up to the 2022 rights renewals I am interested in seeing what steps MLS takes (and what leaks out).

 

According to those numbers MLS clubs generate 722 million in revenues. SUM generates another 350 million annually. The article says 3/4 of that comes from MLS. 3/4 of that is 262.5. 722+262.5 is $984.5 million in annual revenues. Including all SUM revenues MLS+SUM is billion dollar industry.

 

You mean MLS is a $billion company.

Where is the Adidas sponsorship recognised?

 

It has been around for a few years. It is easily the best highlight show. I always forget to record the series.

 

Some of the opening weekend numbers are coming in:

• DCU v ATL (Sunday, ESPN - 394 K)
• LAFC V SKC (Sunday, ESPN - 361 K)

(SOURCE)

 

Check out @thegoalkeeper’s Tweet:

ESPN MLS viewership numbers (English only) via @ShowBuzzDaily:

DC-Atlanta 394K
LAFC-Sporting KC 361K

FS1 and Univision’s games did not make the list.

Also notable: #USWNT-England on Fox drew 758K viewers.

— Jonathan Tannenwald (@thegoalkeeper) March 5, 2019

2018 MLS Opening Day Ratings on ESPN (Seattle Sounders vs. LAFC), for which it drew on average 456,000 viewers. It ranked No. 32 in the top 150.
http://www.showbuzzdaily.com/articl...-cable-originals-network-finals-3-4-2018.html

On average from two MLS games from ESPN on Sunday, March 3, 2019 generated on average 377,500. It's an decrease of 78,500, or 17.21%.

 

I read this too fast and added the SEA number which is actually from last season (as @Frankball pointed out). It's too late to edit, unfortunately.

 

Fixed.

 

Stupid American

 

In the sea of all the good news, TV ratings are still a complete disaster.

 

Not exactly ratings, but Nielsen just released a survey of interest in MLS. Here's how the article starts:

"Football fever is spreading across the U.S. and it’s come a long way since the days when soccer was primarily a participation sport for kids or a phenomenon to be exposed to during international travel.

As Major League Soccer (MLS) enters its 24th year, 47% of adults in the U.S. say they are interested in MLS, according to Nielsen Sports Sponsorlink."

http://hispanicad.com/media/sports/football-fever-spreading-major-league-soccer-kicks-new-season

 

So, if that is true, why aren’t these people watching the games? And what can you do to get these interested people to tune in to games?

 

Interested probably means. “Yeah, I’ve heard of Major League Soccer”