It's the same thing every other sport is facing: Sports are going regional. People are interested in THEIR teams, not everyone else. This is why the NFL model works so well.
This flosports of deal of DC United's will really impact the way I follow DC United and MLS... I have decided to not subscribe to flosports. I have already subscribed to ESPN+ which is a much better deal. I will wait the 48 hours between the game and it being on ESPN+. I will not be on BigSoccer or watching other matches until I see the United game (they tend to give away scores of other games). MLS, ESPN, Foxsports, unimas and Twitter will all lose out because they have allowed DC and other clubs to go this route. I'm sure I will end up watching less MLS. I will not be going to MLSSoccer.com or DCunited.com util I have seen the game... damn this is frustrating. The exception to this will be when United games are nationally broadcast.
DC is hoping more of the cord cutters will subscribe to offset people like you. It's really that simple. I have no idea if they are correct.
ESPN/ESPN2 season to date: Week 1: DC-Atlanta 394k LAFC-SKC 361k Week 2: ATl-Cincy 354k ESPN season average 369.7k
Fox/FS1 season to date Week 1: Seattle-Cincy 199k LAG-Chi 174k Week 2: LAFC-Por 221k Fox/FS1 season average: 198k Overall season average: 283.8k
I'm back lets track these ratings! MLS TV 2018 TV Ratings ESPN Networks FOX Networks Univision Networks Week 1 OCSC v NYCFC 355K UNI March 2 Sat 230pm LAG v CHI 174K FS1 March 2 Sat 8pm SEA v FC Cinci 199k FS1 March 2 Sat 10pm DCU v ATL UTD 394K ESPN Mar 3 Sun 6pm LAFC v SKC 361K ESPN Mar 3 Sun 830pm Week2 FCD V LAG ??? UNI Mar 9 Sat 330pm ATL v FC Cinci 354K ESPN Mar 10 Sun 500pm LAFC v POR 221K FS1 Mar 10 Sat 730pm Total Network Average 307.6k Average ESPN Networks 369.7k Average Fox Networks 198k Average Univision Networks 355k All ratings are sourced from the below sites http://www.showbuzzdaily.com (Search MLS or Major League Soccer) http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/?s=MLS http://worldsoccertalk.com/category/tv-ratings/
Just for the record, I take all of World Soccer Talk’s Debbie Downer concern trolling interpretations of MLS viewing numbers with a grain of salt. Yes, the opening numbers were down in comparison to last season, but World Soccer Talk Debbie Downed those numbers from last season at the time by pointing towards a big lead-in. Were the numbers less than we hoped? Yes, but I want to see where these numbers stand at mid-season rather than a handful of numbers of early season numbers.
It’s not merely that they jump on bad news, but it is the extent in which they overstate the “bad news” that constitutes concern trolling. If MLS shitted gold bricks they would say that MLS’s bowel movements were unnaturally valuable.
I know I only come here once every 2-3 years to post on this topic (roll eyes at will), but does anyone know when the Sky deal runs out? It'd be interesting to know as we can't get ESPN+ at all over here so there's no chance of seeing games on-demand right now, and TFC aren't on until next month. Keep the "VPN lol" answers out of it, I'd actually like to contribute without cheating.
Everything I read says the Sky Sports deal should be over. It started in early 2015 and was supposed to run for four years. I don't see anything about renewals or a new deal.
Related side note: Has the Nielsen technology evolved such that we consider these ratings proportionally accurate?
This has been my biggest gripe with them. If it wasn't obvious it became obvious last season that they were just involved in propaganda. The Pro/Rel &EuroSnob forces formed a disinformation campaign. It's not even about presenting opinion pieces they done even bother telling the truth. For them it's more about convincing people by misrepresenting data/LYING and presenting it as fact to get the masses to join their campaign. They've evenb went the route of calling established sports media companies like Sports Business Daily out as fudging MLS numbers. The don't believe their numbers trust ours LMAO. I got tired of seeing there junk on r/MLS. I called them on their MLS on has a 6% of soccer viewers cause for concern article on Reddit. I pointed out line for line how blatantly they misrepresented Data and how the data told a different story but they chose to tell the complete opposite. Now r/MLS mods delete most of their article published. They consider it troll material. I'm just shocked they were allowed to get away with it for so long. IMHO the only worthwhile person there of any integrity is Kartik Krishnayer. They just exist to pump out propaganda pieces so Pro/Rel zealots and anti MLS ilk to spread on Twitter to drive a Anti-MLS narrative. It makes it hard because you are stuck in a place of feeling like you are stuck in a place where you kinda don't want to come off as always defending MLS. MLS isn't perfect but the good its done for soccer in North America far out exceeds any faults. It should be seen as a badge of honor for MLS as it enemies have kicked in to over drive the last few yrs as the league approaches the point of "no return" when it will have officially made it into the BIG 5. This is the last death rattle for those folks remember that.
This "executives at MLS" conspiracy is soooooo prevalent on Twitter. It's treated as absolute truth. MLS runs the world.
Dude have you been to the USMNT News and Analysis board? Literally everything wrong is due to the vast MLS/SUM conspiracy. Don Garber apparently pulls all the strings. It's so crazy.
Lol @ "MLS TV ratings last season were up only because of (1) Univision's numbers that grew by 16%. That is effing rich. Ehhh my man Silvio! What's a 16% increase in TV ratings amongst friends? I'm convinced WST talk is going with the broken clock routine, keep touting MLS is failing at the beginning of every season and point to TV ratings. They've been doing so going back 3-4 yrs now. Eventually MLS will snap its streak of 6 straight seasons and counting of TV ratings growth. Then WST will tell us how right they were all along.
Play along and tell them MLS/SUM is like the mafia with racketeering they get a cut of everything going.
Soooo... why do you guys still give clicks to WST? I will never understand how/why any business will try to isolate a part of their customer base.