The 2020 MLS TV thread

Has MLS released the full TV schedule for 2020 or are they just lazy?

 

All of the national TV coverage is listed on the website schedule: https://matchcenter.mlssoccer.com/schedule

 

Hmm, wouldn't load for me. Thanks though...

 

Loads for me.

 

IMHO we're not anywhere close to streaming taking the lead as part of any of the Big 5 Media rights deal. I would have thought if it happened it'd be in the upcoming MLS Canadian Deal but it appears One Sports(MediaPro) I think its called has stated it intends to win MLS rights from TSN/TVA and in doing so would be using it to start a cable channel along with housing CPL and other foreign leagues. I think network cable will solidly be around for at least the next 5-10 yrs. Honestly think the better part of the this decade. I think the next deal after this upcoming one will see Streaming start to lead the way instead of being the add on accessory part of deals as it is currently.

 

Of course it does, the MLS website hates me.

 

Not sure if you missed it but there is pinned info on page 1 of all MLS televised games in English and the info on the previous page of all MLS televised games in Spanish if that helps.

 

In 2018 pay TV dropped to 70% of households in the US, with the 18-29 age group being around 55%. In 2019, Internet passed pay TV households at 69% to 65%. Those trends aren't reversing anytime soon.

There might be one more big TV/cable package for sports, but Netflix and Amazon both have way more money than the networks and could easily bundle in sports as an add on. I fully expect Amazon to take a big chunk of the next NFL contract in 2022, maybe even taking something like Thursday completely away from cable and OTA.

 

Amazon Prime already has exclusive rights top 10% of English Premier League matches shown in the UK.

I think MLS may prove to be a trendsetter in the streaming arena, in fact it already has been top some extent, with ESPN+ covering out of area matches.

I think ESPN maybe a bit conservative though, based on their overseas sports coverage. They tend to use the local commentary, or international feeds, rather than invest in US based announcers.

 

Page 1 of what exactly? The link is a blank page...

Where am I looking!!??

 

Page 1 of this thread?? Maybe you internet is broke lol Idk man.

 

People are often too quick to declare something dead and obsolete before it's time in the search for the next big thing. However when you look at what the leagues are actually doing and signaling, it showcases exactly what I'm saying about OTT/streaming being a appetizer while Traditional TV is still the Main meal.

Saw a twitter article from a media consultant that The NFL has already engaged in talks about their next TV deal placing a emphasis on TV rather than streaming.

https://www.sportspromedia.com/news/premier-league-tv-rights-territorial-broadcaster-ott-streaming-bill-bush

The Premier League executive director said EPL will continue to favor broadcast rights for the forseeable future, warning it could receive "less money" going direct to consumer(OTT). Professional Leagues in the US can't make the type of money they make from traditional TV via streaming. Sure some can get nice deals that add to the larger chunk they get from TV some are overly proportional see NHL got $100 m yr for streaming deal with BAMTech vs the $200M yr it got from Cable deal. Most leagues that have bigger deals still won't find enough eyeballs even thru OTT to generate equal or more revenue than they get on TV. Further more these OTT services aren't mature enough to hand out any thing more the probably max $500 mil yr for the very top league i.e NBA/NFL.

This is what I'm saying the market isn't there yet and even when it gets there the leagues will be still be leery of committing to OTT because the vast majority of people still watch Traditional TV and people like myself fall into Hybrid categories of having both Traditional cable and OTT. It's more than people think. I'm a Nielsen tested household not for TV ratings and I get alot of info from them thru the year. If any thing the TV base model is not going away you'll simply see it turn into a hybrid where streaming services from TV providers like WatchESPN/ESPN+/Peacock will simply be added to viewership along with OOH viewership. Networks and advertisers will "recapture" that audience one way or another. That is why Nielsen is adding OOH viewership to Traditonal TV ratings in the fall.

 

OTA won't go away, but Pay TV (cable/satellite) is on its last legs and will factor in far less significantly than before. I can't see it being part of more than one more round of broadcast rights.

The money is in streaming, not cable, so the change will be more along the lines of ABC/ESPN+ than ABC/ESPN, and so forth. Also, Amazon and Netflix have way more money than the traditional broadcasters, to the point that it wouldn't surprise me if one of them started gobbling up OTA channels to package with their streaming options.

Look at what the Big 12 just did with ESPN+, amending their current agreement that runs through 24-25. It wouldn't shock me if the deal after that is ABC/Premium ESPN streaming/ESPN+. Cable is dying and is less viable than streaming right now. That's not going to get better on the Pay TV side.

 

Netflix has stated multiple times it has no interest in Sports so it won't be them for the foreseeable future, Amazon has a deal with NFL, but outside of that they don't have any forays into the US sports scene. They are still in the beta phase and seeing if it "can feasibly work" The actual viewership numbers just aren't there for NFL games on Amazon. The high mark is around 400-500k vs 20-30mil on cable. End of the day the viewership needs to be there. Far more people watch movie/drama/shows on Netflix/Amazon than sports. The numbers for sports lag behind the entertainment shows on those OTT services. If you're on Twitter follow a guy by the name of Yannick Ramcke he's young but very intelligible on this sort of stuff, as is Patrick Crakes and Paulsen/Sports Media Watch are all deep on this sort of stuff. They all have sort of said the same thing as I'm repeating. It'll happen but the demise of cable is greatly exaggerated. Yes the numbers are down but there is no other viable revenue stream to replace Cable for the BIG 5 US Sports Leagues.

The same reason it was bad for DC United to have ever entered that failed deal with FLOSports the same is true for MLS on a National level.

I think we'll see deals with networks similar to what we have now but packaged with Local/National/Streaming packages in 3 for 1 deals for each broadcaster ex ABC/ESPN/ESPN+, NBC/NBCSN/Peacock, TNT/TBS/B/R Live or FOX/FS1/FoxGo. Each Broadcaster will get more content to make money off of across platforms. For other leagues they can't make up the dollars by going heavy on OTT as the total eyeballs aren't there yet despite people screaming I cut cable to watch my TV shows. Joe Sixpack still has cable and will track to the local bar to watch his team play. ESPN+ is more of ESPN getting a marker and a advantage so when the shift occurs in sports like we see in entertainment network TV viewership they'll be ready to continue ownership of the sports market. It's the long game not the it's already happened now game. Next TV deals 8-12 yrs out from now I think this will be a different convo by the 2030's.

 

Never get old kid....

 

YouTube TV has dropped the Sinclair-owned Fox Sports Networks regional channels.

https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/youtube-tv-dropping-sinclair-fox-rsn-yes-network-1203518191/

The only streaming options left are Hulu and AT&T Now.

 

I did the same thing, though our counts differ in a spot or two.

Total Fox/FS1 = 32.
Total ABC/ESPN = 30.

By Team (H/A):
Have's
Atlanta = 14 (9/5)
Seattle = 14 (7/7)
LAFC = 13 (7/6)
Portland = 13 (7/6) (way too many)
LAG = 12 (6/6)
Miami = 10 (4/6) (too many)
In total, 76/124 for 6 teams.
-----------
Have some's
Minny = 7 (4/3)
NYRB = 7 (3/4)
DC = 6 (2/4)
NYCFC = 6 (1/5) (too few)
Philly = 5 (2/3)
Nashville = 4 (3/1)
Chicago = 4 (2/2)
Orlando = 3 (2/1)
SKC = 3 (1/2)
Total = 45/124 for 9 teams.
------------
Have Nots
Cincy = 1 (1/0)
SJ = 1 (1/0) (too few)
Columbus = 1 (0/1) (too few)
TFC = 0 (is that a joke?)
NE = 0 (Bruce who?)
Van = 0 (Sea & Port invented Cascadia)
Hou & FCD = 0 (Texas = 0)
Montreal = 0 (Canada = 0)
RSL = 0
Col = 0 (Rocky Mountains = 0)
In total: 3/124 for 11 teams.

 

Remember, American networks get no ratings for home team fans in Canada.

 

https://www.denverpost.com/2020/02/28/altitude-comcast-blackout-antitrust-lawsuit-avalanche-nuggets/

An update on Altitude suing Comcast. The first pre-trial hearing date has been set for May 3rd.....2021.

This week DISH fired back at Altitude’s claim they were negotiating in bad faith by revealing their offer to Altitude, making them an a la carte option in DISH. A position Altitude rejected, understandably.

Needless to say, neither of these disputes look like they’re going to be solved any time soon, which means Rapids fans in in the plains and Rockies without DirecTV have no easy/legitimate way to watch the team. That will certainly have an effect on interest in the Rapids, something Garber called the team out on this week.

 

I’m already giving KSE the finger. Screw them!!!!
%%^%^+*+*^%*#**%^#%

 

Congrats to KSE and their fantasy AltitudeTV for screwing the only thing keeping them from folding... their fans!!

F’ing A-holes!!!!

#%%*%*^%%^^^%^%

 

Meh, I can't blame them for turning down DISH's "offer"

 

Not talking about national broadcasts necessarily, but I was reminded again, yesterday, of the crappy production values on the local broadcasts that I see on ESPN+. Camera angles that seem off or far too distant. Replays that often use zoomed, jittery versions of those more distant camera feeds, and that don't really allow you to get a better view of the play at all. Poor sound quality.

The product on the pitch yesterday, IMHO, wasn't always terribly compelling. Presenting it in lowest-bidder quality production values doesn't exactly make it destination television. And that leaves aside the, shall we say, uneven quality of the talent in the broadcast booth.

It's just so easy to make side-by-side comparisons with other leagues now, an obvious example being the Premiership. Sure, we can't compete with the player talent on display, but MLS certainly could up their game when it comes to how they present these broadcasts.

 

Ok, in my opinion I put 100% of the blame on KSE for a lawsuit and 5 months so far in a complete blackout of the Rapids, Nuggets and Avalanche from anyone who lives too close to Denver from watching any of their team’s away games.

I found the 15 min summary of the game On the MLS app and i am authorized to watch that. I’m glad that is still there.