The 2022 MLS TV thread

Meanwhile, the Disney Bundle price still isn't changing. I'm baffled by how that works, but so far ESPN+ has gone up in price twice without the bundle price moving at all.

The only way the ESPN+ price hike can be justified is if they roll all the cable programming in without requiring a TV provider.

 

Per a source, Paramount+ generated record viewership for @CBSSportsSoccer’s coverage of the Concacaf W Championship USA vs. Canada was the most-streamed women's soccer match ever on Paramount+.

— Bob Williams (@WilliamsBob75) July 19, 2022

 

Same...I have a Note 20 but I'll be subscribing as well just to support the league and probably just watch on the TV app, which are LG so webOS.

 

Audiencia TV, #MLS semana 20 y 21:

376.000 Atlanta-Orlando (ABC)
283.000 RBNY-NYCFC (ESPN)
215.000 Minnesota-KC (ESPN)
143.000 Columbus-Cincinnati (FS1)
65.000 Austin-Houston (TUDN)

TBA los # en español (ESPND/FOXD), y los del LAG-SJ (FS1/FOXD) y del ATX-HOU (UniMás) #tvratings

— Jaime Ojeda (@jaimeor96) July 19, 2022

 

Also pic.twitter.com/3AUadqZgtB

— Bob Williams (@WilliamsBob75) July 19, 2022

 

I was listening to a Colorado Rapids fan podcast called Holding the Highline, and they brought up a concern that I hadn't fully considered.

I've been a little worried that being on streaming lowers the profile of the league, however I figured, like others, that more people are and will be unplugging; and that a handful of games will still be on regular channels. I also think that more sports bars will have streaming services in the future. But will Apple have licensing requirements for bars? Thus, if a group wants to watch the Rapids at a bar for an away game, even if the bar has a apple TV subscription, will they have to have a license to host a watching party? If so, that is a concern.

 

They will, because Apple is getting the NFL, aren't they?

 

I don't know anything about that, but if so, good point.

 

Meanwhile… as #MLS shifts to #AppleTV …networks field smaller offers for broadcast rights.

ESPN wants to pay about $10 million, Fox Sports is at $7 million. The league will be on linear TV, just at a much lower price than its current $65M#Sportsbiz https://t.co/eLRvjiEkrV

— Jabari Young (@JabariJYoung) July 21, 2022

 

This Forbes article corroborates the numbers in that tweet.

As TV Deals Expire, Major League Soccer Fields Smaller Offers From ESPN, Fox Sports (msn.com)

Interestingly, the article mentions that Forbes plans to release new MLS team valuations later this year, after not doing them since 2019. It will be interesting to see how the new Apple deal is factored into Forbes' numbers.

 

This is the same Forbes that was claiming in May that MLS wasn't going to "get the megadeal they want," and in several articles since the announcement with Apple in June has downplayed the deal and literally ran an article saying it's "Not so great" for the league. A week ago they begrudgingly admitted that the Apple deal means MLS is growing, but of course added the caveat that it has a long way to go.

Why are we still giving credence to their MLS TV deal takes?

 

It wouldn't be surprising if ESPN and FOX are low balling MLS at this juncture. Seeing as they no longer have exclusivity, control over matchups and time slots. Also have to consider that each broadcaster has overpaid for a lot of TV rights in the past few years.

What content is actually on FS1??? ESPN has money losers in the PAC 12 Network and the ACC Network. Plus they fund the Longhorn and SEC Networks. Interestingly, Comcast now carries the ACC Network, which was quietly added to zero fanfare from all parties. That suggests that Comcast got what they wanted....

I'm surprised MLB still puts up with the ill treatment they get from FOX and ESPN. With NFL camps opening....MLB will get even less coverage on ESPN than already do.

I'm kind of surprised that FOX isn't going for more games seeing as they have the 2026 World Cup and all....and really no other Soccer properties of note.

 

I'd expect them to negotiate a certain level of control on scheduling. The announced Wednesday/Saturday scheduling left a caveat for linear TV schedules.

The biggest non-soccer things on FS1 are: MLB, a weekly game or two and most of FOX's postseason coverage outside of the World Series; college sports: Lots of those contracts are expiring amid the latest conference shuffles, but it's likely to have the new Big Ten deal--biggest games on broadcast and next tier on FS1; NASCAR.

Yes, I would think they would want some things to keep their personnel active. Outside of the FIFA events (which are more than 2026, to be fair) they just have some CONCACAF things (the ones that haven't moved to CBS/Paramount) and they show some LigaMX games in English.

 

That Forbes article is the one the tweet links to as its source for the numbers. An article can't corroborate itself.

This is the same Forbes that kept putting out team valuation numbers that were consistently shown to have no basis in reality. I've had their numbers on ignore for years. But the tweet was notable as an indication that there is some movement towards deals going on.

ESPN has nothing to do with the Pac-12 Network. Its actually one of the (many) reasons the Pac-12 is currently in the crisis their in.

 

I read this article and find it very relatable to MLS right now compared to the NHL leaving ESPN. For those not old enough to remember leaving network TV for cable was looked at almost the same as leaving for streaming today. ESPN became the standard in sports cable years after they started and the NHL jumping to VERSUS was looked at as a huge mistake much like the move to Apple.
https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/leaving-espn-mistake-nhl-150932613.html

 

I think that is why MLS should continue to give some games to ESPN cheap, to make they are still included in Sports Center coverage, etc... Same for giving some games to FOX cheap, for whatever their Sports Center equivalent is.

 

The thing is what happens when Apple doesn't choose to renew? Now the networks say "well we are paying you $7 million, here is $10 million, take it or leave it".... Though who knows what the landscape will even look like when its time for that.

 

I think its a safe bet that neither MLS or ESPN/FOX wants to sign a 10 year deal this year. So whatever the number is in 2023 isn't going to be the number when the Apple deal expires.

And of course when that happens they won't be negotiating for 1-2 games a week, they'll be bidding on the full package so that's going to necessitate a different number.

 

Side note - is this deal the absolute beginning of the end for RSNs?

 

Fox doesn't have a sportscenter equivalent. Also, Sportscenter rarely shows MLS game highlights as it is.

 

In a decade when they do that MLS will say okay and fold up the tents and that will be it for soccer in the United States. You'll be able to have a virtual implant installed directly into your brain and for $29.99 a month you'll sit in a virtual seat at any game you wish to watch in Europe. The technology will be unreal but cancellation and extraction of the implant will be quite costly so choose wisely.

 

262k for Chelsea vs Club America on TUDN.
156k watched Pumas vs Celta Vigo.

Most watched soccer match of the week was the Hudson River Derby 283k on ESPN.

 

USL on ESPN2 got 60k on the 4th of July...