MLS is perfectly well aware of the attendance (and, therefore, revenue) benefits of holding as many games as possible on weekends (or on July 4th). In fact, they have been aware of this for several years. This being the case, I simply cannot understand why they don¡¯t just hold the entire 28-week regular season according to those parameters (right now, there are still 22 non-July 4th weekday games). I mean, if there are five games every weekend and a double week around the July 4th holiday, you could simply work the schedule like this: (Games are to be played on the Saturday that falls within each set of days.) March (2 weeks): 18-24, 25-31 April (4 weeks): 1-7, 8-14, 15-21, 22-28 May (5 weeks): A29-5, 6-12, 13-19, 20-26, 27-J2 June (4 weeks): 3-9, 10-16, 17-23, 24-30 July (5 weeks): 1-7*, 8-14, 15-21, 22-28 August (5 weeks): J29-4, 5-11, 12-18, 19-25, 26-S1 September (2 weeks): 2-8, 9-15 *= Two weeks worth of games to be held during the week in which July 4th falls This totals 27 weeks, without lengthening the schedule one bit. The 28th week can be held gradually during the regular season, on five televised (ESPN2) weekday games. The all-star game can be held during the week and broadcast on either ESPN or ESPN2. It can be crudely estimated that running the regular season this way would increase league revenue by around $1.7M (payroll for one team). This is because the schedule would reduce the number of non-July 4th weekday games from 22 to 5, and because attendance averages are as follows: Last 12 non-July 4th weekday games: 129,215 / 12 = 10,768 All 90 other games: 1,471,793 / 90 = 16,353 That means the league could hope to add around 5,500 fans to each of those 17 games. At around $18 per ticket, $1.7M is a reasonable ballpark. So why are there still so many weekday games? Are there scheduling concerns of which I am unaware? Did the former ABC deal require MLS to make its All-Star time buy on Saturday afternoons? Is there some sort of bizarre commitment in the front office to make weekday games work? Anyway, if anyone knows the reason why MLS persists to stab itself in the foot with a significant number of weekday games, please let me know. Right now I¡¯m just baffled.
Scheduling....for the most part soccer is low on the priority list as far as tenants in the stadiums (with the exception of Columbus)...weekdays games are a necessary evil to complete the schedule.....as it is now, the metros won't even be able to host a playoff game in Giants Stadium because of a commitment to the Rolling Stones.... I'm sure this is the reasoning.....EVERYONE knows that these games are sh!tty draws...just needs to be done.
I also think the MLS does it intentionally. They try to avoid the perception that the MLS is a weekend sport.
This is there best schedule yet last years and years before there have been a lot more games in the middle of the week. Curt Johnson, GM for KC, said in a conversation to the Mystics that their schedule is dictated mostly by the Royals since they share the same sports complex, parking lots, and support staff ( security/concessions) The wizards have went from having 5 weekday games at home this year to 2 (one of which was on the 4th of July). The front office is well aware that weekdays attendence draws less but they are improving. Can't have it all at once.