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This 10 year, $2.5 billion MLS deal with Apple TV is probably the future of sports broadcasting deals

Menace Sockeyes

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Sep 2, 2010
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Some interesting details here. Streaming services appear to be the future players in these deals:

-ALL matches will be on Apple TV, some free, some on Apple TV+, and the rest on an Apple-MLS subscription service. No blackouts.

-ABC & ESPN and/or Fox Sports will strike deals, but not what they would w/ exclusivity.

-No local TV, just local radio, which can be selected as an audio option for Apple broadcasts.

-Whip-around show as games will be almost entirely on Saturday and Wednesday nights.

-Exclusive documentaries, studio shows, and programming.

-Season ticket holders for each club get an Apple TV+ subscription included with their tickets.

 
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It will be interesting to see how many streaming games the BigTen agrees to in their upcoming deal. We all know it’s eventually coming, I’m just not sure how soon.
 
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I hope for you soccer fans this works. Once Bally sports got baseball rights to many teams it makes it hard to follow your favorite team if they are aligned with them.

I know the last couple years I have watched fewer baseball games than I ever have. Maybe the MLS leadership isn't as clueless as Rob Manfred and MLB though.
 
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Streaming only makes sense if it makes financial sense.

It’s all about who bids the most. Nobody is going to streaming because they think it’s the future. They are streaming because they offer the most money.

Netflix found out recently. Growth of viewership isn’t a given.

Streaming will be something people cut back on during a recession.
 
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They started showing some MLB games this season as well, I think on Fri nights.
I can’t remember if it was them or YouTube that I watched one MLB game on, where I could choose which teams radio announcers to listen to for audio. That was a cool feature.
 
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If somebody like the Big Ten went streaming exclusive they would lose their ass.

BTN makes all its money off people that are forced to pay the BTN money because it’s part of the basic package. The BTN went to war early on, saying you put it on basic or you don’t put it on at all. They want that money from all the people who don’t give a damn about sports.

I love football but even I could live without BTN. It’s mostly the awful games and I don’t watch 6 hours of it in a given year.
 
The older I get the less I care about being able to watch a game on TV. Leagues should be wanting to make it easier for me to consume their product, not more difficult.

I guess the leagues are about the dollars, and it doesn't matter if the dollars come from thousands of individual fans and the TV advertisers, or one content distributor.
 
The older I get the less I care about being able to watch a game on TV. Leagues should be wanting to make it easier for me to consume their product, not more difficult.

I guess the leagues are about the dollars, and it doesn't matter if the dollars come from thousands of individual fans and the TV advertisers, or one content distributor.
Ultimately i see teams/leagues alienating their fan base.

Prices have gotten out of control to attend an in person event. There is only so much people are willing to do to keep up with their favorite teams.

I know for college basketball, when the pre-season games were not on tv, or if i have to pay extra to watch, this sets the tone for the season. When fans realize its not that big of a deal to miss a game, that usually translates to missing more games. I also think kids are not as into watching sports as they used to be.
 
The older I get the less I care about being able to watch a game on TV. Leagues should be wanting to make it easier for me to consume their product, not more difficult.

I guess the leagues are about the dollars, and it doesn't matter if the dollars come from thousands of individual fans and the TV advertisers, or one content distributor.
Not to mention all the websites and apps to watch things free anyway.
 
Ultimately i see teams/leagues alienating their fan base.

Prices have gotten out of control to attend an in person event. There is only so much people are willing to do to keep up with their favorite teams.

I know for college basketball, when the pre-season games were not on tv, or if i have to pay extra to watch, this sets the tone for the season. When fans realize its not that big of a deal to miss a game, that usually translates to missing more games. I also think kids are not as into watching sports as they used to be.
Along with the affordability, I think leagues/teams are ruining the biggest thing they had keeping a fan base - peoples' crazy tribal allegiances to anything with their city's name on it.

Every time a team moves, it reinforces how little they care about the fans and how loyalty only goes one way.
 
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The older I get the less I care about being able to watch a game on TV. Leagues should be wanting to make it easier for me to consume their product, not more difficult.

I guess the leagues are about the dollars, and it doesn't matter if the dollars come from thousands of individual fans and the TV advertisers, or one content distributor.
Truth.
The leagues should also be giving kids hats and jerseys, not jacking them up.
 
As a MLS fan who hates Apple, this sucks

Good money wise but if the MLS wants to increase the amount of eyes on their product…..that ain’t the way to do it.

The older I get the less I care about being able to watch a game on TV. Leagues should be wanting to make it easier for me to consume their product, not more difficult.

I guess the leagues are about the dollars, and it doesn't matter if the dollars come from thousands of individual fans and the TV advertisers, or one content distributor.
Looks like FOX is continuing its course as the main network for American soccer fans. It appears FOX, FS1, and FS2 will now be the main home of MLS on TV, with the MLS Cup Final likely returning to FOX. Maybe a Thanksgiving game post-NFL FOX Network game again as well?

 
$250 mil/yr.
They either need to generate an average of 3 million subscribers per year over the course of the 10 year due to mls interest, or less than that and offset it with advertising to break even.

It's not a draw for me personally, but it seems doable.
 
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Some interesting details here. Streaming services appear to be the future players in these deals:

-ALL matches will be on Apple TV, some free, some on Apple TV+, and the rest on an Apple-MLS subscription service. No blackouts.

-ABC & ESPN and/or Fox Sports will strike deals, but not what they would w/ exclusivity.

-No local TV, just local radio, which can be selected as an audio option for Apple broadcasts.

-Whip-around show as games will be almost entirely on Saturday and Wednesday nights.

-Exclusive documentaries, studio shows, and programming.

-Season ticket holders for each club get an Apple TV+ subscription included with their tickets.

All of these streaming services are hemorrhaging money. Some the tune of $3B a year like Peacock. Apple and NBC can play the long game because NBC has the internet money and Apple obviously has the tech money. Companies that don’t have the cash cows like Apple and NBC will fall by the wayside. I’d guess my old company VIACOM/CBS now Paramount is screwed.
 
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The Yankee Dollar
 
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$250 mil/yr.
They either need to generate an average of 3 million subscribers per year over the course of the 10 year due to mls interest, or less than that and offset it with advertising to break even.

It's not a draw for me personally, but it seems doable.
Well, that is the interesting part. They will have a "limited" number of games for free on Apple TV with advertisements for non-subscribers, a few games a week and a studio show for subscribers to Apple TV+, and finally ALL games and bonus content on the Apple TV+ MLS Season Pass. Basically three tiers to this.
All of these streaming services are hemorrhaging money. Some the tune of $3B a year like Peacock. Apple and NBC can play the long game because NBC has the internet money and Apple obviously has the tech money. Companies that don’t have the cash cows like Apple and NBC will fall by the wayside. I’d guess my old company VIACOM/CBS now Paramount is screwed.
Agreed. It's who can outlast who at this point. Some are bound to fail in the coming years.
 
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At this point I don't think I'm going to sign up for this. Maybe I'll change my mind when it gets closer to the season, but I don't like Apple and I'm tired of signing up for a new streaming service to watch my sports teams (and the Chicago Fire is the most embarrassing out of all of them)
 
Since I know there will be soccer fans in this thread. Honest question because I don't watch hockey or soccer.
What happens if they get rid of offsides? Are there more shots on goal and higher scores?
 
Since I know there will be soccer fans in this thread. Honest question because I don't watch hockey or soccer.
What happens if they get rid of offsides? Are there more shots on goal and higher scores?
It becomes communist kickball. No, seriously, without offsides the game was just a matter of lumping it forward to cherry-picking forwards at the corners, with very little midfield involvement other than trying to usher the ball up and running forward to finish. The offsides rule created a more strategic and fluid game.

As for the TV deal, the details are great. Not only is FOX Network going to be the home of the MLS Cup Final for the next four years, but at LEAST 15 games will be on the flagship network. 34 will be on FS1. That is great exposure for the league, both over-the-air and on cable...

 
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It becomes communist kickball. No, seriously, without offsides the game was just a matter of lumping it forward to cherry-picking forwards at the corners, with very little midfield involvement other than trying to usher the ball up and running forward to finish. The offsides rule created a more strategic and fluid game.

As for the TV deal, the details are great. Not only is FOX Network going to be the home of the MLS Cup Final for the next four years, but at LEAST 15 games will be on the flagship network. 34 will be on FS1. That is great exposure for the league, both over-the-air and on cable...

would it even out eventually like basketball. Sure it happens but cherry picking can sometimes lead to defensive breakdowns. For me, the lack of shots on goal is bothersome. I'd like to see more breakaways.
 
would it even out eventually like basketball. Sure it happens but cherry picking can sometimes lead to defensive breakdowns. For me, the lack of shots on goal is bothersome. I'd like to see more breakaways.
You’re going to get LESS breakaways without offsides and the offsides trap. Defense would have to post more guys back and would have no incentive to push forward until the very end when they are losing. I know it’s a frustrating rule, but its a necessary evil and is there for a reason. The old NASL tried a dashed line (between the midfield line and penalty area), like blue lines in hockey, but even that was eventually scrapped.
 
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