Two simple reasons.
Watching on tv is always better than watching a stream.
You handicap your growth. You're going from maybe some new people might catch a game and watch to depending only on your die-hards.
Major League Soccer (MLS) agrees to 10-year, $2.5 billion TV deal with Apple; MLS games will no longer be on local TV
Two simple reasons.
Watching on tv is always better than watching a stream.
You handicap your growth. You're going from maybe some new people might catch a game and watch to depending only on your die-hards.
Breh they been on ESPN for 27 years. Growth over linear is capped.
Also they will still be on linear. Again y’all are just dropping takes and omitting facts.
That would never happen for the Superbowl but Amazon Prime has Thursday Night Football exclusively now so there's thatSo you imagine a world where people watch the Super Bowl exclusively on a streaming service?
Yea and even then it is less than 10 percent of the schedule. MLS just announced they made every game on Apple TV. So I'm just comparing it 1:1. Even you see putting the Superbowl exclusively on streaming is a stupid idea.
So you augment it, not scrap it completely. Like say, give them exclusive rights to weekend games, not the whole thing.
No offense but your argument is let’s keep the majority of the content on a platform that hasn’t gotten good ratings, the partners haven’t elevated the viewing experience, isn’t going to pay nearly the same revenue in hopes that “maybe” fringe casuals will watch despite it not making rating leaps in during the last cycle of TV rights.
Like that’s just not good business. You wouldn’t stay in the same job for much less money with an employer you have issues with in hopes that it will get better.
Majority of the games are on the weekends, so if you give Apple weekend rights ... they get the majority of the content, not the networks.I misunderstood your post but just the same. Most games are now going to be played on Wednesday nights and Saturday. Wednesday night games in the spring, summer and fall are not going to yield ratings. So basically what you are saying is what they are already doing.
Feels like the majority of people against it don’t watch currently or have dug into the details
It’s pretty clear MLS has decided the upside is:
- Better content for the current fan base
- More revenue
- Larger global access
@The ADD ..Exactly the league has grown & improved greatly but one televised game a week on Fox, ESPN, and Univision on a Sunday afternoon for the past 6-8 years hasn't done much at all for them. More than likely they'll still have that one game a week but the league said f*ck it and let's try this radical new approach with AppleTV and see what happens. The more I think about it the more I feel this will be a success for them over time.
To add to that Univision ratings have been the most successful of that group and that’s likely staying. I think that made a play for upside and guaranteed $ over a “maybe” of a model that’s clearly capped.
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tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
I think people just want the option to do either /or and these services are making it so you can't choose (which is great for business because exclusivity = $ but it causes people to make tougher decisions about their viewing habits and you risk them deciding they can move on without your entertainment)
I misunderstood your post but just the same. Most games are now going to be played on Wednesday nights and Saturday. Wednesday night games in the spring, summer and fall are not going to yield ratings. So basically what you are saying is what they are already doing.
Feels like the majority of people against it don’t watch currently or have dug into the details
It’s pretty clear MLS has decided the upside is:
Like I said early to me it’s to easy to say one way or the other but the argument that “maybe” fringe fans won’t tune in when they largely have plateaued doesn’t hold weight. Never mind that they will still have access over linear and streaming.
- Better content for the current fan base
- More revenue
- Larger global access
Weekday games are not going to give big ratings but it gives options. Every other sports league is trying to be on as many platforms as possible, going all-in with one is counter productive as hell, even if they give some out to others later on like Univision or ESPN ... which you'll now get less for because it's going through Apple 1st.
Thanks for reminding me, this is a global deal ... while everybody else is getting money in several countries, even Liga MX getting money in the USA and Mexico, this is their global number ...
Again skipping points. Some games will be linear, some games will be available to anyone without the service. They aren’t all in with one service and part of that package is to make it available to everyone for free.Weekday games are not going to give big ratings but it gives options. Every other sports league is trying to be on as many platforms as possible, going all-in with one is counter productive as hell, even if they give some out to others later on like Univision or ESPN ... which you'll now get less for because it's going through Apple 1st.
Thanks for reminding me, this is a global deal ... while everybody else is getting money in several countries, even Liga MX getting money in the USA and Mexico, this is their global number ...
Not sure why this is so hard to grasp. The options point from a National perspective isn’t really an argument at this point. I do get the option from a local perspective but the gamble they are making is in giving season ticket holders free subs as then accounting that a large segment of the “local audience” is rabid enough to add the service with increased better content. It weird for people to act like accessing streaming is such a reach these days. Kind of silly to suggest that the entirety of the group only consumes TV content via cable.
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Why would linear partners do anything but lowball the league now that they know they have to go through Apple 1st for the games? Games on linear are going to be reduced significantly.
And there are gonna be free games on the app? So you still have to download another app or check the website just to see if there's a free game. Sounds like a great strategy.
They got 250 billion guaranteed so they aren’t as worried about the rights fee. This is for the access you and others are worked up about.Why would linear partners do anything but lowball the league now that they know they have to go through Apple 1st for the games? Games on linear are going to be reduced significantly.
And there are gonna be free games on the app? So you still have to download another app or check the website just to see if there's a free game. Sounds like a great strategy.
You won’t have to go through the app. No offense but if you aren’t going to go through the effort of knowing the deal what’s the point of making a case here?
