Major League Soccer (MLS) agrees to 10-year, $2.5 billion TV deal with Apple; MLS games will no longer be on local TV

[CarltonJunior]

This has the potential to fail monumentally for the league. You want MORE people to watch your burgeoning product more easily, not less, especially in a market in which their isn’t an existing demand. Sounds like they chased the money instead of doing what’s right for the league. Sad cuz the league was finally starting to become something and I wouldn’t be surprised if this kills it.

But if I’m being devil’s advocate, maybe Apple is planning for a future in which nobody has cable anymore. I don’t think that future is as close as people forecast, however.

It's kind of a poison pill. The league's biggest source of revenue is likely it's TV deal, and they probably secured a bigger bag by signing this vs a regular TV deal. However, during the length of this deal, they will likely lose fans because less people will watch, which will lower the amount of money they make next time when this deal expires.

On the flipside of this, people legitimately watch MLS will get Apple TV+ to watch this, and keep the service even if MLS goes away, just the nature of streaming services, it's such a pain to cancel that you likely won't. So this benefits Apple and MLS in the short term, but long term the MLS will suffer and Apple with prosper. Cold business

 

[Mike the Executioner]

Blocking the ability to watch the home team on local television sound absolutely insane to me.

It's ridiculous. I think the Mets' first or second game of the season was blacked out in New York because Apple had exclusive rights to it.

 

[KFBF]

The people that are going out of their way to watch MLS will still do so.

 

[Regular_P]

I'm never in favor of taking games off TV but I will say, Apple's streaming quality is flawless and they only charge $5/month. They are the best value in streaming right now.

 

[SubZeroDegrees]

Now MLS can add 10 new teams.

 

[The ADD]

Now MLS can add 10 new teams.

Last thing they need

 

[Spade]

Nba is gonna go to a streaming service eventually

All of them will. It's a matter of time. NFL put Thursday games on Amazon Prime didn't they? NBC got rid of their sports channel and said you can watch all the sports we provide on our streaming service.

 

[pete clemenza]

Why would euros wanna watch an inferior product to what they already have?

Cause it's their off season right now. The Euro leagues have a winter schedule like the NFL. MLS plays in the spring & summer

 

[Spade]

Last thing they neee

Yeah. That would be a mistake. They have too many already. Unfortunately, I don't think we will ever see a promotion relegation system in the US.

 

[concise]

Now MLS can add 10 new teams.

You already know.

 

[tremonthustler1]

Less options is always a bad thing. More hoops is always a bad thing. You must have missed how pissed Yankee fans were with the team signing an exclusive deal with Apple for most of their Friday games.

The reason why is because Yankee fans (and by extension, other MLB fans) are now needing 4 different services to watch the games.

If you're a Yankee fan, you have the YES network you pay for

Now you gotta pay for Apple+ when they have exclusives.

Instead of PIX11, now they gotta get Amazon Prime for weekend games

then you gotta get Peacock for the random weekend game.

If you're a MLB fan you probably have their app already, but they black you out locally.


Why do I need 4 services to watch my team play over the course of a season? It makes you not even want the main channel anymore, but I guess they realize if they leave the door open to just keep games on YES for those who don't wanna stream, they're not gonna stream, so we get dragged in kicking and screaming.

and the youth can't even really bytch about it because these leagues are going out of their way to reach them and they're on their phones. NFL started this. MLB continued it. MLS is doing it. Warning; all y'all NBA fans are gonna feel it too. Imagine being a Knicks fan and now MSG won't air their own team's games but rather they'll put a game a week on Disney+. That drives people nuts.

 

[PortCityProphet]

This will only affect sissyboys and people who only have the option of watching the falcons every Sunday

 

[tremonthustler1]

Good deal money wise but people still need to be able to watch local teams on regular television

Unfortunately, we are dinosaurs. These streaming companies don't care about those who kept the cord. When my dad wants to see a Yankee game and it's on Amazon, I gotta set it up for him cuz he don't know how to use those apps on his TV. Might as well tell him it ain't on.

Regarding my team, I think this will be fine since their local channel (YES) airs their games most of the time on tape delay because they air some times during Yankee games, so they have to go to an app anyway to watch it live).

 

[Ya' Cousin Cleon]

Now MLS can add 10 new teams.

I started following soccer after getting back into basketball two years back

oms

8 of them bytches gonna be in Texas or California

we need to say a prayer for the poor soul who's a ride or die Fresno FC/Corpus Christi FC fan

 

[The ADD]

Yeah. That would be a mistake. They have too many already. Unfortunately, I don't think we will ever see a promotion relegation system in the US.

Those owners are splitting that revenue further than whatever is already on the table.