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

[The ADD]

I don't really care honestly. Damn sure don't care enough to go back and forth. Sometimes, it's better to think out loud than post. And that's what I should've done with this thread. Best of luck to y'all soccer brehs

Noted

 

[charknicks]

I think the real question is: will this deal bring in enough people to subscribe to Apple TV that are MLS fans that didnt have Apple TV already? Will they get enough subscribers to cover a good amount of the deal that they are spending for this deal. I follow the league on a casual basis, and will go to a couple games this season, but not enough to get a season ticket, nor enough to sub to Apple TV and pay $15/month to watch MLS.

This is akin to the WWE partnering with Peacock, except you dont need an extra tier to see their PPVs. UFC partnering with ESPN+. You can see most of their fight night cards, but still have to pay $70/month for their PPVs. I know MLS wont be on that level, but how much is too much.

Also, people are glossing over: yes, some games will be on the regular Apple TV level, but most, you will need to subscribe to a higher MLS level, with the price to yet be determined.

ESPN and/or FOX may keep a package of about 15-20 games, but will the league become more of an afterthought? Thats the question.

 

[Sohh_lifted]

So they want live sports that nobody does or will watch according to you? 2.5 billion for no viewers seems unwise

Its called a selling point....

 

[concise]

the league has to do its own production for this too? This is unprecedented ... terrible.

This is going to eat into a huge chunk of that money.



and with how bad the mainstream soccer heads are in this country, you alreqdy know it's gonna be terrible.

 

[Squirrel from Meteor Man]

Instead of skipping over it in the channel guide, now I don’t have to see it at all

 

[tremonthustler1]

the league has to do its own production for this too?

So a KOCH Records deal?

 

[concise]

So a KOCH Records deal?

 

[nyknick]

The company will build an MLS streaming service within the Apple TV app that will house all MLS matches and related content. Fans will not need to subscribe to Apple TV+ in order to subscribe to the MLS streaming service; it will be a standalone service within the Apple TV ecosystem.

The exact price of the MLS streaming service is yet to be determined.

Additionally, existing Apple TV+ subscribers who do not subscribe to the MLS streaming service will be able to watch a selection of MLS and Leagues Cup matches at no additional cost. A limited number of matches will be available completely free to all fans, regardless of whether they subscribe to either Apple TV+ or the MLS streaming service. MLS full-season ticket holders will also be able to access the MLS streaming service at no additional charge.

Importantly, fans will not need an Apple TV device in order to watch the MLS streaming service. It will be able to be accessed from essentially any device — phone, smart TV, computer — that can connect to the internet.

MLS made clear on Tuesday that the league remains in negotiations with linear TV partners in both the U.S. and Canada.

The sources said the league is close to a four-year deal with ESPN for a deal that would put between 23 and 25 regular season games per season on the ESPN family of networks. Under the framework of that deal, ESPN and Apple TV would alternate which network broadcasts MLS Cup over the next four years. The ESPN family of networks is set to broadcast 34 regular season games in 2022.

One source said an ESPN deal could still be weeks away, however.

If completed, sources said ESPN would pay a fraction of the $35 million they currently pay annually for the rights, in part because this package would not include U.S. Soccer Federation properties, as the current deal does, but also because any ESPN games would be simulcast on the MLS app on Apple TV. ESPN did not bid to keep the local MLS game package on its ESPN+ platform, where it has lived the past several years, according to sources.

Univision is in negotiations not only to air MLS games, but also the Leagues Cup package. The sources familiar with negotiations have told The Athletic repeatedly that the network is far more interested in that tournament than it is in MLS regular season matches, but that it will likely end up with inventory from both.

Apple will pay MLS a minimum of $250 million per year in each of the next 10 years. If the number of people who subscribe to the MLS streaming service crosses a certain threshold, Apple will begin sharing subscription revenue with the league. The specific number of subscribers needed to cross that threshold and the exact cut of revenue Apple would share with MLS have not been made public.

Between that and deals with its linear TV partners, multiple sources expect MLS’s media rights income to end up somewhere just shy of $300 million per year.

Under the current domestic media rights deal, MLS receives between $60 and $65 million per year combined from ESPN, Fox and Univision for its television rights. The U.S. Soccer Federation also receives about $25 million from the networks as part of the deal, which was negotiated by MLS-owned Soccer United Marketing (SUM). MLS also takes in an unknown amount of revenue from Canadian broadcasters and a small amount of additional revenue from international networks.

But MLS will spend substantially on production costs in this deal with Apple. Industry sources expect the league to spend around $60 million on producing games each season, with additional costs in the next year or two associated with starting-up its own production arm. Those costs will have an effect on the revenue share agreement in the CBA.

 

[RennisDeynolds]

Who cares about MLS? another snoozefesr from Apple tv

Fox Sports and Comcast/NBCUniversal and CBS have gotten the real futbol rights all locked up for stateside coverage

Dumbass Disney wants to be global they need to drop a fukking bag and acquire some broadcast rights of something that matters internationally

 

[Nero Christ]

Who cares about MLS? another snoozefesr from Apple tv

Fox Sports and Comcast/NBCUniversal and CBS have gotten the real futbol rights all locked up for stateside coverage

Dumbass Disney wants to be global they need to drop a fukking bag and acquire some broadcast rights of something that matters internationally

nah fukk that...ESPN was putting their shyt on their app...keep them away from futbol

 

[Legal]

Not being subject to blackouts seems pretty nice. I wish MLB.tv was like that. I can't watch my local team due to blackouts and YoutubeTV doesn't have Bally Sports, so I have no way to watch them unless they're on national TV. And the Diamondbacks ain't NEVER on national TV for obvious reasons

Bruh. I've got Hulu Live TV, and the only way I can ever watch a Diamondbacks game is if I'm out at a bar somewhere that has it on, or by literally going to the game.

In fact, I think the last DBacks game I watched was at Chase Field.

 

[concise]

5 fundamental questions MLS must answer before Apple TV launch

It’s been more than 90 days since MLS struck its deal with Apple to exclusively broadcast every game from 2023 through 2032. Since then, the league hasn’t shared any more details about its broadcast plans for next season. And with the 2023 season rapidly approaching, time is running out. Taking...

worldsoccertalk.com

Doesn't appear to be any progress made on getting additional boradcast partners.



I wonder why.

 

[concise]

Apple building 'advertising network for live television' as part of new MLS deal

Back in June, Apple announced a deal with Major League Soccer to stream all games exclusively via the Apple TV application. While we’re still waiting for more official details on this partnership, a new report from Bloomberg indicates that Apple is “building an advertising network for live...

9to5mac.com

The Athletic report explained that Apple and the MLS are running “months behind” in getting things ready ahead of the first MLS match of 2023 on February 25. The report suggests MLS may have to pare back some of its premium technical quality goals, at least for the beginning 2023 season, as it simply won’t be ready in time.


Sounds promising.

 

[Mook]

These people have the worst coverage and the fan base comes off as ditzy fans.

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

Ever since the Apple deal:

• Its even more impossible to catch a game
• The coverage is garbage
• The hosts are unlikeable
• The app is clunky and meh AF
• The refs are still stupid

Just end this league so we can actually watch real Futbol like Premier or Bundesliga