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 Intergalactic Koala]

I’ve been an MLS fan since day one and at one point even had redbulls season tickets. My friend gave me a family pass for the mls package and I haven’t watched one match all season. In my eyes this is a disaster. I’ll probably fire up the app for Messi’s first game or something but more than likely that’ll be on FOX anyway. Garber should be fired for steering the league in this direction.

THANK YOU !

Before this stupid ass Apple deal, the league was actually thriving, slowly but surely. The coverage was pretty good (shyts all over Apple's 30fps cinematic coverage), and despite the blackouts... I was actually tapped in to the league, especially when ATL got a team.

This deal seems beneficial to Apple, but in reality its not beneficial to the customer or casuals who want to get into MLS.

 

[pete clemenza]

I’ve been an MLS fan since day one and at one point even had redbulls season tickets. My friend gave me a family pass for the mls package and I haven’t watched one match all season. In my eyes this is a disaster. I’ll probably fire up the app for Messi’s first game or something but more than likely that’ll be on FOX anyway. Garber should be fired for steering the league in this direction.

I have the MLS package but I'm really not home on Saturdays to fire it up and watch it. I'll admit that the Apple TV move has been mediocre at best

 

[CHICAGO]

ITS COOL THEY GOT THEYRE BAG...

BUT NOBODY IS COPPING
APPLE TO WATCH SOME shyt
THAT THEY NEVER WATCH ANYWAY.

THESE STREAMING NETWORKS
ARE THIRSTY AS fukk
FOR PRO SPORTS.


​

 

[The ADD]

THANK YOU !

Before this stupid ass Apple deal, the league was actually thriving, slowly but surely. The coverage was pretty good (shyts all over Apple's 30fps cinematic coverage), and despite the blackouts... I was actually tapped in to the league, especially when ATL got a team.

This deal seems beneficial to Apple, but in reality its not beneficial to the customer or casuals who want to get into MLS.

How many casuals are getting into MLS at a league level? That part of the growth has been stagnant for a while.

 

[The Intergalactic Koala]

How many casuals are getting into MLS at a league level? That part of the growth has been stagnant for a while.

Its a slow process. Hell, I remember when ATL had folks trying to get into the league. When I lived in SC, I have seen some folks wearing United jerseys.

 

[The ADD]

Its a slow process. Hell, I remember when ATL had folks trying to get into the league. When I lived in SC, I have seen some folks wearing United jerseys.

I mean they have been doing it for more than 25 years. Business wise you are talking two different things. On a league level casual viewership has been flat for a while through network and cable platforms.

They can still grow the game at the team level which is more dependent (beneficial) on getting fans into stadiums.

 

[scorpino]

Why haven’t you been watched?

Honestly I’ve just been too lazy to log into Apple TV on my TV. I hate to sound like an old man but I have damn near every streaming app and my girlfriend is logged into her Apple TV already. I don’t feel like taking the 2 minutes to log in


Now that the NBA season is over and thanks to this thread I’ll make it a point to check out the apple coverage

 

[nyknick]

Industry sources have indicated that MLS Season Pass was close to reaching the 1 million subscriber milestone before Messi’s arrival. Factoring that into today’s announcement of subscribers doubling would suggest MLS Season Pass now has more than 2 million paying subscribers.

 

[Bboystyle]

Messi is a worldwide figure and its showing even in mid tier soccer country like the US. Meanwhile Ronaldo out in the fukking desert impressing no one.

 

[The ADD]

Seems like they made a wise decision……

 

[pete clemenza]

Seems like they made a wise decision……

And they still have the Sunday game of the week on FS1. I still think a city's local team should be shown on regular cable-satellite locally. That would be my only complaint

 

[The ADD]

And they still have the Sunday game of the week on FS1. I still think a city's local team should be shown on regular cable-satellite locally. That would be my only complaint

Possibly but how many people in the engaged demographic are still using cable or satellite?

 

[pete clemenza]

Possibly but how many people in the engaged demographic are still using cable or satellite?

From what I can tell, a good number of people, especially sports fans, still have cable-satellite subscriptions

 

[The ADD]

From what I can tell, a good number of people, especially sports fans, still have cable-satellite subscriptions

Sports fans yes. Likely to watch MLS and for MLS to leave the Apple deal on the table? Probably not.

 

[pete clemenza]

Sports fans yes. Likely to watch MLS and for MLS to leave the Apple deal on the table? Probably not.

They definitely weren't going to pass up the Apple deal no matter what. I'm just saying a small hitch in the deal where a local team is able to be shown on local tv-cable-satellite that's all. The Apple deal was a good move