Canuck Oranje Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Most often these ratings do not consider Spanish language networks. While Columbus is not likely to have a large hispanic population, I would be curious to find out how these networks did. Sports Illustrated reported last year that the Gold Cup final had better TV ratings than the Stanley Cup finals in the US on Spanish language television alone. I think the importance of Spanish language tv in the USA as it relates to the MLS is misunderstood and often disregarded. But I think it is a growing potential revenue source and also, at least in part, explains MLS' interest in teams in the Southern US and the influx of aging Latin American DPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Oranje Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Most often these ratings do not consider Spanish language networks. While Columbus is not likely to have a large hispanic population, I would be curious to find out how these networks did. Sports Illustrated reported last year that the Gold Cup final had better TV ratings than the Stanley Cup finals in the US on Spanish language television alone. I think the importance of Spanish language tv in the USA as it relates to the MLS is misunderstood and often disregarded. But I think it is a growing potential revenue source and also, at least in part, explains MLS' interest in teams in the Southern US and the influx of aging Latin American DPs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Oranje Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 From Sports Business Journal http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/51960 MLS snags Univision for Spanish rights Print This Story By TRIPP MICKLE Staff writer Published September 25, 2006 : Page 04 Major League Soccer found a Spanish-language home for next season — the first involving a rights fee in its 11-year history — as Univision completed an eight-year, nearly $80 million agreement to broadcast the league’s games. Univision joins ABC/ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel and HDNet as MLS broadcast partners in deals that combine to pay the league more than $20 million a year, the first television rights fees the league has received since its inception in 1996. Soccer United Marketing, the league’s marketing arm, brokered the deal, which was set to be announced today. MLS will get $9 million next year in the deal, close to the amount it’s getting from ESPN in its eight-year deal (see chart). In return, Univision has the Spanish-language rights to televise 25 regular-season MLS games a year as well as the MLS All-Star Game, MLS Cup, 10 U.S. men’s national team matches and five international games held in the U.S., such as the Ecuador-Peru match held Sept. 7 at Giants Stadium. SUM also controls the rights to the U.S. national team. The network also gets online and wireless rights as part of the deal. “To have our most respected Spanish-language broadcaster televising our games is a very important statement about the MLS, far more than I think people understand,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “They are the influencer of the Spanish-speaking community in this country, and it’s not just about televising games. It’s about influencing the way we are perceived among Hispanics.” TeleFutura, Univision’s sister network with a penetration of 86 percent of Hispanic households in the U.S., will air most of the games in prime time on Sunday nights. Additionally, MLS game highlights will appear on Univision’s “Republica Deportiva,” a program similar to FSN’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” and TeleFutura’s “Contacto Deportivo,” according to the league. The TV rights revenue marks a new source of income for the MLS. Before the latest round of deals, the league functioned under revenue-sharing arrangements where it produced all televised games and sold advertising inventory as well. The newfound revenue offers the league “breathing room,” Garber said. “We’re looking to reinvest it in a variety of different areas, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing to reduce some of our owners’ losses, either.” MLS on TV ESPN/ABC 8 What they got: 26 regular-season games (primarily on Thursday nights); 3 playoff matches; the season opener on ABC; the All-Star Game and MLS Cup on ABC; men’s and women’s national team matches; World Cup qualifiers; MLS draft; multimedia elements for ESPN360, Mobile ESPN, ESPN Deportes and other platforms Univision 8 What they got: 25 regular-season games; 3 playoff matches; 10 U.S. men's national team matches; 5 international games held in the U.S.; MLS game highlights on two sports programs; online and wireless rights Fox Soccer Channel 11 What they got: MLS Game of the Week on Saturday nights; 3 playoff matches; 2 men's and 2 women's national team games a year through 2010; 3 international friendly matches; online and wireless rights HDNet 3 What they got: 26 regular-season games, 13 of those being exclusive; up to 3 postseason games Source: SportsBusiness Journal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck Oranje Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 From Sports Business Journal http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/51960 MLS snags Univision for Spanish rights Print This Story By TRIPP MICKLE Staff writer Published September 25, 2006 : Page 04 Major League Soccer found a Spanish-language home for next season — the first involving a rights fee in its 11-year history — as Univision completed an eight-year, nearly $80 million agreement to broadcast the league’s games. Univision joins ABC/ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel and HDNet as MLS broadcast partners in deals that combine to pay the league more than $20 million a year, the first television rights fees the league has received since its inception in 1996. Soccer United Marketing, the league’s marketing arm, brokered the deal, which was set to be announced today. MLS will get $9 million next year in the deal, close to the amount it’s getting from ESPN in its eight-year deal (see chart). In return, Univision has the Spanish-language rights to televise 25 regular-season MLS games a year as well as the MLS All-Star Game, MLS Cup, 10 U.S. men’s national team matches and five international games held in the U.S., such as the Ecuador-Peru match held Sept. 7 at Giants Stadium. SUM also controls the rights to the U.S. national team. The network also gets online and wireless rights as part of the deal. “To have our most respected Spanish-language broadcaster televising our games is a very important statement about the MLS, far more than I think people understand,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said. “They are the influencer of the Spanish-speaking community in this country, and it’s not just about televising games. It’s about influencing the way we are perceived among Hispanics.” TeleFutura, Univision’s sister network with a penetration of 86 percent of Hispanic households in the U.S., will air most of the games in prime time on Sunday nights. Additionally, MLS game highlights will appear on Univision’s “Republica Deportiva,” a program similar to FSN’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” and TeleFutura’s “Contacto Deportivo,” according to the league. The TV rights revenue marks a new source of income for the MLS. Before the latest round of deals, the league functioned under revenue-sharing arrangements where it produced all televised games and sold advertising inventory as well. The newfound revenue offers the league “breathing room,” Garber said. “We’re looking to reinvest it in a variety of different areas, but it wouldn’t be a bad thing to reduce some of our owners’ losses, either.” MLS on TV ESPN/ABC 8 What they got: 26 regular-season games (primarily on Thursday nights); 3 playoff matches; the season opener on ABC; the All-Star Game and MLS Cup on ABC; men’s and women’s national team matches; World Cup qualifiers; MLS draft; multimedia elements for ESPN360, Mobile ESPN, ESPN Deportes and other platforms Univision 8 What they got: 25 regular-season games; 3 playoff matches; 10 U.S. men's national team matches; 5 international games held in the U.S.; MLS game highlights on two sports programs; online and wireless rights Fox Soccer Channel 11 What they got: MLS Game of the Week on Saturday nights; 3 playoff matches; 2 men's and 2 women's national team games a year through 2010; 3 international friendly matches; online and wireless rights HDNet 3 What they got: 26 regular-season games, 13 of those being exclusive; up to 3 postseason games Source: SportsBusiness Journal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Canuck Oranje From Sports Business Journal http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/51960 MLS snags Univision for Spanish rights Print This Story By TRIPP MICKLE Staff writer Published September 25, 2006 : Page 04 Major League Soccer found a Spanish-language home for next season — the first involving a rights fee in its 11-year history — as Univision completed an eight-year, nearly $80 million agreement to broadcast the league’s games. Univision joins ABC/ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel and HDNet as MLS broadcast partners in deals that combine to pay the league more than $20 million a year, the first television rights fees the league has received since its inception in 1996. Soccer United Marketing, the league’s marketing arm, brokered the deal, which was set to be announced today. MLS will get $9 million next year in the deal, close to the amount it’s getting from ESPN in its eight-year deal (see chart). In return, Univision has the Spanish-language rights to televise 25 regular-season MLS games a year as well as the MLS All-Star Game, MLS Cup, 10 U.S. men’s national team matches and five international games held in the U.S., such as the Ecuador-Peru match held Sept. 7 at Giants Stadium. SUM also controls the rights to the U.S. national team. Very Interesting, Aren't these deals better than what the NHL has right now? I thought that the NHL basically get nothing guaranteed in the NBC deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Free kick Very Interesting, Aren't these deals better than what the NHL has right now? I thought that the NHL basically get nothing guaranteed in the NBC deal. Versus (COMCAST) paid $72.5 million US for the rights to this current NHL season and locked up a deal for three additional years at $72.5 plus inflationary increases for each year. NBC's deal is for no fee, but advertising revenue from the games are split between the NHL and NBC. I have no idea as the the split nor the value in terms of real dollars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piltdownman Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 Good to see more HDNet games. Those games look amazing, I really enjoyed them this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ed Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 ^ What is HDNet? Is it part of some other network and is it available on cable in Canada (not sat.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
piltdownman Posted December 2, 2008 Share Posted December 2, 2008 HDNet is a specially HD Channel. Its content is somewhat limited, but the production quality is amazing. They have lots of Mixed Martial Arts, a HD News show, and great travel shows. I get it on Shaw here in Victoria. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ed Posted December 3, 2008 Share Posted December 3, 2008 ^ So I wonder how they get MLS games when Fox Sports World Canada is shut out by the CBC (or so I understand)? Anyway, thanks for the info. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masster Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 The MLS has lost its regular Thursday night time slot on ESPN 2 due to poor ratings: ESPN booting MLS from its Thursday slot Print This Story By TRIPP MICKLE and JOHN OURAND Staff Writers Published January 19, 1999 : Page 01 Major League Soccer is not quite ready to carry its own night on TV. After two years of anemic ratings that started low and finished lower, ESPN executives decided to cancel the league’s regular Thursday night telecast on ESPN2 this season. In its place, ESPN2 will carry an MLS game of the week, which will air on four different nights during the season. The weekly matches will occur on Thursdays (10 times), Saturdays (eight times), Wednesdays (six times) and Fridays (three times). “We didn’t see the kind of ratings climb we’d like to, so we’re trying something different,” said Scott Guglielmino, ESPN vice president of programming. The decision to cancel the regular Thursday night game marks a stunning turnaround for a league that two years ago believed it was creating destination programming that would increase interest in MLS. But even the 2007 arrival of David Beckham couldn’t boost MLS ratings. MLS games averaged a 0.2 rating and 289,000 viewers on ESPN2 in 2007. Those numbers dropped to 0.2/253,000 viewers the following year. Its highest rating during that period was Beckham’s second regular-season game in August 2007 that earned a 0.6/658,000 households. Canceling “MLS Primetime Thursday” is a tacit admission that MLS is not strong enough to anchor a regular prime-time slot on its own. ESPN is entering the third year of an eight-year rights deal that pays MLS $8 million annually. “It’s not necessarily a detrimental thing for MLS,” said Derek Aframe, vice president of consulting at Octagon and former vice president of the New England Revolution. “What matters is where they stand at the end of six years when their deal is up (with ESPN).” One reason ESPN made the move is to give the league better lead-in programming and more flexibility to telecast better matchups. Rather than its previous lead-in — mainly taped programming — ESPN plans to program matches after college football, NIT basketball, the College World Series, motorsports and U.S. Open tennis. Promotion and marketing will be consistent with what has been provided in the past. “(The change) works well for all parties,” said MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche. “It provides better matchups for ESPN and provides flexibility for our clubs to put these games on nights that have more people in attendance.” MLS team executives consistently said that Thursday night games were some of the hardest to sell, and it showed during broadcasts. Many games televised on ESPN2 featured swaths of empty seats. Even though average reported attendance for Thursday night games in 2008 was 5 percent higher than average season attendance, only three Thursday night games were sellouts and on average the games were played at stadiums filled to 68 percent of capacity. “We feel (that with more flexibility) we can provide a much larger crowd and a much more festive atmosphere for the viewer,” Courtemanche said. “That should translate to better ratings.” ESPN also said the move will allow it to feature more of the league’s marquee teams, like Chivas USA, the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo, which weren’t able to play in their venues some Thursday nights during the school year because of various restrictions. The Galaxy and Chivas have an agreement with the California State University, Dominguez Hills, where the Home Depot Center is located, that limited the number of games they could play on weeknights when school was in session. “The two big pieces here that we want to do better are with the lead-ins (especially those early windows on the East Coast) and the flexibility to cover different teams,” Guglielmino said. “We want to grow this as quickly as possible.” http://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/article/61231 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
masster Posted January 25, 2009 Share Posted January 25, 2009 Here is an opinion piece on the above news: http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/mls-thursday-is-no-more/658 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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