MLS Match Updates and Talk 2023

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, red card said:

MLS focused podcaster says an MLS Season Pass employee told him subs have only met 40% of projections. 

But it looks like the World Cup bump is being seen elsewhere in the US.

Last Saturday night's MLS on Fox match between Sounders & Galaxy got 364k. But the 2100 EDT starting Liga MX match got 1 million and 2300 EDT starting Liga MX match got 1.1 million on Spanish language tv. As usual, these were the most watched football matches in the US last week.

More ground breaking is that 1.67 million combined watched in the early Saturday afternoon window (EDT) across 3 English language American networks matches from Bundesliga (624k), Prem (513k) and NWSL (475k). Big total viewership for the sport but fragmented ex biggest tourneys & Liga MX.

Does that 40% include the free subscriptions given out to season ticket holders?

Wonder what their initial projections were. The soccer streaming landscape is so fragmented (in both the US and Canada) that i don't think anyone gets it all. Apple with only MLS was probably an easy one for a lot of soccer fans not to get.

[Metro]

13 hours ago, Watchmen said:

Does that 40% include the free subscriptions given out to season ticket holders?

Wonder what their initial projections were. The soccer streaming landscape is so fragmented (in both the US and Canada) that i don't think anyone gets it all. Apple with only MLS was probably an easy one for a lot of soccer fans not to get.

The tweet says "sold" subscriptions so I guess we can presume the number doesn't include the freebies.

MLS has always trailed Liga MX and the big Euro leagues in TV ratings but seeing an NWSL game beat out a prime time MLS game featuring two of the most popular American teams might be a little concerning.

It doesn't appear for now at least that these little gimmicks MLS has tried implementing is impressing enough people to move the needle. And I harped on it before, but trivializing the regular season more and more each year is not a good thing.  If MLS does not wish to take the regular season seriously, why should we?

[BearcatSA]

10 hours ago, Metro said:

And I harped on it before, but trivializing the regular season more and more each year is not a good thing.  If MLS does not wish to take the regular season seriously, why should we?

I would also argue that it is a summer pro sport league problem, as well.  For instance, MLB expanded its playoff numbers to try to get more teams in the playoff hunt after Labour Day.  There are many more (and cheaper) recreational pursuits available for individuals and familiies to do instead of watching your wait-until-next-year local side play out the string in a non-relegation league.

Edited April 6, 2023 by BearcatSA

[Shway]

At 15$ a month or a $100 for the year Apple/MLS had wishful projections.

[Watchmen]

21 hours ago, Shway said:

At 15$ a month or a $100 for the year Apple/MLS had wishful projections.

It's up to $120 now. The $100 was an introductory discount before the season.

[Goal_Kick]

4 hours ago, Watchmen said:

It's up to $120 now. The $100 was an introductory discount before the season.

I think it's been $99US + taxes right from the get-go (for non-Apple TV subscribers) and which is still in effect (according to the MLS website).

Converting U$ to Canadian Loonies, with tax included, it costs around $145 depending on the current exchange rate.

(Speaking from experience.)

[Shway]

 

29 minutes ago, Goal_Kick said:

Converting U$ to Canadian Loonies, with tax included, it costs around $145 depending on the current exchange rate.

(Speaking from experience.)

Fack that.

Ill wait for the playoffs IF a Canadian team is in it. I keep saying this, but every year I care less about MLS (and I’m someone who has followed it avidly since 2007)…the never ending expansion, the not all teams play eachother, the ever changing playoffs, and now streaming gouge just to watch MLS content only…. Foh.

 My interest, and money has switched to the CPL and I don’t even have a “local” team to support.

[BearcatSA]

1 hour ago, Shway said:

 

Fack that.

Ill wait for the playoffs IF a Canadian team is in it. I keep saying this, but every year I care less about MLS (and I’m someone who has followed it avidly since 2007)…the never ending expansion, the not all teams play eachother, the ever changing playoffs, and now streaming gouge just to watch MLS content only…. Foh.

 My interest, and money has switched to the CPL and I don’t even have a “local” team to support.

Here, here!

I'm in that choir you are preaching to for all the reasons you've outlined. 

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

On 4/7/2023 at 6:22 AM, Shway said:

...My interest, and money has switched to the CPL and I don’t even have a “local” team to support.

If you are in the GTA, you most definitely do. York United play within the boundaries of the City of Toronto just like TFC do and will continue to do so if they move to Woodbine. Strangely there appeared to be a lot of posters on here from the Toronto area who made a huge song and dance about the need for CanPL to emerge and subsequently pretty much never posted about their experiences at York United games in the CanPL subforum after the league had launched and the novelty had worn off. Ditto where certain prominent bloggers are concerned.

[longlugan]

3 hours ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

If you are in the GTA, you most definitely do. York United play within the boundaries of the City of Toronto just like TFC do and will continue to do so if they move to Woodbine. Strangely there appeared to be a lot of posters on here from the Toronto area who made a huge song and dance about the need for CanPL to emerge and subsequently pretty much never posted about their experiences at York United games in the CanPL subforum after the league had launched and the novelty had worn off. Ditto where certain prominent bloggers are concerned.

You been to a game yet dumbass?

[narduch]

[Big_M]

thats the saliba ppl been going crazy about? been terrible...borrero with a shot that you could see coming but sirois...yeah...montreal is so weak...iliadis been bad defensively...how the heck are they gonna get up in the standings with this squad...gotta bring in players...way too much quality lacking

[Soccerpro2]

Pundits were predicting they would finish near the bottom this year. They weren't wrong. The team is bad.

[narduch]

[Big_M]

corbo handballs in the box and gil makes it 2-0 before the break

[Gian-Luca]

Have no idea how Picault hasn’t been red carded by now

[narduch]

[An Observer]

8 hours ago, Big_M said:

thats the saliba ppl been going crazy about? been terrible...borrero with a shot that you could see coming but sirois...yeah...montreal is so weak...iliadis been bad defensively...how the heck are they gonna get up in the standings with this squad...gotta bring in players...way too much quality lacking

Didn’t watch the match but Saliba was the highest rate player for Montreal afterwards 

[Watchmen]

How much longer does Vanney last at the Galaxy? (and is Vermes in trouble at Kansas?)

[Shway]

On 4/8/2023 at 9:52 AM, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

If you are in the GTA, you most definitely do. York United play within the boundaries of the City of Toronto just like TFC do and will continue to do so if they move to Woodbine.

😮‍💨.I’m in Ajax. 

Going downtown (via Go train) isn’t comparable or as accessible as going to the North West End of Toronto. 

[narduch]

1 minute ago, Shway said:

😮‍💨.I’m in Ajax. 

Going downtown (via Go train) isn’t comparable or as accessible as going to the North West End of Toronto. 

London isn't too far for the occasional trip to Hamilton. Just saying 

[Shway]

3 minutes ago, narduch said:

London isn't too far for the occasional trip to Hamilton. Just saying 

Is that what you do? I’m a suburbian who hates to drive due to the ever growing traffic issues. 

Also I’ve always voiced my opinions about the York 9/United experience at York Stadium…it didn’t feel like I was at a professional game. 

[narduch]

24 minutes ago, Shway said:

Is that what you do? I’m a suburbian who hates to drive due to the ever growing traffic issues. 

Also I’ve always voiced my opinions about the York 9/United experience at York Stadium…it didn’t feel like I was at a professional game

No.

I'm pointing out Ozzie's hypocrisy. 

For a guy obsessed with the league has he ever posted about attending a game?

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

6 hours ago, Shway said:

😮‍💨.I’m in Ajax. 

Going downtown (via Go train) isn’t comparable or as accessible as going to the North West End of Toronto. 

Switch to the subway at Union Station. York Lions stadium is a short stroll from a subway station. It's definitely not mission impossible to get there by public transport if you are as keen on the league as you claim and have switched your money to it from MLS.

It's not like Esther Shiner or Centennial stadiums back in the CSL era (or for the Lynx) when a bus transfer and stopping at what seemed like every second lamppost thereafter was still needed after reaching close the end of the subway line.

York United are playing at the location where the CSA and Argonauts were going to build the U-20 World Cup stadium before the Argos pulled out after Rogers offered them improved terms to cohabit with the Blue Jays and Kevan Pipe started declaring that there was no plan B. It's reasonably accessible both by subway and the 400 series highway system.

Edit: sure I have mentioned this plenty of times on here but I am not currently based in London, Ont. for work reasons. Haven't been to a TFC game for closing in on 15 years because I usually only get back there around Christmas and New Year. Will get back to living there eventually though because it's where I plan to retire.

The real hypocrites on here are the vociferous CanPL advocates from the GTA who post a constant barrage of anti-MLS posts but still appear to have TFC season tickets and I strongly suspect don't even actively support York United. A bit like all the people in Edmonton who signed petitions pledging to buy FCE season tickets if the Faths brought them back and then turned their nose up at the reality of CanPL.

Actions don't always match rhetoric in other words but God forbid anyone suggests an economic model is needed that fits what people will actually do rather than what they say they will do.

Edited April 10, 2023 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[SoccMan]

7 hours ago, Shway said:

Is that what you do? I’m a suburbian who hates to drive due to the ever growing traffic issues. 

Also I’ve always voiced my opinions about the York 9/United experience at York Stadium…it didn’t feel like I was at a professional game. 

Moreover, and I mentioned this many times , when you can stand outside the stadium and watch the game just like paying customers who are inside the stadium then we definitely have a problem with where York United play . However, what they do have going for them at that site is great accessibility in terms of public transportation with a subway station literally a 5 minute walk from that stadium. I really don’t see how Woodbine in terms of location will help this team in terms of attendance, maybe if they build a really nice soccer specific stadium then maybe, however, it will be hard to compete with how accessible that present York United stadium is especially by public transit .