I ask this because the 2023 MLS finals attracted an average of 890K viewers, but the 2024 finals…only 460,000, according to the NY Times.
@92010Coogs …any thoughts on this?
MLS is suffering the same problems that the NBA is starting to suffer
There aren’t any “bigger than life” stars playing in the league anymore other than a mere handful
This is the very problem that the WNBA solved with Caitlin Clark
Don’t know if the timing makes sense to attribute to the fall but going exclusively to Apple TV was probably a poor decision from a visibility and total viewership perspective. I know some people have Apple TV but I don’t know anyone in my personal bubble of close family and friends that do. We have combinations of linear tv, YouTube TV, Netflix, Prime, Hulu, and maybe Peacock and Paramount +.
Going apple tv was a bone head decision and everyone at MLS knows it. Many wanted Garber’s head.
MLS is a major league and is growing before our very eyes.
It is on a clear path to become the fourth biggest sports league in America. Demographics are right on line with MLS’ prigression. Franchises value keeps going up at a rapid pace. In 1996 an MLS franchise cost was between $5m’s and about $16/29M’s look at the numbers now. More importsntly you now have PDL leagues, Pro MLS Academies, USL franchise cost is exploding too. Heck you even have 2nd tier USL franchises. Will the MLS surpass the NFL at some point? Not that I can see but recent polls suggests that MLS is chipping away at MLB and the NBA. I am not even counting on the NHL.
When you are looking at the “health” and future of the MLS look no further than who owns MLS franchises.
Will not surpass NFL ever, largely because every week the NFL is a spectacle
MLB or NBA with 80+ games
that’s more likely
Good point. The football and NFL season is tiny comparable to soccer’s. This also hascbeen majorly detremental to America’s soccer development.
What ischolding up soccer?
The pay to play model. Everywhere else than in America you play for the town that you live in not acpay to play club.
That is very slowly improving and is still is the biggest problem facing soccer in America.
The NBA has Jokic, Wemby, Bron, Curry, Doncic, A. Edwards, SGA, Giannis, and then you still got the Harden’s, the Jalen Brunson’s, the Ball brothers.
NBA has plenty of talent and you got this guy Cooper Flagg who is soon to arrive. The NBA ain’t suffering from a talent standpoint. You could argue the NBA has the most talent it has ever had in its entire history. Is the product as good as it was in the 90’s or 80’s? Well that depends on who you ask. Boomers will probably say the NBA was at its absolute best in the 90’s.
The reason for the low ratings, in my opinion, is due to the style of play from the teams. Just jacking up 3’s. Also - it doesn’t help that it’s so difficult to watch your local team (with the blackouts).
A major league?
Its revenues and TV ratings are well below the Big Four! Even the NHL finals got about nine times as many viewers as the MLS finals.
It’s NOT the top league in its sport globally the way that the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL are.
Growing?
Its TV ratings are shrinking; even the WNBA finals got about three times the viewership of the MLS finals.
I’m not suggesting there’s a lack a talent at all, while I agree the Playstyle has changed, but that’s been happening for a decade already
While those players are absolutely talented, only a few of that select group I would consider larger than life compared to the NFL
Once Bron and Curry retire, it’s a wrap for that level of fame within the NBA
Harden while a future hall of famer, isn’t going to drive ratings alone
Soccer is always a step below the others in the US
The dynamo have quietly converted a lot of seating areas to premium to make up for lost revenue - the Hispanic demographic here aint flocking to dynamo games as a whole cause its soccer - like someone said who plays for the dynamo?
Apple TV?
This^
This is (what I believe to be) the right answer…
It feels like the MLS has increased in popularity by expanding to new markets (ATX, Atlanta, etc.) & bringing in big names (Messi, Busquets, etc.)
But moving exclusively to AppleTV would certainly exclude those households/viewers that are already investing in HBO, Disney, etc.
See to me, those “big names” don’t do much.
First of all, Beckham, Messi, etc. are/were basically over the hill stars coming to the MLS in their twilight years.
MLS doesn’t get most of the top talent in their prime. If it did, then it’d be a top five league. As it stands, it’s barely a top ten league globally precisely because it is manned by either lesser talent…or over the hill talent.
As for markets…while they are certainly present in the Top Ten largest markets, they are noticeably absent from many other Top 25 markets, including:
Tampa (#11)
Phoenix (#12)
Detroit (#14)
Cleveland (#19)
Sacramento (#20)
Raleigh Durham (#22)
Indianapolis (#25)
They have chosen instead to expand into many smaller markets, like Columbus, Austin, Kansas City, etc. They have also neglected San Antonio, which would presumably be a good spot.
It seems to me that die-hard soccer fans in the USA are more likely to follow one of the top Euro leagues than MLS.
Am I right about that?
Yes. And add into the fact that Liga MX is probably more popular than MLS too.
Hmm…you make a good point about expanding to smaller (although still important) markets.
& your point about San Antonio is definitely one you’d think would be a slam dunk, but its been passed up many times for expansion.
As for the impact of “big name” signees, I’d say that although they may no longer be in their prime, they still bring enough talent to stand out from the rest & consistently be a factor for their respective team’s winning percentages (Ex. Miami was an easy win for opponents until they brought in Messi & Company. This was noticeable when Messi was out injured and they went back to losing games…he came back, and they started winning again).
Another impact these big names bring is the merch-selling factor. As soon as Messi joined Miami, their jerseys became one of the hottest selling jersey globally.
For the non-European leagues like the MLS, Liga MX, the leagues in China, Saudi Arabia, etc. the goal isn’t necessarily to compete for the highest viewership on a global scale, but rather to squeeze as much $$$ as they can from merch & ticket sales, while hopefully becoming more competitive in their respective leagues.
The MLS never had popularity nor does the sport of Association Football, aka “Soccer”…yes, WE at least call the sport by it’s orginal name from the mid 1800s.
Soccer= old world rotary phone
American Football= new age smart phone
IF…and this is a BIG IF, soccer ever wanted to gain traction in the United States, we’d have to have a squad in a top league.
If i was the Premier League, I’d place two teams in the United States…
One in New York City
and
One in Boston
MLS has to compete with NFL/MLB/NBA/College along with Premiere League (which has tons of viewers from the US already)
Many EPL fans won’t watch or attend MLS matches, just a fact.
this is nuts lol
Liga MX too. Also, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and the Serie A.