Wednesday, August 25, 2021

TV Soccer Viewership - Aug 17-23

Our first full week of cable TV viewership and ratings data is back and I couldn't be happier.

Mildly surprising this week was that two NBCSN studio shows landed in the top 4 shows for the middle week of August. Rounding out the top five is a Wednesday Liga MX match.

MLS had a light week this week on cable with only one game popping up in the top 150 that day. The other match that was scheduled to be on FS1 was rained out (the non-live match they showed featured neither of the teams scheduled to play and did not pull a rating).

Of note: The International Champions Cup between Lyonnais and the Portland Thorns pulled 157k on ESPN2. I know lots of people are watching how well women's European leagues do on US TV.

Over on broadcast TV:

465k: Columbus Crew v Seattle
395k: Bundesliga, Leverkusen v Monchengladbach

---------------------------

US Cable Viewership: Soccer Programs Aug 17-23
Viewers (000)Event/GameNetworkDate
748PREMIER LEAGUE L: CHELSEA/ARSENALNBCSN8/22
408PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN8/22
371PREMIER LEAGUE L: TOTTENHAM/WOLVESNBCSN8/22
362PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL ZONENBCSN8/22
321LIGA MX WED 2: JUAREZ VS AMERICATUDN8/18
301LIGA MX SAT: LEON / SANTOSTUDN8/21
279MLS REGULAR SEASON : MINN/KANSAS CITYESPN8/21
253PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN8/21
245LIGA MX EF SUN: AMERICA / TIJUANATUDN8/22
237PREMIER LEAGUE L: NEWCASTLE/ASTON VILLANBCSN8/21
223PREMIER LEAGUE L: NORWICH/MAN CITYUSA8/21
220LIGA MX SAT 2: SAN LUIS / CRUZ AZULTUDN8/21
211LIGA MX LTUDN8/22
200PREMIER LEAGUE L: LEICESTER/WEST HAMNBCSN8/23
189LIGA MX L: MAZATLAN / TIGRESTUDN8/20
175LIGA MX WED: CRUZ AZUL / MONTERREYTUDN8/18
169MEXICAN FIRST DIVISION L: MONTERREY/GUADESPN DEP8/21
157INTL CHAMPIONS CUP L: LYONNAIS/PORTLANDESPN28/21
155LIGA MX L: TIGRES / QUERETAROTUDN8/17
148FUTBOL ESTELAR CHIVAS: GUADAVS LEONUNIVERSO8/18
128LIGA MX LTUDN8/17
125LIGA MX L: ATLAS / TOLUCATUDN8/21
120LIGA MX L: TOLUCA VS MAZATLANTUDN8/17
116LIGA MX L: QUERETARO / PACHUCATUDN8/22
115PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN8/21
89PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL ZONENBCSN8/23
source: showbuzzdaily


Here's how all sports (games and related programming) looked on cable last week:







MLS Slapped a Price Sticker on the Windshield

There is a report out there that put a dollar figure on the regional rights to MLS games. 


There is a lot going on here for MLS and it's hard to explain, which is why they must be having trouble getting a buyer.

Let walk through the steps and see how far we get before we enter the dark woods...

1. Scrap Regional Games
MLS does not want to be in the regional sports network broadcast sphere anymore. Like baseball, MLS creates local deals with TV networks to carry games. The league office has always charged (challenged?) each individual team to get a deal done. There are a handful of teams that make money on it, but for the most part, MLS teams end up flipping the bill. MLS wants out of this model.

2. What MLS Wants
Since the current model isn't working, they want someone to buy the rights to all their games (460 or so) in one giant bundle, separate from the nationally televised games. Last year they instructed every team to not seek new regional deals to get ahead of this change. Outside of this info, nobody really knows what's going to happen.

3. Nobody Knows What MLS Wants
This is where I think the whole thing falls apart for the league. There doesn't appear to be a map guiding anyone forward. Who will produce the broadcasts now? Will they keep local talent and just show those games on ESPN+ like they are now just with no blackouts? Why would ESPN pay 75 million dollars for something they are effectively getting for free now? Why would anyone pay $75m to pick up 27 broadcast teams and now have to pay them and production of games? Will MLS just keep paying to produce the games but let someone else broadcast them so they can earn off ads? 

On one hand, I think MLS is wanted to copy the NBC approach with the English Premier League. Pump in the feed for non-nationally televised games and pepper in games during the weekend on big networks. Seems simple enough.

...but on the other hand. Who wants to pick up the cost of producing over 400 games (and growing)? There's no real precedent for that out there.

Anyhow, I don't think MLS has the bandwidth the work this out and is fishing for someone out there to take it and run. Since the are already negotiating with ESPN, Fox and Univision we can conclude that they are not interested. I'm guessing they are trying to net Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Roku and the like. with this little leak. We see.

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Cable Soccer Viewership, Aug 13-16

We are back with our regular weekly soccer ratings. Some of you may know that everyone's source for ratings went down back in May (showbuzzydaily). They have returned. Which means... I have returned with soccer viewership and thoughts.

Below is how things shape up for last week. The restart date was Aug 13. I will resume my Tuesday to Monday schedule as data becomes available.

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The opening weekend for the Premier League dominated soccer on TV for this time frame, while MLS seems to be in a summer funk. 

There were three games on broadcast (OTA/network) TV last week:

000s: Match (network, rating)
912k: Liverpool v Norwich (NBC, 0.56 rating)
456k: Barcelona v Real Sociedad (ABC, 0.25)
332k: Minn United v LA Galaxy (FOX, 0.21)

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US Cable Viewership: Soccer Programs Aug 13-16
Viewers (000)Event/GameNetworkDate
757PREMIER LEAGUE L: MAN CITY/TOTTENHAMNBCSN8/15
433PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL ZONENBCSN8/15
418PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN8/15
388PREMIER LEAGUE L: LEEDS/MAN UNITEDNBCSN8/14
380PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN8/14
374PREMIER LEAGUE L: SOUTHAMPTON/EVERTONNBCSN8/14
373PREMIER LEAGUE L: ARSENAL/BRENTFORDNBCSN8/13
358PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN8/14
305PREMIER LEAGUE L: WEST HAM/NEWCASTLENBCSN8/15
274LIGA MX EF SUN: ATLAS / AMERICATUDN8/15
269MLS REGULAR SEASON      L: ATLANTA/LAFCESPN8/15
267LIGA MX: SANTOS VS GUADALAJARAFOX DEP8/15
225LIGA MX L: JUAREZ / TIJUANATUDN8/13
219MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER L: PORTLAND/SEATTLEFS18/15
213PREMIER LEAGUE L: WOLVES/LEICESTERUSA8/14
201LIGA MX L: PUEBLA / TIGRESTUDN8/13
187LIGA MX SATTUDN8/14
166PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL ZONENBCSN8/13
160LIGA MX SAT 2: CRUZ AZUL / TOLUCATUDN8/14
144LIGA MX DT SAT: UNAM / QUERETAROTUDN8/14
80LIGA PREMIER: LEICESTER VS WOLVERHAMPTONUNIVERSO8/14
68MLS REGULAR SEASON    L: ATLANTA/LAFCESPN DEP8/15
65LIGA PREMIER: NORWICH CITY VS LIVERPOOLUNIVERSO8/14
61FUTBOL CENTRAL LTUDN8/15

source: ShowbuzzDaily

Here's a quick look at the cumulative cable viewership for all sports the this time frame (specific to league and/or event).




Tuesday, August 17, 2021

TV Ratings, Back in Business

The internet's Lost Treasure of Daily TV Ratings is back up and running (ShowbuzzDaily) which means that I will resume my weekly posting and various thoughts on soccer-related viewership data.

Looking forward to getting back in the saddle!

Monday, August 16, 2021

Crew drop out of playoff position

The loss last night to Chicago puts Columbus one spot out of playoffs with just about half (45%) of the MLS season left to play which means the watch has started. Before this recent 4 game skid, the Crew looked like they were coasting to another playoff appearance.

We usually have a pretty good picture of which teams are good/bad by mid-summer on the MLS calendar. The way things are looking right now, Columbus will be battling with Montreal, Philly, and DC above them and Atlanta below them.

I think the rest are pretty much locked into their positions.


PPGTeam 1Team 2
3.00
2.90
2.80
2.70
2.60
2.50
2.40
2.30
2.20
2.10New England
2.00
1.90
1.80
1.70NYCFC
1.60Orlando CityNashville
1.50
1.40PhiladelphiaD.C. United
1.30CF Montréal
1.20Columbus Crew
1.10Atlanta Utd
1.00NY Red BullsChicago Fire
0.90Inter MiamiFC Cincinnati
0.80
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00

Sunday, August 8, 2021

Crew in Crisis? Yes... and No

It's been a rough 10 days or so for the Columbus Crew. Three games, three losses with 11 goals against. It has been bad enough that it is sounding alarm bells off in the hearts and minds of even the most faithful Crew season ticket holder to the passionate blackout drunk in the Nordecke.

In fact, in a lot of ways, the fans are right to think something is horribly wrong with the team because having this many goals scored on them over a three-game span just isn't something that happens in Columbus. You have to go back over a decade to see it.

Making matters worse (and perhaps the sole reason for the anger at the team) in the mind of fans is that the Crew have only won a single match in five at the new stadium. The last two being losses.

1. CREW IN CRISIS? YES... and NO

Now, that record is probably giving the team front office nightmares. On top of the difficulty of selling MLS soccer in Columbus (historically), they now have to wrestle with a full month of poor results in their new little downtown wonderland of LED light and smoke - and the camo paint job on the empty seats is already noticeable. 

Ever since the successful launch and rebrand that Sporting KC pulled off, we see other MLS teams trying to recreate that magic. The Crew very well be the most like for like to KC since and honestly, it's a complete faceplant in comparison. KC only lost one game at their new "Livestrong Sporting Park" that entire season. It built momentum for the front office that they rode for almost a decade (could argue it's still going). 

The Crew, by comparison, had a disaster of a rebrand (which meant no new merch sales), and each home game I've seen empty seats (increasingly). On top of that, of course, is the results there. Not good!

2. CREW IN CRISIS? YES... and NO

Simply put, Caleb Porter has the Columbus Crew on the most consistently good run in modern MLS history (the last 12 years or so). The long view, on a 20 game rolling average, the team hasn't dipped below 1.55 points per game in 41 games. No team going back to the 2008 MLS Cup winners has been about to sustain that kind of PPG average. It's pretty remarkable.

The asterisk here with Porter is that this good run of games came after the absolute worst run in Crew history when he first started (the one win in 15 run April - July 2019). But this season has been a Gold Cup year and the team lost a couple key players for a few weeks in Room and Zardes. There are also a few injuries, notably to Valenzuela, Williams, and Artur that the team is dealing with.

So, you are watching a good team on a really long good run that might be coming down out of it after a year + of outstanding results. Is it frustrating it is coming right when the new place opened up? Yep.

...is it also possible that Porter is flaming out gloriously? yes.