Wednesday, October 27, 2021

TV Soccer Viewership: Oct 19-25

42: Last week turned out to be one of the busiest soccer on cable weeks of the year with a total of 42 different events/programs making the list

2: MLS is firmly in the home stretch of its regular season and interest couldn't be lower. Compounding the problem for the league is that there were only 2 games on national TV last week (not counting TUDN because there wasn't enough interest there to pull a rating for MLS).

187: World Chase Tag pulled 187k viewers on Sunday. It's not soccer, but I wanted to highlight that it pulled a number that is right there with some of the soccer properties. In particular, MLS. Why pick on MLS? Because they have the largest TV deal south of the Premier League (right now). 

6: Do you know what else beat MLS last week? 6 non-mainstream sports. Formula 1, Figure Skating, College Volleyball, esports, a show on the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders.

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US Cable Viewership: Non-Mainstream Sports Oct 19-25
Viewers (000)Event/GameNetworkDate
255FORMULA 1 PRACTICE LESPN2Oct 22, 21
243FORMULA 1 PRACTICE LESPN2Oct 22, 21
211DALLAS COWBOYS CHRLDRS 16CMTOct 22, 21
204B/R GAMINGTBSOct 22, 21
195FIGURE SKATING: ISU SKATE AMERICANBCSNOct 23, 21
187WORLD CHASE TAG: PHENOMENONESPNOct 24, 21
172FIGURE SKATING: ISU SKATE AMERICANBCSNOct 23, 21
167FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX: US GRAND PRIXESPNOct 24, 21
137B1G WOMENS VOLLEYBALL L: PENN ST / WISBIG10 NETOct 23, 21
136B1G WOMENS VOLLEYBALL LBIG10 NETOct 23, 21
116MLS REGULAR SEASON      LESPNOct 24, 21
96MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER L: ORLANDO/REVSFS1Oct 24, 21
53FORMULA 1 GRAND PRIX L: US GRAND PRIXESPN DEPOct 24, 21

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5: Leading the pack last week was the Premier League. Liverpool dismantled Manchester United in front of 706k on NBCSN. Because of the format, the network is blessed with wonderful matchups every week. Very few games include two bad teams. I think the US equivalent would be to think of College Basketball having a top division filled with the best teams only.

0: The interest I have in the traveling soccer show that the US Women have become. I do think that it hurts the development of club soccer in the US more than it helps. That said, 287k suggests that there is still mild interest in the barnstorming events of the team.

Last bullet point - I have noticed that Liga MX on TUDN has slipped since the start of the NFL. I'll look into that a bit more in the future.

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US Cable Viewership: Soccer Programs Oct 19-25
Viewers (000)Event/GameNetworkDate
706PREMIER LEAGUE L: LIVERPOOL/MAN UNITEDNBCSN10/24
400PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN10/24
383LIGA MX SAT: AMERICA / TIGRESTUDN10/23
366PREMIER LEAGUE L: TOTTENHAM/WEST HAMNBCSN10/24
314PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL ZONENBCSN10/24
309PREMIER LEAGUE L: WOLVES/LEEDSNBCSN10/23
287USA SOCCER WOMEN        L: USA/SOUTH KOREAESPN210/21
266LIGA MX TUE : AMERICA/SANTOS LAGUNATUDN10/19
245UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: MAN UNITED/ATALANTATUDN10/20
244PREMIER LEAGUE L: NORWICH/CHELSEANBCSN10/23
222PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN10/23
220PREMIER LEAGUE L: ASTON VILLA/ARSENALNBCSN10/22
213LIGA MX TUE: ATLAS / CRUZ AZULTUDN10/19
210LIGA MX L: LEON / UNAMTUDN10/20
207LIGA MX L: PACHUCA / FC JUAREZTUDN10/24
191LIGA MX: TIJUANA VS GUADALAJARAFOX DEP10/20
187WORLD CHASE TAG: PHENOMENONESPN10/24
183UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: ATLETICO/LIVERPOOLTUDN10/19
182PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN10/23
159LIGA MX L: PUEBLA / LEONTUDN10/23
136PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL ZONENBCSN10/22
133UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1: BARCA / DYNAMOTUDN10/20
132FUT-EST-CHIVAS-TEL-UNVSO: GUADA V CRUZ AZULUNIVERSO10/23
128LIGA MX L: TIGRES / PACHUCATUDN10/20
125PREMIER LEAGUE L: WATFORD/EVERTONUSA10/23
123LIGA MX L: CLUB ATLETICO SAN LUIS / ATLASTUDN10/24
117LIGA MX L: MAZATLAN / QUERETAROTUDN10/22
116MLS REGULAR SEASON      LESPN10/24
103MISION EUROPATUDN10/19
102LIGA MX SUN: UNAM / TIJUANATUDN10/24
99LIGA MX L: QUERETARO / MONTERREYTUDN10/19
96MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER L: ORLANDO CITY/REVSFS110/24
95LIGA MX: SANTOS VS TOLUCAFOX DEP10/24
90UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE 1: BRUGGE / MAN CITYTUDN10/19
87MISION EUROPATUDN10/20
85PREMIER LEAGUE DOWNLOADNBCSN10/22
80LIGA PREMIER EXTRAUNIVERSO10/23
78LIGA PREMIER: BRIGHTON VS MANCHESTER CITYUNIVERSO10/23
71CONTACTO DEPORTIVOTUDN10/19
69LIGA PREMIER: LEEDS VS WOLVERHAMPTONUNIVERSO10/23
67FUTBOL CENTRAL LTUDN10/24
66CONTACTO DEPORTIVOTUDN10/23
62LIGUE 1 – L: MARSEILLE V. PARIS SAINT GERMAINBEIN ESP10/24

sources: showbuzzdaily, spoilertv, helltown

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

TV Soccer Viewership: Oct 12-18

ESPN2's USMNT match against Costa Rica tops the cable viewership ladder last week and the Premier League comes off the international break without missing a beat. 

The matchup between Chelsea and Brentford on NBC broadcast pulled in 760k (0.44 rating) on Saturday, which was up against all the noon college football games.

MLS only had one English language game on the list last week. The Saturday LAFC v San Jose game on TUDN did not pull a number.

UNIVERSO is coming on strong now that it has been added to YouTubeTV and is Neilsen rated.

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Yesterday I was asked to compare MLS on ESPN to the Premier League on NBCSN (@aghease). Here are the numbers for 2020 and 2021:

AVG (000s)Count of GamesTotal Viewership (000s)
PL NBCSN341304103,750
MLS ESPN2614311,210
Difference8026192,540
% Diff31%607%826%

The Premier League on NBCSN is a tidal wave of content, comparatively. 31% more viewership on average but over 600% more games. Even if you were to add up all of MLS on cable it would only just about double the 11,210k number (24,218k).

I'm glad I was asked this question because it makes it clear why MLS wants a PL/NBC-like deal because MLS is only on standard cable about 10% as much as the Premier League. "Content is King," they say.

If MLS wants to get on TV more it will have to find a home that has more windows for them. I'm guessing that this is probably why we aren't hearing anything on the next tv deal yet. It's a big ask, what MLS wants. Traditional partners like ESPN and Fox don't have a lot of free evenings for MLS, clearly. 

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US Cable Viewership: Soccer Programs Oct 12-18
Viewers (000)Event/GameNetworkDate
651WORLD CUP QUAL MATCHES  L: USA/COSTA RICAESPN210/13
480PREMIER LEAGUE L: MAN UNITED/LEICESTERUSA10/16
438PREMIER LEAGUE L: TOTTENHAM/NEWCASTLENBCSN10/17
302PREMIER LEAGUE L: WEST HAM/EVERTONNBCSN10/17
276LIGA MX SAT 2: CRUZ AZUL / TIGRESTUDN10/16
267RUM-MUND-TEL-UNVSO-21: EL SALVADOR/MEXICOUNIVERSO10/13
253PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN10/17
249SELECCION NA?L EE.UU. EF:USA/COSTA RICATUDN10/13
222PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN10/16
215LIGA MX SAT: CLUB ATLETICO SAN LUIS/AMERICATUDN10/16
205PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIONBCSN10/16
184PREMIER LEAGUE L: WOLVES/ASTON VILLANBCSN10/16
173LINEA DE CUATRO LTUDN10/13
148MLS REGULAR SEASON L: NY RED BULLS/NYC FCESPN10/17
141PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL ZONENBCSN10/17
130LIGA MX L: MAZATLAN / ATLASTUDN10/15
112WORLD CUP QUAL MATCHES: DENMARK/AUSTRIAESPN210/12
98LIGA PREMIER: LEICESTER VS MAN UNITEDUNIVERSO10/16
95CONTACTO DEPORTIVOTUDN10/16
90LIGA PREMIER: BRENTFORD VS CHELSEAUNIVERSO10/16
89LIGA MX SUN: UNAM / FC JUAREZTUDN10/17
86FUTBOL CENTRAL EFTUDN10/13
76FUT-EST-CHIVAS-TEL-UNVSO: GUADA VS TOLUCAUNIVERSO10/17
51LIGA MX: PACHUCA / SANTOSTUDN10/16
50FUTBOL CENTRAL LTUDN10/17

sources: showbuzzdaily, spoilertv, helltown

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All sports viewership for last week: