Saturday, November 25, 2023

Soccer Viewership: NOV 13 - 19

Light International Week. Argentina v. Uruguay tops the chart.

Highlights/Lowlights:

• One of my data sources did not update this past week (Thanksgiving) so I am probably missing a couple sub 100k events. While they might be lost to history and not matter, it's always important to capture them.

• The USMNT garnered a lot of interest on Span-lang. 869k on Telemundo and another 119k on Universo. Inches away from 1m. Why? I'm not entirely sure.

• The US team on Eng-lang didn't do all that well. 348k and next week's report will have their away match in the 300s as well. 

• Looking forward to the return of league play this week.

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US TV Viewership: NOV 13 - 19
PREMIER LEAGUE
LIGA MX (Mexican Soccer)
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Viewers (000)Event/GameNetworkDate
973RUM-MNDL-TEL-UNVSO: ARGENTINA/URUGUAYTEL11/16
869NAT-LGE-TEL-UNVSO: USMNT/TRINIDAD & TTEL11/16
598CONCACAF NATIONS LEAGUE: HONDURAS/MEXICOTUDN11/17
348USA SOCCER MEN: USMNT/TRINIDAD & TTNT11/16
305ZONA MXTA - SAT: N/ATEL11/18
136FUTBOL CENTRAL: N/ATUDN11/17
121RUM-MNDL-TEL-UNVSO: ARGENTINA/URUGUAYUNIVERSO11/16
119NAT-LGE-TEL-UNVSO: USMNT/TRINIDAD & TUNIVERSO11/16
116USA SOCCER PREGAME: N/ATNT11/16
112USA SOCCER POSTGAME: N/ATNT11/16

Sources: Nielsen Data via Sports Media Watch, Spoiler TV, SportsTVRatings

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Note: My primary source for this data has changed from ShowBuzzDaily to a combination of Sports TV Ratings, Sports Media Watch and Spoiler TV. My weekly report will be posted on Wednesdays with the exception of holidays.


Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Soccer Viewership: NOV 6 - 12

Club America, America's team, tops the list this week on Univision + TUDN. Manchester City vs. Chelsea was a close second when you combine USA + Telemundo.

Highlights/Lowlights:

• Liga MX finally jumps back up over 1m. The league also saw a strong number from Chivas. Positive signs for the league, but it still has a way to go to get back to last year's numbers. They need more popular teams other than these two.

• The NWSL final pulled 817k, which is down 11% from last year. NWSL does not have a Span-lang partner. CBS PR mentioned growth in streaming but did not provide any numbers.

• My data source has changed back to Sports Media Watch. Bear with me as I transition over, there could be a couple errors, or missing info. I'll clean up as a go along.

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US TV Viewership: NOV 6 - 12
PREMIER LEAGUE
LIGA MX (Mexican Soccer)
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Viewers (000)Event/GameNetworkDate
1,139LIGA MX 2 SAT: TIGRES UANL VS AMERICA+T UNIUNI11/11
841LIGA MX SAT: UNAM VS GUADALAJARA +TUNI11/11
817NWSL: OL REIGN VS NJ / NYCBS11/11
655PREMIER LEAGUE: MANCHESTER CITY / CHELSEAUSA11/12
600UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: AC MILAN VS PSG +TUNI11/7
527PREMIER LEAGUE: NEWCASTLE AT BOURNEMOUTHNBC11/11
486PREMIER LEAGUE: LUTON / MANCHESTERUSA11/11
448UEFA CHAMPIONS: ARSENAL VS SEVILLA +TUNI11/8
401LIGA PREMIER: CHELSEA V. MANCHESTER CITYTEL11/12
378PREMIER LEAGUE L: TOTTENHAM / WOLVESUSA11/11
359LIGA MX 2 SAT: TIGRES / AMERICA +UNITUDN11/11
327FUTBOL CENTRAL PT SAT: LIGA MX SAT +TUNI11/11
299LIGA PREMIER 3ER: N/ATEL11/12
298LIGA MX SAT: UNAM / CHIVAS +UNITUDN11/11
296PREMIER LEAGUE: NOTTINGHAM /WEST HAMUSA11/12
264LIGA MX L: LEON / FC JUAREZTUDN11/12
231PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIO: N/AUSA11/12
220UEFA CHAMPIONS: FC SHAKHTAR VS BARCAUniMas11/7
181LIGA MX L: CRUZ AZUL / PUEBLATUDN11/12
175PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIO: N/AESPN211/11
174LA LIGA: REAL MADRID / VALENCIAESPND11/11
172UEFA EUROPA L: WEST HAM V OLYMPIACOS FC+TUniMas11/9
166FIFA-SUB17-23-11 TEL: MEXICO VS. ALEMANIATEL11/12
155FIFA-SUB17-23-11 TEL: MAYRATEL11/12
152LIGA MIX L: TIJUANA / PACHUCATUDN11/10

Sources: Nielsen Data via Sports Media Watch, Spoiler TV, SportsTVRatings

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Note: My primary source for this data has changed from ShowBuzzDaily to a combination of Sports TV Ratings, Sports Media Watch and Spoiler TV. My weekly report will be posted on Wednesdays with the exception of holidays.



Friday, November 10, 2023

New NWSL TV Deal

The National Women's Soccer League announced the details of their next TV deal yesterday. In effect, this is the league's first "real" media rights package as previous deals likely just covered the costs associated with producing and transmitting games.

The new deal: $60,000,000 per year (NWSL to cover production, rights fees, and marketing).

Networks: CBS Sports, ESPN, Amazon and Scripps Sports

DETAILS

1. 118 games will be aired across the networks.

# Games Breakdown
50 - ION TV (Scripps Sports)
27 - Amazon Prime
21 - CBS family of networks
20 - ESPN family

2. Missing Games: Future league streaming package to include missing games (154+playoffs)-118=36 games plus playoffs in 2024 if the league stays at 22 matches a year.

2a. Teams can seek out local TV deals for the missing games.

2b. The league plans to have a streaming service to catch the remaining games.

3. Interesting to me: It's listed as ESPN and not ABC/Disney. Halfway through this deal, it is expected that ESPN will break away from Disney so there may only be next year that ABC has games.

PERSPECTIVE

Let's break down the numbers a little bit...

$ Breakdown (in millions)
$25.4 - ION TV (Scripps Sports)
13.7 - Amazon Prime
10.7 - CBS family of networks
10.2 - ABC (ESPN family)
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$60m

This works out to be about $500k per game value (what networks paid for each game). The direct comparison here might be MLS (domestic league). MLS has a deal worth $250m per year. They play 493 regular season games, that's also about $500k per game cost to Apple ($250m/493).

Simply put? A single game for both the NWSL and MLS are worth about the same. Inventory the obvious difference.

This makes sense as the NWSL pulled numbers close to MLS on broadcast TV over the last few years (400-500k average range on any given regular season week, according to Nielsen).

The reason I compare MLS to the NWSL is that they are both the "top" domestic leagues in the US. It's interesting that they pull around the same viewership numbers. The only differences that we can see is the NWSL has less inventory (smaller league) and the demographics watching the games (MLS has a better 18-49 demo).

LASTLY

This deal is important to the NWSL in that it stabilizes it a bit. Over the years the league has seen ups and downs and its share of controversy with ownership. The deal isn't forever so the networks are going to be paying close attention to what they can put together as far as production. MLS did well getting things going but when you have Apple behind you - well.

It will be incredibly important that the NWSL get production right. That's finding the right voices and showcasing the game and competition itself. In other words; Let the most popular sport on the planet be the main course. All the other stuff is just salad dressing.

Thursday, November 9, 2023

Soccer Viewership: OCT 30 - NOV 5

The Premier League on NBC tops Club America on Univision + TUDN last week.

Highlights/Lowlights:

• Arsenal v Newcastle tops last week with 823k on NBC. A solid number over recent weeks. Peacock's number was not released.

• Telemundo's coverage of the PL continues to be the impressive story of the year for soccer on TV. Luton v. Liverpool is the 2nd best number on the network this season (2023/24). 

• Reminder: The +T includes TUDN numbers for Univision and +UNI is the reverse (combinded numbers.

• The MLS Playoffs on FS1 are a non-starter for the league. Apple's Season Pass numbers are not available, but wouldn't expect them to be anything more than FS1 in years past (150-250k).

• Women's College Soccer makes an appearance on the BTN. Low numbers, but they seem to do better than their male counterparts.

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US TV Viewership: OCT 30 - NOV 5
PREMIER LEAGUE
LIGA MX (Mexican Soccer)
MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER
Viewers (000)Event/GameNetworkDate
823NBC PREMIER LEAGUE: ARSENAL AT NEWCASTLENBC11/4
810LIGA MX SAT: AMERICA VS TIJUANA +TUNI11/4
617CHIVAS-TEL-UNVSO: GUADALAJARA VS CRUZ AZULTEL11/4
523LIGA MX EF SAT: TIGRES UANL VS CLUB-S LUIS +TUNI11/4
448PREMIER LEAGUE L: MAN UNITED/FULHAMUSA11/4
440PREMIER LEAGUE L: BOURNEMOUTH/MAN CITYUSA11/4
411PREMIER LEAGUE L: LIVERPOOL/LUTONUSA11/5
385LIGA MX IF SAT: PACHUCA VS MONTERREY +TUNI11/4
347PREMIER LEAGUE L: ASTON VILLA/NOTTINGHAMUSA11/5
331PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIO: N/AUSA11/4
329LIGA PREMIER - SUN: LUTON TOWN V LIVERPOOLTEL11/5
287LIGA MX SUN: UNAM VS ATLAS +TUNI11/5
266PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIO: N/AUSA11/4
263PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIO: N/AUSA11/5
256FUTBOL CENTRAL SUN: LIGA MXSUN +TUNI11/5
243LIGA-PREM-SAT-TEL-UNVSO: N/ATEL11/4
239LA LIGA: REAL MADRID/RAYO VALLECANOESPD11/5
232LIGA MX SAT: AMERICA / TIJUANA +UNITUDN11/4
205FUTBOL CENTRAL EF SAT: UGA MX EF SAT +TUNI11/4
191PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIO: N/AUSA11/5
189LIGA PREMIER - SUN AM: FOREST V. ASTON VILLATEL11/5
184LIGA PREMIER 3ER - SUN: N/ATEL11/5
170LA LIGA: REAL SOCIEDAD/BARCELONAESPD11/4
164PREMIER LEAGUE GOAL ZONE: N/AUSA11/5
161PREMIER LG LIVE STUDIO: N/AUSA11/4
160LIGA MX EF SAT: TIGRES / ATLETICO S LUIS +UNITUDN11/4
151WELCOME TO WREXHAM: 0212-HAND OF FOZFX10/31
137LIGA MX L: MAZATLAN / SANTOS LAGUNATUDN11/1
135CHIVAS-TEL-UNVSO: GUADALAJARA V CRUZ AZULUNIVERSO11/4
129LIGA MX: JUAREZ VS QUERETAROFOXD11/5
126LIGA MX L: ATLAS / PACHUCATUDN11/1
118LIGA MX L: MONTERREY / NECAXATUDN10/31
113MLS PLAYOFFS L: ROUND I:SEATTLE/DALLASFS110/30
107LIGA MX L: PUEBLA / LEONTUDN11/3
107LIGA MX L: TOLUCA / PUEBLATUDN10/31
105LIGA MX: SANTOS VS TOLUCAFOXD11/5
86MLS PLAYOFFS L: ROUND I:COLUMBUS/ATLANTAFS111/1
69MLS PLAYOFFS L: ROUND I:ORLANDO/NASHVILLEFS110/30
64FUTBOL CENTRAL L: N/ATUDN11/3
50MISION EUROPA L: N/ATUDN11/3
43FUTBOL CLUB L: N/ATUDN11/3
40LA LIGA: LAS PALMAS/ATLETICO DE MADRIDESPD11/3
37LA LIGA: GRANADA/VILLARREALESPD10/30
35BIG WOMENS SOCCER L: PENN STATE / IOWABTN11/2
27MISION EUROPA L: N ATUDN11/2
27PUNTO FINAL: N/AFOXD10/30
26MISION EUROPA L: N/ATUDN10/30
20FUTBOL CLUB L: N/ATUDN11/2
17MLS PLAYOFFS: RDI:COLUMBUS VS ATLANTAFOXD11/2
13BIG WOMENS SOCCER L: NEBRASKA / WISCONSINBTN11/2
11FUTBOL PICANTE AFT: N/AESPD11/2

Sources: Nielsen Data via Sports Media Watch, Spoiler TV, SportsTVRatings

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Note: My primary source for this data has changed from ShowBuzzDaily to a combination of Sports TV Ratings, Sports Media Watch and Spoiler TV. My weekly report will be posted on Wednesdays with the exception of holidays.