In 2013, during an interview with journalists, MLS Commissioner Don Garber declared there was too much soccer on television.
At that time, Garber said, “You’ve got Mexican soccer. You’ve got Major League Soccer. There’s way too much soccer on television. I think all of us got to figure out a way to narrow that window so you can get a situation like the NFL has, a couple of days a week, short schedule, something that’s very compelling and very targeted.”
Eleven years later, the number of games on US television has exploded mainly due to the abundance of legal streaming options. For instance, there are now:
• 133% more Bundesliga games shown live in the US compared to 2013, and
• 55% more Champions League games played each season than last year.
Those are just two examples of more than a dozen where viewing options have increased.
Let’s not forget where MLS has come from. It used to be the second most-watched soccer league in the United States, behind Liga MX. Looking back, MLS’ average cable viewership climbed from 185,000 viewers per game in 2013 to 285,000 in 2021, an increase of 54%. By 2023, the same year that Apple launched MLS Season Pass, the Premier League leapfrogged both MLS and Liga MX to become the most-watched soccer league on US television.
More than 70 pro soccer games every Saturday for US viewers
It’s not just the Bundesliga and Champions League where the viewing options have skyrocketed. Take any league from around the world, and chances are that they’re now shown here. Plus, since 2013, the growth of women’s soccer has been incredible with more teams and more games from around the world than ever before.
On any typical Saturday during the soccer season, there are more than 70 professional soccer games available for viewers to watch in the United States. Garber previously mentioned his goal of narrowing down the kickoff window for Major League Soccer to make a more centralized and targeted…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/tv/the-rise-and-fall-of-mls-on-tv-due-to-increased-competition/
Author : Kyle Fansler
Publish date : 2024-09-29 16:15:21
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