Jump to content

The MLS Thread


ClaretMahoney

Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...
4 hours ago, EvilChameleon said:

This was pretty cool.

 

Shame to see rising cost of living is hitting the US and they've had to replace their pre-match fighter jet flyover with a loon instead

Edited by a-k
Link to comment
Share on other sites

For those who dont know the MLS imposes blackouts of games on TV/Streaming services if you live within a few hours drive of a club. Including replays of the games AFTER they have finished and including blackouts during peak COVID when fans were unable to attend games. Yes you read that right. I am not joking. I cannot watch a replay of a game on ESPN+ the San Jose earthquakes played last week because I live nearby.

So I live in the bay area about an hours drive away from the San Jose Earthquakes. This means I can watch any other club in MLS  except the local club.

So the fundamental business strategy of the MLS is to reduce local support for clubs and instead encourage support for clubs and leagues in other countries/ states. This has been one of if not THE major obstacle to the growth of MLS. American sports have a mistaken reputation for being well run businesses, they are not (see the decline of the NFL, NBA within the USA), they are often run by old men with very little understanding of the modern world and business, local blackouts are just another example of that.

Happily Apple has insisted as part of its new TV deal starting next year that it refuses to do local blackouts so MLS is going to be forced to get new fans.

It is incredible its taken until 2023 and a major corporation forcing this issue for a basic and obvious service fans want will available over here.

Welcome to the 21st century MLS. You have a lot of catching up to do.

https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2022/06/apple-and-mls-to-present-all-mls-matches-for-10-years-beginning-in-2023/

 

Edited by ciggiesnbeer
  • Confused 1
  • Shocked 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the idea of the blackout for the NFL etc and even the PL should the government finally knock this 3pm blackout stuff on the head

But I don't understand how it doesn't go hand in hand with supporting your local club and said club doing everything they can, including fair ticket pricing, to get you in there 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

56 minutes ago, villa4europe said:

I like the idea of the blackout for the NFL etc and even the PL should the government finally knock this 3pm blackout stuff on the head

But I don't understand how it doesn't go hand in hand with supporting your local club and said club doing everything they can, including fair ticket pricing, to get you in there 

 

If Aston Villa set a rule that if you lived within a 100 miles of Villa Park you could not watch the full match replay (on AVTV or SKY or whoever owned the PL replay rights) the week after the game, but people in London could watch that recording dont you think that would have a negative reaction from fans? That is what the MLS does. 

I mean I am fine with it, I just dont bother with the Earthquakes or MLS and instead I switch over to the Bundesliga which is obviously better in every way. But its one of the major reasons the MLS is so weak, they have simply been hostile to gaining local fans.

Happily for them starting next year Apple has forced them into being customer friendly and abolished these antiquated blackouts. 
 

Edited by ciggiesnbeer
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And the club were out pricing the local community?

Yes I'm OK with that 

The onus should be on the club to find a balance and only charge fans a fair price, unfortunately what I think is likely to happen instead is fans will get charged more and more for tickets, kits, TV subscriptions etc etc 

Then all of that is linked to FFP and the pursuit of revenue which needs to be binned off too

England need to knock the 3pm blackout on the head too but if PL teams charge £50+ for a ticket and don't sell out then TV shouldn't come first

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 9 months later...
  • 2 months later...

Bump. Leagues Cup starts tonight, first year of it. MLS and Liga MX pausing their season to play for a cup. First game is Cruz Azul and Inter Miami, first game for a dude named Messi. On the bench. Maybe they will be okay.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, OhioVilla said:

And he scores the game winner in 90+4 on a free kick from just outside the box. Awesome.

Because of course he did :lol:

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Tegis said:

Because of course he did :lol:

 

My exposure to football in the US has been extremely blessed limited over the years, and will continue to be so, I imagine. 

My disconnect is such that when seeing the news of Messi scoring this goal my immediate thought was, I wonder what the commentator said. 

I realise now he said 'MESSI...could it have been...any other way', but imagine my excitement when I thought he said 'MESSI...put in the bin' as the net rippled.

Missed opportunity, I feel. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The clip is pure football theatre but parts of it are a bit…weird and made me think it was all set up.
 

The Miami coach wheeling away to the bench looking really chuffed as if putting Messi on direct free kicks was his bold strategy. Or the self congratulatory look on Beckham’s face, as if he’s been a real maverick in discovering Messi, as if a there were some imaginary doubters who said Messi was too small for the rigours of the MLS. 
 

Then Messi doing gladhanding the crowd like he’s won the World Cup again or he’s running for political office.
 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

×
×
  • Create New...
Â