SOME SMALL THOUGHTS ON A REALLY BIG DEAL
MLS and Apple announced a historic media rights deal yesterday. I think it's fair to say that reactions have been overwhelmingly positive. Personally, I had my questions about what the next deal might look like. Almost all of those were erased instantly yesterday and it seems like a large majority of other folks who cover the league had similar feelings. I try not to make too much of a habit out of saying nice things about MLS just for the sake of it, even in this newsletter. But my hands are tied here. There's a lot to like about this news.Growth through what you already havePerhaps the biggest public criticism of the deal came due to the number of games on regular television. Basically non-streaming or "linear" TV. The criticism focused on the idea of "casual" fans or even those new to soccer not being able to easily access the games.First off, it should be said that MLS is still in discussions to have national games broadcast on linear TV networks, while local TV is out. There's still a strong likelihood that someone will stumble across an MLS game one day and somehow get invested. But, to be frank, I just don't think that's how this did or will work. It might have been how it worked for some folks back when people flipped through TV channels. That's just not how it happens now. The league's fanbase, primarily made up of Millenial and Gen Z followers, isn't dependent on growth via channel surfing.There will still be soccer on no matter what. Various leagues, including MLS, will still be on linear TV. It will still be possible that someone becomes interested in the sport through those mediums. But if that person does decide to seek out their local soccer team, you probably want to make sure they're finding the best possible product. And I think this is a step towards giving fans who invest in the league and its teams the best possible product.Season ticket holders will get a subscription to the MLS streaming service on Apple TV and the quality of the broadcasts should improve via production at a centralized location. By investing in the folks who are already invested, my opinion is that you're growing the league in the kind of grassroots, word-of-mouth way that creates sustainable cultures and communities. Instead of banking on a national broadcast drawing people in for a fleeting moment and maybe retaining a small percentage of viewers, you can bank on the people who are already drawn in to grow support for their team even more effectively than they've already been doing thanks to a well-defined path to following the team and an improved product to watch.MLS fanbases have reached the point where it's possible to get a return on this. That may not have been the case a decade ago. And I think in the long-term, investment into an already deeply committed group of fans will have positive ripples outward.No more mapsAs of now, sometimes watching MLS locally can be challenging. You'd have to find the channel and that's after you figured out what time the game started and on what day. The schedule simply has a lot of unpredictability.In addition to every game being available in one place with no blackouts and no geographic restrictions, MLS games will now almost always be on a set time and a set date from here on out. MLS will exist on Saturday nights and Wednesday nights and that's it. There might be some tweaks here and there due to stadium availability and linear TV windows. But you'll be able to plan your weekend consistently around following your team.Plus there's the added advantage of almost all games being at night. It means fewer tired players, which means better soccer. And it means better atmospheres, which means better soccer. It's a net positive for the entirety of the product.It also means…WhiplashWHIP-AROUND SHOW.The consistent start times will allow fans to follow the league as a whole by watching a whip-around show that shows the best moments from all of the games going on at once. Whip-around shows are amazing. I found myself watching the college baseball version of a whip-around show during the NCAA tournament the other day with no real investment in any of the teams playing because my alma mater bombs out of the regional every year. It was awesome.I'm sure there might be "professionals" doing most of the whip-around coverage, but I'm still going to push for me and Tom Bogert to take over once a year as MLS execs look on horrified while we ignore all of the action to have an in-depth discussion about John Tolkin's hair. It will rule.A clearer picturePretty simple here. Broadcasts will now be in 1080p. I don't entirely know what that means exactly, but I do know it will be a much clearer picture from the current 720p and 1080i of most MLS broadcasts right now.I don't know if y'all have seen Apple's MLB broadcasts this year, but they've looked phenomenal. Being able to distinguish players with ease on every MLS broadcast is going to be a big plus. Soccer is such an aesthetically pleasing sport and it will only look better as the broadcast quality improves, teams continue to avoid plain black and white kits, and the sound design improves so you can really hear how loud MLS stadiums get.HOMER CASTYou'll be able to listen to your home team radio broadcast if you want. As someone who demands to know exactly why we should feel aggrieved at every available opportunity, this is a dream come true. I can't wait for all of this.