US Soccer/2019 Gold Cup/Road to Qatar 2022

[Skydog]

On closer reading Apple will be charging an additional fee for the MLS package.

[Acymetric]

My money is against this being profitable for Apple, but it is good for the MLS and domestic soccer generally.

[Skydog]

My money is against this being profitable for Apple, but it is good for the MLS and domestic soccer generally.

If these reports are true it is GREAT news for US soccer. As recently as March* it was being reported that ESPN, Fox, Univision, etc. were showing little interest in re-upping a big TV contract. MLS ratings just didn't warrant such a deal. (The switch from 'retirement league' signings of world renown 30+ yo's to young talented unknowns has hurt us PR wise, and likely the reason for declining viewership.) Anyway without this Apple sugar daddy coming in MLS might have been looking at declining TV revenues, which is a disaster for a professional sports league. Instead we are looking at a tripling (or more) of TV revenue, a gigantic boon for the sport in the US. I just hope there is no fine print in there making the 2.5B contingent on viewership, etc.

*https://theathletic.com/3194631/2022...r-sources-say/ (again pay-walled, sorry)

[cato]

As for Group B, the US isn't going to be first. Weird things happen, but I cannot see a world where England isn't first.

Yes my “weird things happen” comment related more to the possibility that the US finds its way to 3rd. Not that they could possibly finish 1st.

This leads to a logical conundrum: no one would be surprised if either the US or England (a) performed to or above expectations, or (b) lost a game they shouldn’t have. So while it’s more likely that the US fails to advance than England comes in second, there could be a scenario where the US grabs first.

I do not expect this to happen. I have too many memories of the US going down in flames.

[Acymetric]

I do not expect this to happen. I have too many memories of the US going down in flames.

I started following US Soccer (which is mostly the only soccer I watch) because I was on a trip with a friend who was a huge soccer fan when the 2010 World Cup started...my memories are exclusively of the US going down in flames. 2 wins in 12 years.

[elvis14]

I started following US Soccer (which is mostly the only soccer I watch) because I was on a trip with a friend who was a huge soccer fan when the 2010 World Cup started...my memories are exclusively of the US going down in flames. 2 wins in 12 years.

That's why you follow the USWNT in addition to the men's team :-)

[LasVegas]

If these reports are true it is GREAT news for US soccer. As recently as March* it was being reported that ESPN, Fox, Univision, etc. were showing little interest in re-upping a big TV contract. MLS ratings just didn't warrant such a deal. (The switch from 'retirement league' signings of world renown 30+ yo's to young talented unknowns has hurt us PR wise, and likely the reason for declining viewership.) Anyway without this Apple sugar daddy coming in MLS might have been looking at declining TV revenues, which is a disaster for a professional sports league. Instead we are looking at a tripling (or more) of TV revenue, a gigantic boon for the sport in the US. I just hope there is no fine print in there making the 2.5B contingent on viewership, etc.

*https://theathletic.com/3194631/2022...r-sources-say/ (again pay-walled, sorry)

It looks like MLS is actually paying to produce the content. Apple is essentially paying $250 million just to have it on their app. I question how much MLS can really make off of this when production costs have to be pretty high.

[cato]

I started following US Soccer (which is mostly the only soccer I watch) because I was on a trip with a friend who was a huge soccer fan when the 2010 World Cup started...my memories are exclusively of the US going down in flames. 2 wins in 12 years.

Some pretty exciting moments in 2010 and 2014 and the team advanced to the knock out stage. At least those were better showings than 1998 or 2018

I’m hoping that 2022 team shows up more like the 2002 team.

[A-Tex Devil]

CONCACAFed. Lucky to get the point.

[Skydog]

It looks like MLS is actually paying to produce the content. Apple is essentially paying $250 million just to have it on their app. I question how much MLS can really make off of this when production costs have to be pretty high.

(Hope this isn’t too off topic. If it is mods feel free to move it to its own thread.)
That is an important point. Unfortunately I have no idea what those production costs run. Also it is unclear how Apple and regular TV will work together. All games will be shown on Apple but some games will also be on “linear TV” (ESPN, Univision, Fox). I’m pretty sure Apple will have their own national studio based announcers for every game but the games appearing on linear TV will use local venue-based announcers. But I assume all of them will be showing the same camera feeds that are provided by MLS? And I assume Apple can superimpose their own specialized stats graphics like they do for MLB games onto the MLS canera feed?? Obviously I’m not in the tv production business and I have little understanding of what “producing” entails at the nitty gritty level. Anyone who knows this stuff please enlighten me.

[cato]

In response to Deslok’s post in the Premier League thread, I am bumping this in case anyone else has the stomach to discuss our boy’s flaccid performance against Japan.

[elvis14]

In response to Deslok’s post in the Premier League thread, I am bumping this in case anyone else has the stomach to discuss our boy’s flaccid performance against Japan.

Well, I'd have to say that by using the word 'flaccid' you pretty much summed up the performance quite succinctly and accurately.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Well, I'd have to say that by using the word 'flaccid' you pretty much summed up the performance quite succinctly and accurately.

The biggest issue is the complete and utter lack of continuity across the team. They haven’t played with each other much, the stars are injured a lot, and the coach continuously tries to find the shiny new toy.

[jafarr1]

Not much better today against Saudi Arabia, except on the scoreboard (0-0). Whatever Berhalter is trying to do isn’t working, because there was nothing to build on in the last friendly leading into the World Cup.

Reyna left after thirty minutes - no word on whether he re-injured himself or just was being cautious, but either way not a great sign.