<div id="attachment_238477" style="width: 670px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2018/04/19/mls-tv-ratings-concern-given-account-just-6-soccer-tv-viewing/mls-tv-ratings-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-238477"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-238477" loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2018/04/mls-tv-ratings-660x440.webp" alt="" width="660" height="440" class="size-full wp-image-238477" sizes="(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px"></figure></div></a><p id="caption-attachment-238477" class="wp-caption-text">Photo credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports</p></div>
<p>Last year, I analyzed the soccer TV ratings data World Soccer Talk <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2016/12/28/mls-accounted-7-soccer-tv-viewing-august-december/">collected for 2016</a>. This year, World Soccer Talk writer and researcher <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/author/collinwerner/">Collin Werner</a> has more data for the 2017 season. The 2016 data did not include the Liga MX Clausura, amounting to just over one hundred games, but that is included in 2017’s numbers. This makes it possible to compare the performance of MLS on TV to its two main broadcast rivals, Liga MX and the Premier League across the entire season. The year 2017 was also a bigger year for international games with World Cup qualifiers and the Confederations Cup. As a result, the 2017 data covers 1455 broadcast games compared to 1064 in 2016.</p>
<p>Table 1 below summarizes the average viewership and the number of games shown, as well as the share of total (soccer) viewership and the share of total soccer games shown. Of the pro leagues, Liga MX dominates in terms of the average with 29% of total viewership in US with only 17% of the total games shown. The Premier League has a similar share of games shown and this is comparable to its share of viewership (17% and 19% respectively). In 2016, the data suggested MLS was getting 7% market share of soccer viewers with only 6% of games played. In 2017, the numbers are reversed – 6% market share for 7% of games shown. Whatever you think of these numbers, the striking fact is that they appear to be stable.</p>
<p>The year 2017 was a big one for World Cup qualifiers, and so one striking difference from 2016 is that the average viewership for international games was more than twice as high – 662,000 compared to 306,000. </p>
<p>Table 1 suggests that among the leagues, LaLiga is quite close to MLS in terms of overall share although not in terms of average viewership per game, while the UEFA Champions League matches MLS in terms of viewership per game despite being mostly played on a midweek afternoon when most adults would be at work. By contrast, the Bundesliga is struggling to make any impact in terms of viewership despite accounting for almost 10% of soccer games shown.</p>
<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2018/04/19/mls-tv-ratings-concern-given-account-just-6-soccer-tv-viewing/table-1-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-238453"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2018/04/table-1-497x248.webp" alt="" width="497" height="248" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-238453" sizes="(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>Table 2 provides a month by month breakdown of MLS games comparing the last two seasons. The pattern is broadly similar, although one noticeable difference is that the season peak in 2016 was in June while in 2017 it was in August, just as the Premier League started playing. This is mildly encouraging for MLS, although more worrying must be the drop off in October and November as the season ends and goes into the playoffs – this should be the most exciting and therefore attractive programming. No doubt competition from American football as well as European soccer getting into full swing accounts for this. </p>
<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2018/04/19/mls-tv-ratings-concern-given-account-just-6-soccer-tv-viewing/table-2-3/" rel="attachment wp-att-238454"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2018/04/table-2-333x266.webp" alt="" width="333" height="266" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-238454" sizes="(max-width: 333px) 100vw, 333px"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>For 2016, I noted the pattern of viewership based on time slots for MLS, Liga MX and EPL – the same pattern appears in 2017 while I’ve also broken down the figures for internationals. Primetime (defined here as 8pm-11pm ET; I include games in this category if at least one entire half is played in primetime) is the most attractive slot, but because of time zones, the Premier League never plays in primetime. By contrast, 45% of MLS games and 70% of Liga MX games are played in primetime. </p>
<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2018/04/19/mls-tv-ratings-concern-given-account-just-6-soccer-tv-viewing/table-3-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-238455"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2018/04/table-3-396x304.webp" alt="" width="396" height="304" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-238455" sizes="(max-width: 396px) 100vw, 396px"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>Table 3 shows that Liga MX viewership is almost 30% greater when games are played in primetime, while viewership of internationals is more than three times greater in primetime. But MLS viewership is almost identical on average whether in primetime or not. There are two effects here. Demand is higher in primetime but also games are selected for primetime showing if they are likely to be more attractive. The concern for MLS is that they seem unable to select games for primetime that turn out to be more attractive. The fact that MLS cannot get a higher viewership in primetime than the EPL can on a Saturday and Sunday morning, or that Liga MX can attract more than double the audience of MLS in primetime is bad enough. But think about how this will look when the time comes to renew the TV contract. MLS is banking on a large increase in the broadcast contract to meet the expectations of their investors, but the TV executives will just show them these figures and ask why they should shell out big bucks for a product that is so niche that it does not benefit from primetime exposure.</p>
<p>Table 4 compares all those games where an MLS game is shown on the same day as an EPL game or a Liga MX game or both. There were 47 such days in 2017. Of these, on only 4 days did MLS attract the biggest audience on the day. On these “double header” days, viewership for Liga MX and EPL was slightly higher on average, while viewership for MLS was slightly lower. For MLS, the hope must be that playing on the same day as the more popular leagues generates interest, which will trickle down to MLS. The data suggests that this is not the case.</p>
<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2018/04/19/mls-tv-ratings-concern-given-account-just-6-soccer-tv-viewing/table-4-2/" rel="attachment wp-att-238480"><div><figure class="image"><img loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2018/04/table-4-425x925.webp" alt="" width="425" height="925" class="alignnone size-full wp-image-238480" sizes="(max-width: 425px) 100vw, 425px"></figure></div></a></p>
<p><em>Editor’s note: Stefan Szymanski is a university professor and author of <a href="https://amzn.to/2Hg8L7G" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Soccernomics (2018 World Cup Edition): Why England Loses; Why Germany, Spain, and France Win; and Why One Day Japan, Iraq, and the United States Will Become Kings of the World’s Most Popular Sport</a>.</em></p>


MLS TV ratings account for just 6% of soccer TV viewing

MLS TV ratings account for just 6% of soccer TV viewing - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_198466" style="width: 670px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/mls-all-star-game.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-198466" loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2017/01/mls-all-star-game-660x440.webp" alt="Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports" width="660" height="440" class="size-full wp-image-198466" sizes="(max-width: 660px) 100vw, 660px"></figure></div></a><p id="caption-attachment-198466" class="wp-caption-text">Photo credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports</p></div>
<p>In the third and final article in the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/author/stefanszymanski/">series about MLS TV ratings</a>, we can reveal that MLS does better when the other soccer leagues are not playing. </p>
<p>The table below shows the monthly figures for MLS viewing this year since March:</p>
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<thead>
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<th>Month</th>
<th>Avg. Viewers Per Game</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>March</td>
<td>284,667</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>April</td>
<td>246,000</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>May</td>
<td>277,571</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>June</td>
<td><b>478,200</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>July</td>
<td><b>324,100</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>August</td>
<td>166,706</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>September</td>
<td>297,545</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>October</td>
<td>214,071</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>November</td>
<td>286,429</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Clearly, the best months are June and July when only baseball is being played in the US and the other major soccer leagues are between seasons (of course, Euro 2016 ran from June 10 to July 10, so there was still some competition, but none of that was prime time).</p>
<p>MLS is competing in an overcrowded market. Between August and December, MLS supplied only <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2016/12/28/mls-accounted-7-soccer-tv-viewing-august-december/">6% of soccer games shown on TV</a>, at the same time as facing competition from the NFL and college football, as well, for at least part of the time, from MLB, NBA and NHL. Worse still, the rival soccer leagues are not dependent on the US market, and so are always likely to offer competitive deals.</p>
<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/soccer-streaming-sites-free-trials/"><div><figure class="image"><img class="aligncenter" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2016/07/soccer-trials-468-500x310.webp"></figure></div></a></p>


MLS TV ratings do best when other soccer leagues aren't playing

MLS TV ratings do best when other soccer leagues aren't playing - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_198442" style="width: 610px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/mls-cup-final-toronto-seattle.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-198442" loading="lazy" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2017/01/mls-cup-final-toronto-seattle-600x400-600x400.webp" alt="Photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports" width="600" height="400" class="size-large wp-image-198442" sizes="(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px"></figure></div></a><p id="caption-attachment-198442" class="wp-caption-text">Photo credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports</p></div>
<p>In the United States, one of Major League Soccer’s biggest TV rivals is Liga MX, with the Mexican league having almost three times the average audience size of MLS games shown on television. Obviously Liga MX has a large following among those of Mexican origin. But there’s another factor at play too: Liga MX does much better in prime time than MLS.</p>
<p>Prime time is the most attractive programming slot, which runs from 8pm to 11pm, and there are never any EPL games played in this slot (since the UK is 5 hours ahead of Eastern Time, they would have to play in the middle of the night). By contrast, 70% of Liga MX games are played in prime time, 48% of international games and, notably, 53% of MLS games (note: I based my prime time definition on the Eastern time zone). Here is something I think should worry MLS. Compare prime and other time audience size:</p>
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<th></th>
<th>Other time</th>
<th>Prime time</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Liga MX</td>
<td>467,211</td>
<td>633,011</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>International</td>
<td>144,702</td>
<td>482,269</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MLS</td>
<td>317,333</td>
<td>261,086</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>The table above shows that while audiences rise for Liga MX and international games played in prime time, they actually fall for MLS (and note the data includes the MLS Cup final which attracted an audience of 2 million in the US). Why would the MLS audience fall in prime time? One reason could be that in prime time there’s more competition from other sports. This is the double bind of MLS: the Premier League can draw a 50% larger audience going head-to-head in daytime TV while Liga MX can draw an audience that is twice the size in prime time. The problem for MLS is competition…</p>
<p><strong>SEE MORE:</strong> <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2016/12/28/mls-accounted-7-soccer-tv-viewing-august-december/">MLS accounted for only 7% of soccer TV viewing from August-December</a></p>
<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/soccer-streaming-sites-free-trials/"><div><figure class="image"><img class="aligncenter" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2016/07/soccer-trials-468-500x310.webp"></figure></div></a></p>


MLS TV ratings do 17% worse in prime time than daytime games

MLS TV ratings do 17% worse in prime time than daytime games - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_197901" style="width: 650px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/mls-tv-cameraman.jpg"><div><figure class="image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-197901" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-197901 size-full" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2016/12/mls-tv-cameraman-640x427.webp" alt="mls-tv-cameraman" width="640" height="427" sizes="(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px"></figure></div></a><p id="caption-attachment-197901" class="wp-caption-text">Photo credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports</p></div>
<p>MLS’ share of TV soccer is scarily small. Over the period August to December 2016, MLS accounted for only 7% of total viewing of soccer in US while Liga MX accounted for one third.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/category/tv-ratings/">TV ratings data</a> collected by World Soccer Talk’s <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/author/collinwerner/">Collin Werner</a> provides an interesting insight into the current position of MLS. He has been collecting national viewing figure for MLS over the last season and for all TV soccer since August. He kindly allowed me to look at the data (see snippet below) and several&nbsp;highlights struck me which I’ll be examining in this article and a follow-up piece next week.</p>
<p><strong>Percentage of soccer TV viewers watching MLS versus other leagues on US TV (August-December, 2016):<br>
</strong></p>
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<th>Leagues/competitions</th>
<th>Total viewing</th>
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</thead>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Liga MX</td>
<td>33%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>EPL</td>
<td>22%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Internationals</td>
<td>17%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>Other</td>
<td>12%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>La Liga</td>
<td>9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>MLS</td>
<td>7%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Like many people, I have long argued that the real challenge for MLS is to break the TV market. Europe’s big leagues typically generate about half of their revenues from TV, while MLS is probably below 20%.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/2014/05/12/mls-to-announce-90-million-per-season-tv-deal-with-fox-espn-and-univision/">current MLS contract</a> will run until 2022 and pays around $90 million a year of which a significant fraction goes to run the national teams. With less than $5 million going to each of the franchises, the size of the broadcast deal limits the willingness of owners to pay the big bucks that will attract the top talent. This is a catch 22 for the league since better players means better soccer and a more attractive product for broadcasters to sell. MLS needs to find a way to boost their product on TV by the time the next contract comes along.</p>
<p><a href="https://worldsoccertalk.cms.futbolsitesnetwork.com/soccer-streaming-sites-free-trials/"><div><figure class="image"><img class="aligncenter" src="https://media.worldsoccertalk.com/wp-content/2016/07/soccer-trials-468-500x310.webp"></figure></div></a></p>
<p>To have any chance of attracting a large contract MLS would surely need to have a much larger share of its own market. It’s true that there were twice as many EPL and Liga MX games shown, and MLS will indeed expand its supply of games in the next few years with the expansion teams. That should help to increase market share.</p>


MLS accounted for only 7% of soccer TV viewing: Aug-Dec 2016

MLS accounted for only 7% of soccer TV viewing: Aug-Dec 2016 - World Soccer Talk

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MLS TV ratings account for just 6% of soccer TV viewing

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MLS TV ratings do 17% worse in prime time than daytime games

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MLS accounted for only 7% of soccer TV viewing: Aug-Dec 2016