By CALEB SONNELAND
45 Major League Soccer games and four US Men's National Team matches per season.
That's the television rights deal that NBC reached with the MLS today. NBC outbid Fox Soccer Channel for the rights to the MLS package. FSC currently has the rights for the remainder of 2011.
NBC will televise two regular season MLS games, two playoff games and two appearances by the USMNT, while the NBC Sports Network (currently VERSUS) will broadcast 38 regular-season games, three playoff games and two USMNT matches. Each televised game with have a pre and post-game session.
MLS is one of the fastest growing leagues in the country, and the agreement marks the first time four MLS matches will be broadcast on English language channel television since 2002.
MLS Commissioner and Soccer United Marketing CEO Don Garber and Jon Miller, the president of programming of NBC Sports and VERSUS, will be available during a press conference at Lincoln Financial Field at 7:30pm ET prior to the USMNT match against Mexico.
Mark Lazarus - NBC Sports Group Chairman
“Everyone at the NBC Sports Group is thrilled to begin this partnership with Major League Soccer,” said Lazarus. “MLS is a perfect fit for our new group, and we are uniquely positioned to help grow soccer in the United States with extensive coverage on NBC Sports Network, significant programming on the broadcast network and our growing digital platforms. Additionally, this agreement complements the partnerships that five of our regional sports networks have with their local MLS teams.”
Don Garber - MLS Commissioner and Soccer United Marketing CEO
“Our new partnership with the NBC Sports Group is a significant step forward for Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer,” said MLS Commissioner and Soccer United Marketing CEO Don Garber. “The NBC Sports Group is world-renowned for its award-winning coverage, superb broadcast quality and promotional expertise. We are excited to be part of NBC’s ambitious plans for soccer, and look forward to reaching a considerable audience on multiple platforms.”
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What do you think of the agreement? Glad to have another channel to watch your MLS matches? How fast is the sport of soccer rising in the United States?
If I remember right the NHL had pretty much no options until Versus (then OLN) rebranded and picked it up. Don;t know where hockey would be without VS.
I would not be shocked if they start doing a lot more Serie A and Ligue 1
Hmmm seems to me that i have both FSC channels in HD, maybe your service is lagging behind.
You also get 1 other national game a Sunday not to mention the NBC Sunday night football game… Sorry but there is amazing access to the NFL on free TV…
More than you think actually, the OTA HD feeds are SICK CLEAR… that being said… I pay for everything because I don’t want to miss my footie…
Think about this folks… 10 years ago… how did you watch soccer?
Fox Sports World maybe?
Now, ESPN networks (including ESPN3, Fox Family (Fox regular, FSC, FS+, Fox Sports Regional), GOLTV…Now NBC (Versus) too?
All of the above in HD (with DirecTV)
Sorry but we have come a long long way…
Does anyone else think this is a chance for Fox Soccer to bring more games from other countries?
Versus is on Comcast in HD…. FSC is not… I am still undecided about this move but the fact is Versus in twice as many households…
Half the stadium is hell during the summer. A roof is worth it.
That contract issue was solved over a year ago…Its on Channel 603..there big sport is the NHL now and they show some college football….they do an excellent job on the NHL broadcast’s….
The show is produced in Canada…eh
dude, hate to be the one to say this but you are way off on your understanding of what’s going on.
It’s hot as hell there during most of the MLS season, so yes?
In before some moron responds to this perfectly reasonable comment with “Eurodouche”…
+1
Access to any NFL game is hardly free on TV.
The only teams I get to see here in Houston are the Texans, Cowboys and sometimes the Saints.
“…thing…”
“The thin you’re saying and the thing that’s an actual fact are diffierent.”
lol
Inappropriate use of the term “Euro****.”
You’re still ignoring that Versus is in way more homes than FSC. The thing you’re saying and the thing that’s an actual fact are different. Perhaps you might be generalizing your experience when it doesn’t apply to others.
baseball sux
Inappropriate usage of the term “eurodouchy”
The NFL has networks dedicated to them. NBC Sports could provide that type of dedication. It just wasnt happening with Murdoch’s Fox. Free TV? In this day, who relies on this?
Yeah because a roof will make people attend games in Frisco.
There’s nothing wrong with the Sox/Yanks thing. I’ve found that there is room for all sports and there are more of me than there are of you and them.
Six is not enough games on free TV. You want to grow the audience, you have to get more games on free TV. The NFL is still very strong there. And if the NFL dropped free TV networks? Well, people would watch something else.
ESPN still keeps their games….FSC is replaced
Thank goodness.
Goodbye crappy SD on FSC. Love you Ives but that network is lagging behind at a rapid rate for quality viewing.
That’s all good and great for EPL and La Liga, but MLS will no longer be broadcasted on ESPN which means that ESPN will no longer cover MLS. Look at hockey as an example.
I think people need to understand that this television contract is not a move up. If all of the games were on NBC, this contract would definitely be a move up. A sliver, a slight fraction, of the games will be on NBC. Just like the ABC/ESPN2 contract of yesteryear. The rest of the games will be a dot in the distance. MLS loses all of their ESPN2 “Game of the Week” ratings coverage, in exchange for a lateral move by the rest of the MLS coverage.
So really they accomplished nothing for the growth of the sport except hopefully more money for the league coffers.
This is a huge coup is NBC Sports can compete with ESPN. I think there are a lot of people turned off by the current, force-fed, outdated ESPN setup. They are looking for an alternative. NBC could market itself as the global ESPN, the ESPN of the new century, or even the thinking man’s ESPN.
ESPN will just ignore MLS altogether. Bad move by the MLS.
Versus and FSC are typically on the same tier of fancy sports coverage that will never sniff a basic package.
Don Garber is the man! from leading us through the dark days of contraction to a deal with NBC the league and soccer in general has grown leaps and bounds in the past 11 years!
The soccer revolution WILL BE TELEVISED!!!
I have FSC (which I pay extra for obv) but not Versus. 🙁
Hopefully Versus will become a standard channel now that NBC owns it, or part of the basic soccer channel package….
Bobby McMahon is a blow hard.
Fox Soccer Report always seams to lead of their MLS coverage with TFC & now Vanc coverage.
Just pathetic IMO.
+1
Huh?
Not sure how anyone cannot see this as a major win for MLS and the soccer Don. No, versus is not ESPN, but it is in a significantly larger portion of homes than FSC is and the broadcast quality is about a million times better. Versus actually has HD, its studio shows do not look like they are shot in someone’s basement and by making a 3 year commitment (rather than FSC’s continual 1 year deals), they will have some stake in actually promoting these games across their family of networks and helping to grow the sport.
This is a major announcement and very exciting! I’m happy for MLS and american soccer. Still not going to drop my FSC subscription, but it will be awesome to have a post-game show that actually shows highlights of all the MLS games and provides analysis and commentary. Ives – maybe you should get that resume’ ready, NBC is hiring!!!
A lot of CCL games are available to stream for free on CONCACAF’s site.
they still talk like it is a foreigner sport, when there is the fastest growing league in their own country
you don’t want michael strahan to teach you about soccer? he’s an expert.
that doesn’t mean they cant refurbish it and put a roof on it
soccer coverage on espn has increased dramatically since the world cup. they do stories and highlights all the time. it is talked about on pti, around the horn, sports nation (although they make fun of it mostly). they are increasing games broadcasted for EPL, la liga, etc.
Just hope NBC doesn’t feel the need to “dumb down” soccer on their coverage the way Fox does. I don’t need the pregame show to compare soccer to baseball, football, and basketball in the hopes that I can possible understand it. Go with the ESPN model, please. If that goes into effect, I’ll be quite happy.
Four games on NBC is huge, too, considering I don’t have cable at all, and so I only get to see MLS when it’s on espn3.com right now.
Concacaf Champions League?
Fox Soccer Report is the only MLS coverage on TV, but dedicated NBC Sports coverage should be much better. It seems like NBC really wants to compete with ESPN. The ESPN Yankee/Red Sox network douches still talk like it is 1993 the few times that they have to mention soccer. They are proud of not knowing a thing about the sport. Maybe they might have to really learn about the biggest sport in the world for once.
Sweet! More air time for Fox Soccer Report reruns and infomercials on FSC!
You know, they fit soccer in between pay per view soft core!
Sullivan is bad-azz
Agreed. Also, Versus’ production value alone is miles above FSC.