(02-27-2020 02:12 AM)Wedge Wrote: (02-26-2020 11:36 PM)AllTideUp Wrote: We also have to consider the article is spot on when it says the quality of life is outstanding in the US. More to the point, there are other economic opportunities here that you won't find just anywhere. The US is not only the richest country on the planet, but it is the 3rd largest in population. This market has massive potential for the game of soccer and it's finally being tapped.
Quality players will come if for no more reason than there are so many of them. It is the world's game and not everyone can play at one of the top clubs in Europe. That and as the game grows, more American players will take the game seriously and we'll have a stronger base to draw from domestically.
They will come if they are paid. The biggest structural issue with MLS is that it’s set up to pay 3 or 4 players on each team well, and pay peanuts to the other 14 or 15 guys. It’s the quality level of those other 14 or 15 on each team that has to be greatly elevated to become a top 10 league. Right now most MLS teams are, in a baseball analogy, a AA team with 3 or 4 major leaguers.
I understand and it's a hurdle for the time being.
I just think it's a means to an end. Twenty years ago, not a soul cared about MLS. They had to do some creative things to keep the money flowing. If they can land a decent media deal in the next few years or even within the next 10 years, they'll alter the pay structure.
As it stands, they can't alter it now because the only ones who could afford to pay big salaries are the billionaire owners. They'd only be able to do it because they have the capital on hand, not necessarily because their club makes enough to justify it.
The next round of media deals are key. If the MLS can make a splash then their exposure and popularity will increase greatly. A better salary structure will follow.
I like the odds of a much bigger media deal next time because the sports bubble hasn't burst yet. They won't bring down money comparable to the big 3, but they don't have to right now. If for no other reason, I think the potential for a much bigger media payday is why we've seen such a rapid and almost haphazard approach to expansion. The MLS leaders know they need penetration across the country before network execs will even think about paying them competitively for a product broadcast across the nation.
There are some different things MLS can do as well. For example, being that MLS schedules heavily to avoid the NFL, there's no reason they shouldn't have a Monday night broadcast and probably 2 of them(1 East Coast and 1 West Coast) during the NFL offseason. Plenty of people will tune in for that just out of curiosity and the fact they're used to watching MNF much of the year. Forget Friday night games on a Spanish TV network...they're limiting themselves. If you want to sell Spanish simulcast rights then that's one thing, but you have to go where the eyeballs are and make it convenient for Americans to consume your product. The Spanish-only audience will never carry this league to great heights, not possible.
The key thing will be bundling those rights for a national audience. Right now, most MLS games are only broadcast in local markets although you can get them through ESPN+. That hurts the national exposure big time.
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LAFC owner says MLS will be more popular than MLB in 10 years
