Speaking of U.S. television, there’s good news on the MLS viewership front. ABC and ESPN are averaging 384,000 viewers for their broadcasts, up 50% over last year and 39% over 2019. Fox and FS1 are averaging 231,000 viewers, up 14% over last year and 1% over 2019, with FS1 specifically (185,000 viewers per game) having its best season since 2015.
Univision and UniMás’ games in Spanish are averaging 302,000 viewers, up 21% over last year and 26% over 2019, with UniMás specifically (307,000 viewers) averaging its best-ever MLS season.
That is incredible.TV ratings for the ASG are illuminating:
FS1: 175,000
Univision/TUDN: 1,400,000
So I hear a lot of talk about a future MLS/Liga MX merger, and I can absolutely envision some kind of North American soccer World Series based on these numbers. I know that the CONCACAF Champions League is designed to fill this niche, but if the two leagues developed an AL/NL kind of model (pre-wild card), where they were distinct associations playing under the same rules but overseen by the same governing body, it might be in the best interests of both.TV ratings for the ASG are illuminating:
FS1: 175,000
Univision/TUDN: 1,400,000
I'm driving up from Portland for it too. Going to make for a long day, leaving around 11am, probably home at 2am.As an aside, I'm going to a pretty cool doubleheader on Sunday. OL Reign vs the Portland Thorns and Sounders vs. Timbers.
Indeed. Reports from Sam Stejskal of the Athletic are that the guaranteed part of Juarez's contract expires at the end of the year, but that RSL has an option for 2022. It sounds like the club doesn't love him, and RSL is for sale and the new owner may well clean house anyway.The RSL coach resigned with his team in sixth in the West to become ... an assistant in Seattle. That's pretty freaking weird.
It's pretty astonishing the direction the two teams went since that 6-2 game. Portland looks scarier than ever and Seattle has question marks everywhere.After getting absolutely destroyed at home by their most hated rival (I hate the Sounders far more than the Yankees at the moment) the Timbers have been quite good (2W, 2D, 1L). We host LAFC this afternoon who I believe bare depleted by injury so I'm feeling pretty confident.
Now that we know Sounders assistant is a better job than RSL head coach, but worse than Atlanta manager, I’d peg the desirability of FCC head job at around the level of Minnesota assistant.The least desirable job in MLS is available.
View: https://twitter.com/fccincinnati/status/1442489230811353090
Hah, amazing.Now that we know Sounders assistant is a better job than RSL head coach, but worse than Atlanta manager, I’d peg the desirability of FCC head job at around the level of Minnesota assistant.
Just to underscore your point, in case anyone else thinks TB is being hyperbolic.Hah, amazing.
It's going to hard to attract talent for this job. Jeff Berding really needs to fire himself; he's the link between every shambolic GM and managerial hire, and in fact acted as the shambolic GM in their particularly shambolic expansion season roster build.
Wow, an unlikely victory for the "Scottish Premiership is tougher than MLS" crowdIncredible stat here. Though I will say that Hernan Losada barely doesn't qualify and he's been good too.
View: https://twitter.com/pkedit/status/1442520836615786506
SPL vs. MLS discourse is what the internet was born for.Wow, an unlikely victory for the "Scottish Premiership is tougher than MLS" crowd
And they won 2-0, playing their best soccer in about 6 months.The Chicago Fire are playing in Bridgeview tonight because they cannot access Soldier field within five days before a Bears home game. Seems like they would be big winners if the gridiron team moved to the burbs.