Let’s hope MLS numbers improve. My hope is that ESPN DOES NOT get EPL rights because right now with MLS as the sole league they promote we’re getting a bump for sure, as bad as the numbers are. IF they get the EPL combined with all the ESPN hype/spin etc things will be troubling.

So let me refute if if I may.

1999 ESPN2 ratings: 25 games averaged .27 rating and 171,620 households.
2009 ESPN2 ratings: 7 games to this point have averaged a .2 and 200,000 households (according to SBJ)

MLS did do better on ESPN in 1999 (.34 rating, 261,400 TVHH), but so would a lot of things as ESPN2 was still not in a comparable number of homes. I don’t know how you combined the two ratings from 1999 to get a .5, but it’s not true. The ABC rating was .83 with a TVHH average of 827,983. There’s no regular ABC rating with which to compare it in 2009.

And David is correct, the WC 2010-2014 rights didn’t pass through SUM. Disney got them right from the source.

SUM never acquired FIFA rights for 2007-14. Those rights we negotiated between Fifa and Disney/Univision directly.

SUM (or more accurately Phil Anschultz) did have the 2006WC rights which were then used as part of the old MLS bartered time-deal with Disney.

The 2007-14 contracts that MLS/SUM now have with their main broadcast partners were not a result of SUM controlling FIFA rights. Disney and Univision went straight to FIFA to get those international match rights.

The raw number of viewers is smaller on deportes- of course because it is in far fewer homes. But Telefutura’s viewership numbers for MLS are consitently the same or slightly higher than ESPN2’s even though TF is in far fewer homes nationally than ESPN2. This article was more about FSC’s and ESPN’s numbers featured this week in Sports Business Journal. That’s why without discussing the raw Telefutura numbers I said the spanish language viewership nationally and ratings were higher. Nielson ratings are based on audience share as you must know. The audience share on Deportes is HIGHER than ESPN 2, while the raw numbers on Telefutura or equal or higher to the raw numbers on ESPN 2 and FSC. In fact if you combine the 3pm Sunday TF match and the Deportes numbers with ESPN 2 and FSC’s numbers you’ll see on national broadcasts (again not local telecasts) the raw viewership in Spanish is higher than in English.

And for the 50th time the ratings for MLS aren’t just “not great” as you describe but in raw numbers and ratings point terms substantially lower than in 1999 when Don Garber became commissioner. That is an irrefutable fact. Whether it’s Garber’s fault or due to outside circumstances is a matter of opinion and interpretation but the ratings are in fact lower than 1999, and that cannot be disputed unless you have some other piece of evidence that states the nielson ratings for ESPN and ABC in 1999 were inaccurate. (keep in mind MLS had between 8 and 13 ABC over the air telecasts each year between 1998 and 2000)

You do realize those ratings for Deportes represent many fewer people than watch on ESPN, don’t you? And your petulant little accusation that lower ratings are because of Don Garber’s tenure really shows how little you actually know and that you should never, ever be taken seriously.

The ratings for MLS are not great, but your fifth-grade level analysis of it completely misses the mark.

How many WPS have you actually been to in person? Because theres no way we’ve watched the same product. I’ve been to Fire games and Red Star games multiple times this season and I can easily tell you which team has superior skilled players and tactics and it’s not the one with the coach from England. It’s not bad or unwatchable, and it’s actually more entertaining than I thought, sorta like watching USL-2 sides.

Pumas fan, that’s a horrible idea. Superliga has proven that you cannot trust United Marketing. If the Mex Fed partners with the US league, they will get screwed one way or another. Don’t wish that upon them, man. If Garber wants to partner with FeMexFoot, it should be on Mexico’s terms. But Mexico has nothing to gain with such a partnership. Mexicans in Mexico could care less about US teams. So Mex should stay far away from Garber, and just continue to build their own football league.

@ epl: Hahaha, that’s not a bad idea. Monday Night (association) Football. I think ESPN can pull it off. Have the same “Da da da da DUM!” to start off the matches. Instead of 2 helmets colliding , it’ll be 2 shields colliding. Hank Williams Jr. can still do his thing. I’d watch.

Take on MLB head to head.