New Apple TV MLS Numbers Are Vague, But Better Than Nothing
The post New Apple TV MLS Numbers Are Vague, But Better Than Nothing appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. MLS Commissioner Don Garber signs autographs for fans prior to the 2025 MLS All-Star Game at Q2 … More Stadium on Wednesday in Austin, Texas. MLS via Getty Images While most of the attention surrounding the 2025 MLS All-Star Game centered on the glaring omission of Lionel Messi from the festivities, one unexpected nugget that emerged was a piece of viewership data given by MLS Commissioner Don Garber. During a wide-ranging press conference on Wednesday, Garber revealed that games on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass platform are averaging 120,000 unique viewers, an increase of 50% from the previous season, which he suggested owed in part through increased methods of distribution that now includes being able to buy the service directly through some TV providers. In the very basic sense, 50% growth is always good, even if coming from a low starting point. And if nothing else, it’s validation for the strategy of expanding ways to purchase the service. If you try to extract any more from those numbers, here’s some advice: Don’t. The reality is that streaming data is just fundamentally different from how broadcast and cable TV ratings are measured, and the streaming industry is still so novel that there’s really no standard, agreed-upon metric. Additionally, any comparisons to MLS numbers from its previous deal with Fox, ESPN and Univision that ran from 2015 to 2022 are going to be seriously flawed, because the fundamental shape of the package is so very different. Variables Lurking Everywhere For starters, while MLS Season Pass is a globally available service, the majority of its telecasts are replacing broadcasts that were previously dissemenated via regional sports networks for local consumption. Only about 100 regular season games were available anually across the previous three broadcast partners. There’s also the matter of international viewers, which…
The post New Apple TV MLS Numbers Are Vague, But Better Than Nothing appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber signs autographs for fans prior to the 2025 MLS All-Star Game at Q2 … More Stadium on Wednesday in Austin, Texas. MLS via Getty Images While most of the attention surrounding the 2025 MLS All-Star Game centered on the glaring omission of Lionel Messi from the festivities, one unexpected nugget that emerged was a piece of viewership data given by MLS Commissioner Don Garber. During a wide-ranging press conference on Wednesday, Garber revealed that games on Apple TV’s MLS Season Pass platform are averaging 120,000 unique viewers, an increase of 50% from the previous season, which he suggested owed in part through increased methods of distribution that now includes being able to buy the service directly through some TV providers. In the very basic sense, 50% growth is always good, even if coming from a low starting point. And if nothing else, it’s validation for the strategy of expanding ways to purchase the service. If you try to extract any more from those numbers, here’s some advice: Don’t. The reality is that streaming data is just fundamentally different from how broadcast and cable TV ratings are measured, and the streaming industry is still so novel that there’s really no standard, agreed-upon metric. Additionally, any comparisons to MLS numbers from its previous deal with Fox, ESPN and Univision that ran from 2015 to 2022 are going to be seriously flawed, because the fundamental shape of the package is so very different. Variables Lurking Everywhere For starters, while MLS Season Pass is a globally available service, the majority of its telecasts are replacing broadcasts that were previously dissemenated via regional sports networks for local consumption. Only about 100 regular season games were available anually across the previous three broadcast partners. There’s also the matter of international viewers, which…
What's Your Reaction?
