I really don't think it is at all. Seattle is an outlier due to them losing the Thunder nee Sonics. As for the Red Bulls, they're attendance is all right, but if Brazil/Portugal plays in the Meadowlands/RBS all the people from Newark/Surrounding areas go apeshit. American's biggest soccer fans are the immigrants and they really don't care about the domestic league.
MLS overtakes NHL and NBA as third-most attended league
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I really don't think it is at all. Seattle is an outlier due to them losing the Thunder nee Sonics. As for the Red Bulls, they're attendance is all right, but if Brazil/Portugal plays in the Meadowlands/RBS all the people from Newark/Surrounding areas go apeshit. American's biggest soccer fans are the immigrants and they really don't care about the domestic league.
Some of this is anecdotal, but I am reasonably sure that ratings for EPL/Euro's/Champions league have continued to rise and general awareness along with it.
Like I said MLS has a ways to go, but attendance is getting there and I honestly think that awareness of the sport is absolutely at an all time high.
Grimm Fandango
Member
It's such stupid price gouging. NHL games are nowhere near as expensive and their crowds are more fun to be a part of.
NBA on TV is quite excellent though as you said and I'm perfectly fine watching it.
There's talk of MLS bringing a second team in the NY metro area, in Queens, since they have a large Latin American community who are avid soccer fans.
bonesmccoy
Banned
Wait, is this actual games attended or tickets sold? No way in hell TFC is averaging 87% attendance.
Dastardly Jerks
Banned
It's obvious that you've watched zero hockey.
BertramCooper
Banned
The MLS won't truly compete with the other big sports leagues until it can offer its players salaries that are at least somewhat competitive with the other sports.
America's best athletes don't pursue soccer because it's not lucrative. That could change, but it's going to take a while.
America's best athletes don't pursue soccer because it's not lucrative. That could change, but it's going to take a while.
bigtroyjon
Member
Those accounts are wrong. The average Sounder fan is a soccer fan and doesn't really seem to care about other sports.
Seattle has always had a huge following for soccer.
America isn't embracing soccer, tv ratings are still garbage, the nationally televised game of the week is lucky to get a few hundred thousand viewers and many times less than 100 thousand
ElectricBlue187
Member
except neither of those things are happening
Fox Mulder
Member
It's the most popular youth sport for young children. Its not something for the sport to brag about, as it's often poorly coached, poorly executed, and the purpose is to let kids run around. Once everyone hits middle school, all athletic efforts are funneled to the more traditional sports like american football, baseball, basketball.
I'd like to get into soccer and see it become more popular here. I think theres an opportunity to make serious gains with how the NBA, NHL, and MLB have hurt themselves with all their bullshit over the recent years.
This thread isn't about basketball.
BertramCooper
Banned
I don't totally buy that.
The Indians were at the peak of their popularity right after the Browns left. When a team leaves, it often benefits the other professional teams in the city. I don't doubt that Seattle has long had a huge soccer community, but I don't buy that their incredible attendance has nothing to do with the Sonics leaving.
Such a bullshit article.
Average attendance? Big fucking deal. They're playing in stadiums vs arena. And despite nearly 3 X the capacity and tickets that are half the average price, they beat it out by a couple of people per game? Big whoop.
Not to mention the NBA and NHL both play 82 games vs 34 for MLS. So total attendance for both sports also beats the shit out of it.
Just somebody trying to make themselves feel good about a league nobody cares about.
Average attendance? Big fucking deal. They're playing in stadiums vs arena. And despite nearly 3 X the capacity and tickets that are half the average price, they beat it out by a couple of people per game? Big whoop.
Not to mention the NBA and NHL both play 82 games vs 34 for MLS. So total attendance for both sports also beats the shit out of it.
Just somebody trying to make themselves feel good about a league nobody cares about.
gutter_trash
Banned
NHL tickets in Toronto, Montreal, New York, Chicago and Philadelphia are expensive as hell.
People will care about it during those events and when it goes away it fades away, and I'm not sure how how modern soccer compares to NY Cosmos with Pele playing. The Cosmos were a much bigger thing than the Red Bulls are.
bigtroyjon
Member
The Indians were at their peak popularity when they moved into a new stadium and the team was making the playoffs. Same thing happened in Seattle with the Mariners.
When the Sonics left, the Mariners popularity didn't increase, it continued to drop.
Attendance is good but the tv ratings suck. Oustide of the hardcore fans, who the Sonics had nothing to do with, Seattle isn't overwhelmed with Sounders fans who actually follow the team.
Never. Soccer/Football is my favorite sport. But come on, no one in the US gives a shit, and reports like this just try to pretend people do.
Hah! I was the same way. I can't watch Hockey on TV unless is the Stanley Cup. Never understood why people liked it so much, then I started going to NHL games. There is just something special about being in the area and hearing the *Thunk* of the puck hitting sticks, walls, and pads and then hearing the collisions between players.
And if you don't think Overtime Playoff hockey is the most intense overtime in sports your are seriously insane. Golden goal, and they start taking players off the ice (4 on 4, 3 on 3) after the first period of overtime. Not to mention each time has 3 shifts of players so that they can hop over the boards onto the ice and engage in a DEAD SPRINT for one minute trying to score, then haul ass back to the bench to get a 2 minute breather, and that's only IF they can get the puck out of their zone without Icing it so they can actually sub.
I'm still angry our NHL team moved
But....um... on topic.... HELL YEAH. Come on MLS. Get more popular so that we can get an MLS team in my city. I'll definitely go to games!
This is actually a really good read on the subject if you're interested
I'll give them a pass on the Mariners, I think setting records on offensive futility will kill the desire of most fans to watch them.
Amibguous Cad
Member
Mmhmmm. Euro ratings are up three times for the 2012 tournament compared to the 2008 tournament. And a poll by ESPN indicated that soccer is the second-most popular sport among 12-24 year olds
If all that passion was concentrated on one league, we'd already be talking about the "Big 5" of American sports, but the market for soccer is the most fragmented of any sport. There's a lot of people who only follow the national team, only follow MLS, only follow the Mexican league, or only follow European leagues.
DOBERMAN INC
Member
One day they'll take over and it'll do nothing but help football.
The Latin community isn't going to support this team just because it's geographically convenient. They'd rather support something closer to their roots and something (team, league) that has been going on for eons already.
questionmark
Member
I am glad to see soccer on the rise in the US. USA are very good at sports, and I would love it if the World Cup had another contender for the title in some (severeal obviously) years. Not sure if it is ever going to happen, but I hope so.
Just ordered this. Seems really interesting.
This is actually a really good read on the subject if you're interested
Just ordered this. Seems really interesting.
The number of games really work against mlb. Outside of a few teams like the red Sox and yankees, your lucky to have 10k people at the games. Why should I go to every game when there are 82 home games for me to pick and choose from.
That good? I would imagine the Heat's revenue alone would beat the MLS.
The good kind too! FUCK YEAHHHH!
It's actually under 1/10th. Of any other league.
There are teams in the NBA, NHL, NFL and MLB that have more revenue than the entire MLS. (Under $300 million as a whole) while the major sports leagues are over $3.3 billion and up
Salary cap of an average hockey team is $70 million
Salary cap of an average MLS team is $3 million
Right now in perspective of things, MLS is competing in revenue with minor league hockey
It won't happen until our best athletes decide to choose soccer over basketball and football, and that has shown no signs of changing.
The_Inquisitor
Member
I went to a FC Dallas game in May and it reminded me of a ballet.
Players diving, prancing, it seemed very sureal. It's alot different live.
The stadium seemed half full, and it was very quiet.
It's not the edge of the seat game like hockey is.
Funny I talk about this now, my boss came into my office earlier today pissed that I'm writing off $300 in cab fare to get to Frisco from Fort Worth for the game.
Found a pic I took on my cell phone that day :
I've gone to a few Dallas games as well. The environment at the stadium is lacking for sure. There's the "rowdy" section but that's most of the spirit. I think building in Frisco was a stupid idea.
Higher public interest is the sign of that changing.
The more attention it gets from the society as a whole, the more likely kids will be interested in continuing to play it through middle school and high school rather than choosing any of the other more popular sports, leading to a higher output of potentially great athletes.
Doctor West
Member
You are wrong and should feel bad.
element
Member
What are you talking about??? Seahawks average 66,413 which is 99.1% capacity of CenturyLink Field. Baseball is a bad comparison, as there are 81 home games. As for the lost of the Sonics helping? I don't buy it. I've gone to 20 or 30 Sounders games, and the people that go aren't into basketball. Majority of the people that go are more interested in the EuroCup than the NBA championship, even if the Sonics were still in town.
The last couple years of the Sonics majority of the tickets were package, company perks, or resell. Going to NBA games aren't for fans anymore, it is to impress clients. It is a better experience to watch it on TV, since ticket prices are so much.
On the other hand Sounders attract soccer fans.
WTF? Do you live in Seattle? Walk around downtown during gameday. The city is full of fans!! And not fans you would expect. Male, female, families, varied age and race.
vas_a_morir
Banned
I've decided that whatever city I move to next, I will adopt their MLS team and support it fully. I can't ever turn on the Bengals or the Reds, If I could, I would have done it by now.
The hockey goals are so tiny though.
Angry Grimace
Two cannibals are eating a clown. One turns to the other and says "does something taste funny to you?"
I fucking love soccer. I wish we had a team even in MLS in San Diego. I sort of wonder if the rest of the world *really* wants us to let soccer get popular here and then we just steal all their players.
vas_a_morir
Banned
There are some passionate supporters, too. Seeing this kind of energy about football in the US can get people more excited about the sport.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i0gTjHKR-A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxxVlRg3TrQ&feature=youtu.be
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1i0gTjHKR-A&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxxVlRg3TrQ&feature=youtu.be
Hell the NHL has a pretty shitty tv deal.
element
Member
MLS also provides a much stronger fan community compared to other pro sports. You have the pre-game crawl here in Seattle and similar things in Portland.
I'm a huge Seahawks, Mariners, and formerly Sonics fan, but there was nothing like that for any of those teams.
MLS has a deal with ESPN and NBC. They are super small compared to the other sports.
ESPN deal was $8million/yr from 2007 to 2014, compared to NFL which is at $4.95 billion/yr.
I'm a huge Seahawks, Mariners, and formerly Sonics fan, but there was nothing like that for any of those teams.
It is better now. The deal that got signed after the lockout of 04-05 was REALLY bad. NBC signed a deal with them that was on par with the XFL. No money upfront. 50/50 split after NBC recouped their cost. They have a better deal now, but NHL was really bad right after the lockout.
MLS has a deal with ESPN and NBC. They are super small compared to the other sports.
ESPN deal was $8million/yr from 2007 to 2014, compared to NFL which is at $4.95 billion/yr.
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