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It may be the Memorial Day holiday, and all the banks may be closed, but here at MLSR we're still bringing content to the masses. And that's what MLS is striving for, too.
Adweek recently highlighted American sports leagues (NFL, NBA, NHL and soon MLB) founding their own subscription-cable tv channels for better content control and original programming. The suits in charge agree that "they're creating deeper connections to their viewers, sponsors and advertisers" and "generating additional revenue to complement the rights fees received from the broadcast and cable networks."
Though Garber humbly admits MLS isn't yet "big enough" to warrant its own channel, he emphasizes their focus on expanding the website (www.mlsnet.com) and mobile platforms to include "the creation of longer-form content."
Apparently, the League has already assembled the MLS Media Committee with the help of film producer and Seattle Sounders FC majority owner Joe Roth and fellow film producer and CEO of Andell Holdings (Fire's ownership group) Andrew Hauptman. The Don lists the Committee's primary role as overseeing production of "original content for the various platforms, including online and mobile."
And as we all know, soccer is "the sport of the internet" due to years of neglect from the mainstream media. It probably won't be long until MLS or certain teams create their own online video networks, like those found on some Premier League clubs' websites. In that vain, MLS has already introduced QuickKicks, Dreaming of Beijing, ExtraTime, and various mini team features.
What other steps do you think MLS can take to make "deeper connections to their viewers, sponsors and advertisers"? Is MLS making a good enough effort to embrace new media and expand its information footprint? Feel free to comment on any web media outlets we missed (team video blogs, etc) or anything you think MLS is doing completely wrong in these areas.
-K. Avila for MLS Rumors
Editors Note: On thing they could do is bring back these MLS Pictures people who produced the following 2005 Conference Championship video and 2005 MLS Cup Video.
I agree with this report...I believe that if MLS can make a deal with any of the major television channels (ABC, Fox, NBC, CBS) and get them to show their games on their channels, more people would watch (same like Sky Network with the EPL). There is only one thing to watch on Saturdays on those channels and that's America's Most Wanted. I would like to see MLS games at 800PM on a Saturday night on ABC or NBC..
An MLS Channel wouldn't be hard to do but it's obviously not a priority. A return of an MLS round up show, perhaps to a bigger channel such as ESPN2 or at least FSC would be a start. MLS Wrap was pretty bad...but at l;east it was something. Christ, I mean, we have 1 horu round up shows of half the leagues in the owrld on FSC or Setanta, yet neither the MLS nor USL has one.
The comment above mine made a very good point. That's what I would of said.
The effort MLS has made to provide lots of video content has been great but the bigger problem is that it just hasn't been really good quality yet. Everything they do just seems low quality and it just re-enforces their reputation as an inferior product (regardless of whether that's true or not...and its not).