Incoming MLS Commissioner Sees ‘Uncapped Upside’ in Media Rights
NYCFC's CEO called broadcast revenue the league's biggest weakness.
Larry Berg, the incoming MLS Commissioner, conveyed optimism about the league's media rights deal with AppleTV+ during a conversation with Front Office Sports editor-in-chief Dan Roberts. During this meeting, Berg commented on the NYCFC CEO Brad Sims' perception of broadcast revenue as a significant weakness for the league. Berg stated, "In my private equity business, if I purchase or acquire a business with a highly popular revenue source that is low, that means a lot of upside."
He elaborated that mathematically, MLS has considerable potential growth in the media sector, noting that they do not share the same revenue percentages as other sports leagues, which fuels their determination to improve the situation. The MLS signed a ten-year, $2.5 billion agreement with Apple in 2022. While Berg acknowledged that they do not refer to the media rights deal as a "gaping hole", he emphasized that it represents a substantial opportunity for expansion and enhancement.
Last year, outgoing MLS Commissioner Don Garber had praised the league's viewership growth, citing a near 50% increase in viewers per match since the deal's inception. However, he pointed out the ongoing challenge of identifying the most appropriate metrics to measure the success of the subscription service, as no universal system currently exists for such evaluation.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
