MLS Games To Air On Versus Starting In 2012
NEW YORK (AP) — Major League Soccer games will be televised by NBC's networks starting next season, doubling the number of homes that dozens of games will be available in.
The package currently on Fox Soccer Channel will move mainly to the NBC Sports Network, Versus' new name beginning Jan. 2. The cable channel will air 38 regular-season games, three playoff games and two U.S. men's national team matches each year.
NBC will broadcast two regular-season MLS games, two playoff games and two national team appearances under the three-year contract announced Wednesday.
"It shows our sport is ready for prime time," MLS Commissioner Don Garber told The Associated Press.
The deal became possible after Comcast, Versus' parent company, officially took over NBCUniversal in January. Not only will a handful of games be available to a broader audience on NBC, but Garber is confident soccer will get invaluable exposure through advertising during the network's coverage of other sports, from "Sunday Night Football" to the Stanley Cup playoffs to the Olympics.
"NBC is really famous for promoting their partners, and that's a big driver in our decision to do a deal with them," Garber said.
Hockey, shown on both NBC and Versus since before the Comcast merger, has seen significant ratings growth in recent years.
"What they've done for the NHL I think is remarkable," Garber said.
The cable games will go from being available in nearly 40 million households on Fox Soccer to almost 80 million on NBC Sports Network, which is in about two-thirds of American homes with televisions. Five regional Comcast sports networks also already broadcast games for their local MLS teams, adding to the opportunities for cross-promotion.
"Connecting the dots between all of their assets will ensure a broader audience for MLS and U.S. Soccer, and that's really what this sport needs today," Garber said. "If you look at the popularity of the World Cup and the almost ubiquity of the sport in America today, it's a natural step we would evolve from what was a great relationship with Fox Soccer Channel, albeit a niche network, to broader broadcast, cable and digital platforms."
ESPN will continue to broadcast its package of MLS games. Its strong ratings for last year's World Cup are among many signs that the sport is becoming more of a force in American television.
"I don't think the NBC deal is done if they didn't believe MLS was ready to step further into the mainstream," Garber said.
NBC Sports Group Chairman Mark Lazarus called MLS "a perfect fit for our new group."
"We are uniquely positioned to help grow soccer in the United States with extensive coverage on NBC Sports Network, significant programming on the broadcast network and our growing digital platforms," he said in a release.
