The news that broke today about NBC and Major League Soccer agreeing to a three-year deal for the network giant to broadcast league games starting in 2012. Many wondered how much the deal with be worth for the young league.
NBC Deal Reportedly Worth $10 Million Per Year For MLS
The Sports Business Daily is reporting that the two have agreed on a three-year deal worth $10 million per year.
“This is clearly another great moment for the sport of American soccer,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber told THE DAILY. “NBC has a larger audience and a greater variety of platforms, with network, cable and digital.”
To put this figure into prospective, the current deal with ESPN is worth around $8.5 million a year for the league. However, that deal is part of a larger SUM/ABC/ESPN package that includes US Men’s National Team games and the FIFA World Cup.
When MLS signed a one-year deal with Fox Soccer before the start of the 2011 season, it was worth $6.25 million, before this season they were only paying $3 million a year.
Should these figured be accurate for the NBC deal, MLS is making a huge leap forward here. There is little doubt this deal will also help get the league advertised more nationally during next year’s Olympics, which always bring in mega TV ratings.
2014 will be a huge year for the league with all three TV deals expiring all at once. Should the NBC deal work out like most imagine it will for the league, their asking price for broadcast rights should only increase by that time. A good position for the league to be in at that point.
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