In case you needed more proof that the business of soccer is slowly, but surely, turning into a big-money affair in the United States, look no further than this: Time Warner has apparently agreed to pay the Los Angeles Galaxy $55 million over 10 years for the right to broadcast their games in English and Spanish. Put another way, that's just about $2 million less than Fox Soccer Channel paid for national rights to broadcast MLS during the 2011 season.
Time Warner Pays LA Galaxy $55 Million For Broadcast Rights
Galaxy’s deal with new regional sports network is nearly as big as the one MLS signed for national rights with Fox Soccer.
This is reportedly part of a massive investment in sports that Time Warner is making in Southern California. The cable giant has already purchased the rights to the Los Angeles Lakers, paying a reported $3 billion over 20 years to lure them away from Fox Sports West, who also was the Galaxy’s broadcaster. Time Warner is in the process of launching two regional sports networks in Southern California, mainly to compete with Fox Sports, who has had a virtual monopoly on the market until now. That monopoly had allowed Fox Sports to pay just $400,000 a year for the Galaxy in their most recent contract.
This can be seen as nothing but a good thing for all of MLS. While it’s unlikely any other team can command such a hefty local rights fee, there are other teams that are even bigger in their markets than the Galaxy.
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