MLS Signs New TV Deal With NBC, Will Be Carried On Network TV And NBC Sports Network

It obviously remains to be seen whether or not MLS being on NBC will “move the needle” for either party. But with Vs. officially rebranding itself as NBC Sports on Monday we’re going to start getting a good feel of how this product is going to differ from past broadcasts.

Case in point is this promo NBC released. It’s nothing flashy -- just a narrated corner kick -- but it does the job nicely. It places the competition in a context that any sports fan can appreciate and seems to suggest that NBC will be attempting to reach the unconverted without dumbing it down for those of us already in the choir.

NBC’s three-year deal to broadcast MLS games represents far more than a just fresh start for the 16-year-old league. While many had been calling for MLS to part ways for Fox Soccer for quite some time -- almost no matter the circumstances -- this deal represents a huge step forward for far more practical reasons. The new deal provides significantly more exposure, both in the availability and the number of games that will be nationally broadcasted.

Even before we know how the games will look on the soon-to-be-rebranded NBC Sports Network (currently called Versus), MLS games will be available in about 80 million homes as opposed to the roughly 38 million that currently receive Fox Soccer. The main reason for this increased availability is that Versus is generally available on lower-tier cable packages.

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.

The Sports Business Daily is reporting that the two have agreed on a three-year deal worth $10 million per year.