Axios.com: MLS will overtake NHL As USA's #4 Sport

[Marvin]

I don't know how to copy the link.

Their speculation is the growth of MLS to 30 teams.

I wonder where they think NASCAR is.

[Doohicksie]

You just go to your browser and copy the web address and paste it into the reply window.

[Doohicksie]

Like this:

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/27/mls-franchise-expansion-san-diego

I don't see how the number of years it takes to get to 30 teams leads to the conclusion they reach.  It's an amazingly short article; more like a caption for the graphic.

That's it.  That's the whole article.

[PromoTheRobot]

30 minutes ago, Marvin said:

I don't know how to copy the link.

Their speculation is the growth of MLS to 30 teams.

I wonder where they think NASCAR is.

Really? I could give a crap about MLS. 

[PromoTheRobot]

8 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

Like this:

https://www.axios.com/2023/05/27/mls-franchise-expansion-san-diego

I don't see how the number of years it takes to get to 30 teams leads to the conclusion they reach.  It's an amazingly short article; more like a caption for the graphic.

That's it.  That's the whole article.

That is really weak reasoning, and probably written by an MLS PR shill. There are more Subway shops than any other fast food restaurant in America. Does that make them the most popular?

[shrader]

Who wouldn’t go crazy for a league with all of the world’s d-list talent?

[ndirish1978]

Soccer is the world's #1 sport. That said, I don't think it's inevitable that the MLS will overtake the NHL just because there are more people interested in the sport and there is a lower bar to entry for people interested in playing. The MLS is not the #4 league right now and has a lot of ground to make up to catch the NHL in revenue. The NHL made about 3x what MLS made last year. The NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL can all claim to be the top league in their respective sports, the MLS will never be able to do that. The MLS doesn't have enough support locally to be a tier 1 league and it's doubtful it ever will be. England, Italy, Spain, France, Germany all have better leagues with top-end teams that are 10x better than whatever the MLS could put out even with an all-star team. 

Basketball will overtake baseball within the next couple of years, their league revenues are super close with the MLB just barely edging out the NBA this year. That's the only move I see on the horizon. I could see support of soccer in the US overtaking support of hockey, but realistically that doesn't mean the MLS > NHL, most people just support European clubs and not their local team. I believe Axios is wrong and I say that as someone who is a bigger soccer fan than a hockey fan.

 

[Rasmus_]

Sorry, soccer in this country, is not a big thing.  I love the Premier League, but MLS is not a big market here. 

[matter2003]

The product is bad. Nobody cares about this jenky soccer league where good players go to boost their marketing ability in the twilight of their careers.

Good young players don't stay here, it's like a feeder league for good clubs and not even really high level ones, like mid tier at best.

Edited May 29, 2023 by matter2003

[matter2003]

20 minutes ago, Rasmus_ said:

Sorry, soccer in this country, is not a big thing.  I love the Premier League, but MLS is not a big market here. 

Soccer is becoming bigger, the problem is in this country you grow up wanting to be the next Josh Allen, Justin Jefferson, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Steph Curry, Nikola Jocic, and to a lesser degree Mike Trout, Ohtani, Bryce Harper, etc...

Nobody in the US grows up wanting to be the next Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe. That's why it will never be majorly popular like it is in other countries...too much competition from other sports in front of it that drains the athletic talent pool, whereas virtually all the best athletes from other countries grow up loving and playing soccer with little competition.

Edited May 29, 2023 by matter2003

[Huckleberry]

11 minutes ago, matter2003 said:

The product is bad. Nobody cares about this jenky soccer league where good players go to boost their marketing ability in the twilight of their careers.

Good young players don't stay here, it's like a feeder league for good clubs and not even really high level ones, like mid tier at best.

The good young talent is in Europe at age 16 already.   Would not even call MLS a feeder league.  

Feeders leagues are Belgium, Brazil, Argentina, Netherlands, Austria, Greece and even France can be considered one for most clubs.

[GoPuckYourself]

I don’t doubt it , the NHL is poorly ran. If I wasn’t in this forum I’d probably forget when the NHL draft was since they rarely advertise it or the draft lottery unless you’re an avid watcher of ESPN which I’m not. Anyways have a great Memorial Day all! 

[mjd1001]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

Soccer is becoming bigger, the problem is in this country you grow up wanting to be the next Josh Allen, Justin Jefferson, Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey, Lebron James, Kevin Durant, James Harden, Steph Curry, Nikola Jocic, and to a lesser degree Mike Trout, Ohtani, Bryce Harper, etc...

Nobody in the US grows up wanting to be the next Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe. That's why it will never be majorly popular like it is in other countries...too much competition from other sports in front of it that drains the athletic talent pool, whereas virtually all the best athletes from other countries grow up loving and playing soccer with little competition.

It depends on where you live, where you are coming from..etc.

I kinda like(d) indoor soccer where there is a lot of scoring.  Other than that, the world cup, MLS, premier league, I have given many, many attempts over the years to watch and I just can't get into it. It does zero for me, I can think of at least 7 or 8 other sports I would watch many times over compared to soccer....HOWEVER....

I agree with you it is becoming more popular.  On a recent trip to NY city, we spent time in Queens where my wife used to live and took cabs all over.  Local cab companies, sometimes the drivers didn't even speak english. But the one thing that stood out to me, they listened on the radio to Soccer all the time.  The NY MLS team I guess.  But on a lot of the immigrant community, the non-english speaking citizens of this country...they love soccer.

Same thing in Florida. In-laws live in FL (treasure coast area) and my father in law is always bored so he'll talk to anyone. Strangers. The guys that cut the lawn in the comminity.  He told us (and then we saw it for oursevles) that he will walk outside and say hello to them and they say 'hi' back but aren't interested in talking. Bing up soccer though...the Brazilian or the Argentine national team...and those guys faces light up and they get excited and can talk for minutes at a time to you about it.

[PromoTheRobot]

55 minutes ago, GoPuckYourself said:

I don’t doubt it , the NHL is poorly ran. If I wasn’t in this forum I’d probably forget when the NHL draft was since they rarely advertise it or the draft lottery unless you’re an avid watcher of ESPN which I’m not. Anyways have a great Memorial Day all! 

That's news to me. So do all badly run leagues get $650MM for expansion teams? 

[GoPuckYourself]

6 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

That's news to me. So do all badly run leagues get $650MM for expansion teams? 

It's poorly ran an poorly marketed which is why it's like what, the now 5th or 6th watched of all the sports leagues? Pretty soon Lacrosse will pass them, I enjoy watching hockey but to think it's ran well because they now have caught up to most sports teams is pretty much my point but it's just my opinion, if you don't agree then agree to disagree sir or madam. 

Edited May 30, 2023 by GoPuckYourself

[DarthEbriate]

Simply getting to 30 teams quickly doesn't impress me that much. Now, when MLS' TV, gate, and merchandise revenue gets to #4 in the US, then we're talking. But with 34 total games a season (and then some teams also do other Concacaf matchups, etc.) I'm guessing they're not yet making that much cash. That's the article I'd like to see. Now, is soccer more popular than hockey as a sport in the US? Sure. By numbers of kids/people who play it, it's a landslide for soccer.

The main thing for me is this: the NHL is the #1 hockey league in the world and it isn't close. No other league can retain its best players against the NHL. As many of you have noted above, is the MLS even a top-10 football league in the world? Is it even on par with the ECHL?

[Doohicksie]

8 hours ago, matter2003 said:

Nobody in the US grows up wanting to be the next Lionel Messi or Kylian Mbappe.

...until an American becomes a star on the world soccer stage.  That's what it will take.

The other thing to consider is that even if it's second rate, soccer is far more popular in the states with large hispanic populations.  We have a local team, the Fort Worth Vaqueros, and their boosters/fans are pretty rabid.  They also started a Junior Vaqueros the following year, putting their roots even deeper into the community. 

Not sure if this is a thing in WNY, but a lot of bars and craft brewers open early on the weekends to host soccer watching parties for the Euro matches, and they're a pretty big draw.  For a lot of people they don't know much about soccer; they just want a beer at 9 am on Sunday (and due to a law passed during Covid that's now possible in Texas). 

Soccer is preferred by a lot of the Millennials and younger around here because it's "anti-establishment" and different from what their parents follow.  I know a lot of people who sneer at "sports ball" (NFL/NBA/MLB) but follow soccer.  It's got that hipster ethos of "I was a soccer fan before it was cool."

I'm not sure if it's like that outside of Texas, but yeah, soccer is pretty popular here.

I personally find it pretty boring to watch on TV, but the soccer team where my wife teaches got several rounds into the playoffs and I went to a couple games; it's a lot more fun to watch in person.

[Randall Flagg]

2 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

...until an American becomes a star on the world soccer stage.  That's what it will take.

The other thing to consider is that even if it's second rate, soccer is far more popular in the states with large hispanic populations.  We have a local team, the Fort Worth Vaqueros, and their boosters/fans are pretty rabid.  They also started a Junior Vaqueros the following year, putting their roots even deeper into the community. 

Not sure if this is a thing in WNY, but a lot of bars and craft brewers open early on the weekends to host soccer watching parties for the Euro matches, and they're a pretty big draw.  For a lot of people they don't know much about soccer; they just want a beer at 9 am on Sunday (and due to a law passed during Covid that's now possible in Texas). 

Soccer is preferred by a lot of the Millennials and younger around here because it's "anti-establishment" and different from what their parents follow.  I know a lot of people who sneer at "sports ball" (NFL/NBA/MLB) but follow soccer.  It's got that hipster ethos of "I was a soccer fan before it was cool."

I'm not sure if it's like that outside of Texas, but yeah, soccer is pretty popular here.

I personally find it pretty boring to watch on TV, but the soccer team where my wife teaches got several rounds into the playoffs and I went to a couple games; it's a lot more fun to watch in person.

Thanks for the warning. I will steer clear. 

[Doohicksie]

12 minutes ago, DarthEbriate said:

The main thing for me is this: the NHL is the #1 hockey league in the world and it isn't close. No other league can retain its best players against the NHL. As many of you have noted above, is the MLS even a top-10 football league in the world? Is it even on par with the ECHL?

This is a good point.

[Eleven]

It might, but it's still a horrible soccer league.  If it were in England, it would be between the Championship (the second level, despite the name) and League 1 (the third level, despite the name).  MLS is painful to watch.  It is slow, not creative, there are no real stars unless they are aged, and the culture is uninspiring.  It is bad soccer.

Edited May 30, 2023 by Eleven

[PerreaultForever]

Soccer is rising because of immigration and ethnic diversity. It is the biggest sport in the world, and people from other countries bring that love with them. Hockey has always been a niche and always will be. It's an expensive sport to get your kids into and it's really only most suitable to colder climates where it's played outdoors still as well as in the numerous rinks where people go to (believe it or not) escape the even colder weather outside. It's only for the rich in the south. It won't die though. It's a niche, but it's a big niche. 

[Sabres73]

The TV ratings for the MLS in Canada are terrible. Nobody is watching, few people care. And yet they magically have these huge valuations for the teams. I don't know, but the whole thing seems like a deck of cards that will crash at some point.

[matter2003]

7 hours ago, Doohickie said:

...until an American becomes a star on the world soccer stage.  That's what it will take.

The other thing to consider is that even if it's second rate, soccer is far more popular in the states with large hispanic populations.  We have a local team, the Fort Worth Vaqueros, and their boosters/fans are pretty rabid.  They also started a Junior Vaqueros the following year, putting their roots even deeper into the community. 

Not sure if this is a thing in WNY, but a lot of bars and craft brewers open early on the weekends to host soccer watching parties for the Euro matches, and they're a pretty big draw.  For a lot of people they don't know much about soccer; they just want a beer at 9 am on Sunday (and due to a law passed during Covid that's now possible in Texas). 

Soccer is preferred by a lot of the Millennials and younger around here because it's "anti-establishment" and different from what their parents follow.  I know a lot of people who sneer at "sports ball" (NFL/NBA/MLB) but follow soccer.  It's got that hipster ethos of "I was a soccer fan before it was cool."

I'm not sure if it's like that outside of Texas, but yeah, soccer is pretty popular here.

I personally find it pretty boring to watch on TV, but the soccer team where my wife teaches got several rounds into the playoffs and I went to a couple games; it's a lot more fun to watch in person.

Christian Pulisic is the closest thing, playing for a big English Premier League team in Chelsea, and even that hasn't really moved the needle, although he only has played about 25% of the total match time so it's not like he is even on the field that much...

And with only 1 goal and 1 assist, it's not like he is taking advantage of that playing time to earn more either.

[matter2003]

7 hours ago, Doohickie said:

...until an American becomes a star on the world soccer stage.  That's what it will take.

The other thing to consider is that even if it's second rate, soccer is far more popular in the states with large hispanic populations.  We have a local team, the Fort Worth Vaqueros, and their boosters/fans are pretty rabid.  They also started a Junior Vaqueros the following year, putting their roots even deeper into the community. 

Not sure if this is a thing in WNY, but a lot of bars and craft brewers open early on the weekends to host soccer watching parties for the Euro matches, and they're a pretty big draw.  For a lot of people they don't know much about soccer; they just want a beer at 9 am on Sunday (and due to a law passed during Covid that's now possible in Texas). 

Soccer is preferred by a lot of the Millennials and younger around here because it's "anti-establishment" and different from what their parents follow.  I know a lot of people who sneer at "sports ball" (NFL/NBA/MLB) but follow soccer.  It's got that hipster ethos of "I was a soccer fan before it was cool."

I'm not sure if it's like that outside of Texas, but yeah, soccer is pretty popular here.

I personally find it pretty boring to watch on TV, but the soccer team where my wife teaches got several rounds into the playoffs and I went to a couple games; it's a lot more fun to watch in person.

My father is from Istanbul, so I grew up both playing and watching soccer a lot. Played for 25 years, now only watch it, but I never watch the MLS because it's trash.

Would be like watching A baseball instead of the Majors but without any of the young potential stars.

[Night Train]

I have zero issue with people watching any sport that I do not follow. I never liked kickball (soccer) and do realize it's #1 in most countries. That's fine.

Hockey, football and a few other sports gives me enough in my sports entertainment menu.