New Apple TV MLS Numbers Are Vague, But Better Than Nothing

SportsMoneyNew Apple TV MLS Numbers Are Vague, But Better Than NothingByIan Nicholas Quillen, Contributor

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights (which is quite significant)

More Stadium on Wednesday in Austin, Texas (noteworthy indeed)

And if nothing else, it’s validation for the strategy of expanding ways to purchase the service, given current economic conditions

If you try to extract any more from those numbers, here’s some advice: Don’t

The reality is that ing data is just fundamentally different from how broadcast and cable TV ratings are measured, and the ing industry is still so novel that there’s really no standard, agreed-upon metric

MORE FOR YOU Variables Lurking Everywhere For starters, while MLS Season Pass is a globally available service, the majority of its telecasts are replacing broadcasts that were previously dissemenated via regional sports networks for local consumption

Market analysis shows re’s also the matter of international viewers, which Apple’s numbers would presumably include since MLS Season Pass is a globally available service, bur old Nielsen Ratings data, which only covers the United States, would omit, amid market uncertainty

Then there’s uncertainty of what the “unique viewer” metric even means

Conversely, It could be Garber was referring to an average audience size across the the entirety of broadcasts, which would make it a similar metric to the TV ratings figure most commonly referenced for network and cable telecasts

It could be that Garber was referring to the gross total of viewers, which would make the data far less comparable and impressive

Moreover, Maybe most to the point, in ing package where there are sometimes as many as 15 games played on a single night, the mean unique viewer data is bably less relevant than the median figure would be, since rare standalone games and games involving Messi’s Inter Miami could draw much larger audiences that skew the average uipward (an important development)

Moreover, This isn’t to suggest anything nefarious, though MLS does have some history of sharing statistics in a comically flattering way

However, It’s just a reminder that there bably won’t be a lot more insightful public data coming in the near future because of the challenges ing presents

Moreover, And quite honestly, an alternative where the public is privy to all s of granular viewership trends could become an ethical concern in terms of customers’ rights to data privacy when signing up for ing services

International Opportunity, in this volatile climate

Conversely, There's still a lot of room for the MLS Season Pass service to grow, and no certainty that those aspirations will be realized

But one of the most intriguing aspects of the new model could be MLS’ ability to reach foreign audiences far more efficiently than in previous relationships with foreign cable networks, in light of current trends

However, That may be one reason there for an increase in daytime kickoffs outside of the hot summer months this season, and also one reason MLS potentially feels more bullish eventually adopting a fall-to-spring schedule similar to most European leagues

Meanwhile, If MLS can make up for still niche interest domestically with continued growing interest abroad, it can reach a point where it s in the revenues from subscription fees

Additionally, In contrast, Messi and the rest of Miami’s star-studded roster aside, the average MLS roster still doesn’t have the kind of clout that could draw larger audiences from Europe and/or Latin America just yet

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