Media Microscope: Why The MLS On Versus Needs To Happen
By Seth Vertelney, Goal
For the United States as a whole, the World Cup was a huge success: massive TV ratings, some relative achievement for the U.S. team, and perhaps most importantly, for a month at least, soccer created an immense buzz and became a part of the cultural zeitgeist.
Major League Soccer, understandably, is looking to ride this tidal wave of good vibes and make a splash of its own. (Sorry, couldn’t help the pun.)
Signs have been quite positive in 2010. Attendance is up, big-name players are arriving, and new stadiums are springing up across the country. There is still one aspect of the league that isn’t experiencing a boon, though, and that’s television ratings.
Viewership has remained flat on ESPN2, as MLS matches have averaged a 0.2 household rating through 14 games according to Nielsen. The 0.2 share, which translates to roughly 251,000 viewers per game, means MLS has lower numbers than, gasp….the WNBA.
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