OT: shocking TV deal (not college football)

[Sean Miller Fan]

USL, which is the Riverhounds' league, and the lower division after MLS, signed a deal with CBS meaning your grandpa without cable may turn on Channel 2 this spring or summer and see a nationally televised Riverhounds game. That is mind blowing to me. Most games will be on CBSSN or Paramount+ but dang this is surprising. Pretty good move though, I guess, since MLS took itself off TV (mostly) and went with Apple TV.

I think its next year when the SEC leaves CBS and the B10 takes over 3:30. Maybe you'll see the Riverhounds lead-in to the 3:30 Big Ten game. Crazy.

 

[upj87]

USL, which is the Riverhounds' league, and the lower division after MLS, signed a deal with CBS meaning your grandpa without cable may turn on Channel 2 this spring or summer and see a nationally televised Riverhounds game. That is mind blowing to me. Most games will be on CBSSN or Paramount+ but dang this is surprising. Pretty good move though, I guess, since MLS took itself off TV (mostly) and went with Apple TV.

I think its next year when the SEC leaves CBS and the B10 takes over 3:30. Maybe you'll see the Riverhounds lead-in to the 3:30 Big Ten game. Crazy.

If that is the case and they do lead in their 3:30 game with some exciting nil-nil lower division of a lower global soccer league on a college football Saturday, I do feel sorry for those noon college football games then as those games are going to get crushed in the ratings. Might even hurt college gameday attendance. Like you said, mind blowing.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

If that is the case and they do lead in their 3:30 game with some exciting nil-nil lower division of a lower global soccer league on a college football Saturday, I do feel sorry for those noon college football games then as those games are going to get crushed in the ratings. Might even hurt college gameday attendance. Like you said, mind blowing.

I cant even imagine it. During an injury break, the camera pans to the the 1 side of bleachers at Highmark Stadium and graphics of Ohio State and Illinois appear. "Fans, stay tuned because at the end of this game, we'll take you live to the Shoe where the #1 ranked Buckeyes look to stay undefeated." Then they show some Yinzer in a Riverhounds shirt and an OSU hat. Never thought I'd see the day.

 

[Pitt79]

USL, which is the Riverhounds' league, and the lower division after MLS, signed a deal with CBS meaning your grandpa without cable may turn on Channel 2 this spring or summer and see a nationally televised Riverhounds game. That is mind blowing to me. Most games will be on CBSSN or Paramount+ but dang this is surprising. Pretty good move though, I guess, since MLS took itself off TV (mostly) and went with Apple TV.

I think its next year when the SEC leaves CBS and the B10 takes over 3:30. Maybe you'll see the Riverhounds lead-in to the 3:30 Big Ten game. Crazy.

CBSSN is into what you might call minor leagues, they do CFL, Arena Football, summer college baseball, they have a deal with UCONN football, G5 football, their big-time deal is with Service Academy college football. It's not at all surprising to me that they bought USL, look at their other stuff?

 

[cease10]

Not really mind blowing, since CBS was already airing NWSL (women soccer) games on national TV.

 

[Pitt79]

I cant even imagine it. During an injury break, the camera pans to the the 1 side of bleachers at Highmark Stadium and graphics of Ohio State and Illinois appear. "Fans, stay tuned because at the end of this game, we'll take you live to the Shoe where the #1 ranked Buckeyes look to stay undefeated." Then they show some Yinzer in a Riverhounds shirt and an OSU hat. Never thought I'd see the day.

What if the people watching are watching because they are soccer people and don't care about Ohio State or Georgia or anything? If I was watching a Riverhounds game and they told me game 7 of the World Series was on another channel, I wouldn't even consider changing the channel

 

[303vND]

That's why I chuckle about all this two conference power conferences - TV NETWORKS NEED CONTENT!!! And if they have to overpay for it....they will.

 

[Upg bobcat]

How much is CBS paying for the USL TV rights? That will determine whether I am shocked or not.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Not really mind blowing, since CBS was already airing NWSL (women soccer) games on national TV.

The NWSL is arguably the best women's soccer league in the world and women's soccer is pretty popular in the US. Well, the USWNT is most of them play in the NWSL so there are some brand name players there. I know this will hurt a lot of people here but Megan Rapinoe's final game for OL Reign drew 700K viewers on CBS primetime. Last year's final drew 915K.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

How much is CBS paying for the USL TV rights? That will determine whether I am shocked or not.

I am guessing not very much. The shocking part is not that they can get games on CBSSN or Paramount+ as they were already on ESPN2. Its that some games will be on CBS

 

[pittdan77]

What if the people watching are watching because they are soccer people and don't care about Ohio State or Georgia or anything?

Pretty sure that's what CBS is banking on. There is a growing demographic that couldn't care less about college football.

 

[Pitt79]

Pretty sure that's what CBS is banking on. There is a growing demographic that couldn't care less about college football.

I'd probably watch a Riverhounds game over Ohio State vs Illinois to be honest.

 

[Fk_Pitt]

What if the people watching are watching because they are soccer people and don't care about Ohio State or Georgia or anything? If I was watching a Riverhounds game and they told me game 7 of the World Series was on another channel, I wouldn't even consider changing the channel

There’s a better chance I’d watch USL soccer than the World Series. And I can confidently say that I wont be watching one minute of CBS’s coverage of this glorified pickup league. Do the players live with sponsors like the Washington Wild Things do?

Of course I haven’t watched one second of the World Series since 1979. It’s the “national way past its time.”

 

[Fk_Pitt]

If that is the case and they do lead in their 3:30 game with some exciting nil-nil lower division of a lower global soccer league on a college football Saturday, I do feel sorry for those noon college football games then as those games are going to get crushed in the ratings. Might even hurt college gameday attendance. Like you said, mind blowing.

You know, there’s a better chance that you’ll watch more of this soccer than I will because I won’t be watching, but you’d be taken more seriously if every soccer post of yours didn’t ignorantly reference nil nil matches and lack of goal scoring. That’s a tell tale sign that you have no idea what you’re talking about. But then again, you have everything you need right there in the beautiful town that John Murtha built. So who needs more than Ampipe, the Johnstown Chiefs, Point Stadium, and the MLB box scores in your daily paper. Life is good.

 

[Pitt79]

There’s a better chance I’d watch USL soccer than the World Series. And I can confidently say that I wont be watching one minute of CBS’s coverage of this glorified pickup league. Do the players live with sponsors like the Washington Wild Things do?

Of course I haven’t watched one second of the World Series since 1979. It’s the “national way past its time.”

I know exactly what I'll be watching, to me rooting interest means way more than quality of play, so give me a soccer team named Pittsburgh, in black and yellow uniforms, playing on a field overlooking the river to a view of downtown Pittsburgh and I'll be easily able to watch it, those factors alone will make me care who wins. I won't watch much USL, but I can see myself watching Pittsburgh, even if they are rec league players or backups for Martiniuque, Bermuda and Faroe Islands

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

even if they are rec league players or backups for Martiniuque, Bermuda and Faroe Islands

Actually, there was literally a team from Antigua & Barbuda in this league up until a few years ago. No joke. Would make for a cool road trip for the players though. I doubt the Antigua players made any money at all outside of per diem. Soccer isnt even the main sport down there. Its cricket. Ro be fair though, USL has improved immensely. It used to be far worse than college soccer but now its better.