It鈥檚 a highly anticipated event, the cap to a frenzy in the making for more than 3陆 years, on Saturday night when a 最新杏吧原创 team plays its first Major League Soccer home game.
The house at CityPark will be full and the bars and restaurants near the redeveloping western edge of downtown likely will be packed. The streets will be filled by fans, either on their way in and out or just milling around to soak in the atmosphere.
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And big television ratings are sure to be generated by 最新杏吧原创 City SC, right? Well, no. In fact, the TV audience is expected to be minuscule compared with other high-profile sporting events around town draw. And it won鈥檛 even be counted.
That鈥檚 because there will be no conventional telecast of the match, at 7:30 p.m. against Charlotte FC. The league has sold much of its TV rights to Apple TV+, which placed each of last week鈥檚 season-opening matches on its primary service that can be accessed for no charge by signing up for an Apple account. But it is putting many of its contests the rest of the way on its so-called 鈥淢LS Season Pass鈥 package. That includes City鈥檚 opener.
While that service is free to people who have purchased a full-season ticket to an MLS club and to T-Mobile customers through the app, there is a fee to others for the 鈥淪eason Pass鈥 bundle that includes all league games without blackouts, some other soccer matches and an array of related programming.
Fans who already buy Apple TV ($6.99 per month) must pay an additional $12.99 monthly or $79 for the season to receive the soccer package. For those who do not have an Apple TV subscription, the fees are $14.99 or $99.
That means that an Apple customer who wants to watch the game will be paying a minimum of $19.98 ($6.99 already committed, $12.99 for the monthly fee) plus tax to see the telecast. For others, the minimum cost is $14.99 plus tax. Of course purchasers would to be able to access the entire package for the rest of the month, but it is highly likely there are a significant amount of people merely interested in the home opener.
Apple, which reportedly is paying an average of about $250 million annually in a 10-year deal for the rights, is not releasing viewership figures. So we don鈥檛 know how many people locally saw City鈥檚 scintillating 3-2 victory over Austin FC last Saturday in its inaugural game.
It has been estimated that as of last summer that the Apple TV+ market share in the U.S. was only about 6%. Given that City鈥檚 home opener won鈥檛 be in Apple鈥檚 main lineup, instead on the even less-watched niche tier, not a lot of 最新杏吧原创ans are expected to see the contest unless they go to a public place that shows the production.
The following week, City鈥檚 game (9:30 p.m. March 11 in Portland) will be available to all who have an聽Apple TV account. But the team then is tentaviely scheduled to go behind the paywall for all but one match until May 20, when its home contest against Kansas City will be simulcast on FS1 as well as in Apple鈥檚 packages. That will be the first of the club鈥檚 three games that will air on a 鈥渃onventional鈥 channel. The others: June 11 against the LA Galaxy (on KTVI, Channel 2) and Aug. 20 against Austin (on FS1).
City鈥檚 final 10 games are set to be on the premium tier, but that is subject to change as the Apple-only schedule can be juggled.
Broadcasters revved up
While there has been grousing about MLS鈥 migration to mostly streaming, there hasn鈥檛 been much to complain about regarding the production value of Apple鈥檚 debut weekend. The City match was handled professionally, both on the technical and broadcaster sides.
This week, Taylor Twellman makes a homecoming to serve as the analyst on Apple鈥檚 production alongside play-by-play broadcaster Jake Zivin.
Twellman, who was ESPN鈥檚 lead soccer analyst for more than a decade before moving to Apple, starred playing the sport at 最新杏吧原创 University High before having a stellar run at the University of Maryland as well as in MLS and with the U.S. national team. He long has been an advocate of 最新杏吧原创 getting a franchise in the league, and is pumped up about being on hand Saturday to see this finally culminate.
鈥淚 always envisioned it, but I never thought it would come to fruition,鈥 Twellman said. 鈥淭he Taylor family put their money where my mouth is.
鈥淔or about 25 years I鈥檝e talked about 最新杏吧原创, I鈥檝e talked about to the league. Nashville, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Minnesota (are in MLS). How can you call yourself the best league in the United States if you鈥檙e not in 最新杏吧原创? But they needed someone to step up. (The Taylor family) did everything right. They did everything first class.鈥
How impressed is he now?
鈥淓very time I鈥檓 back in 最新杏吧原创 I see the stadium, I see the team store, I see the training facility, I see the team office,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he fact they are the only team in the league, 29 teams, to have all that downtown with the background of the Arch, there are still moments I need to check to see if I鈥檓 berating, to see if this is real life. I don鈥檛 mean that as a joke, I mean that sincerely.鈥
The local radio broadcast of all of City鈥檚 matches air on KYKY (98.1 FM) and the Audacy app, and the home opener is to be synched to the Apple production.
Joey Zanaboni, the team鈥檚 radio play-by-play announcer, went to SLUH as did Twellman and expects a wild atmosphere Saturday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be insane,鈥 he said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 (going to be) one of the greatest atmospheres I鈥檒l ever be a part of. I think I鈥檒l look back on it in 50 years, God willing, and say, 鈥業t was really hard to top that.鈥 I鈥檝e been as a fan down to Busch Stadium to playoff games, been to big Blues playoff games. I think that this is going to have that feeling of excitement, it鈥檚 going to have a feeling of intensity. It鈥檚 like you go for a long time outside in the summer and finally you get that huge drink of water, that refreshing feeling as it runs through you. It gives me goosebumps to think about it. I want that. I want to feel those goosebumps down the line.鈥
Twellman also expects a raucous setting Saturday, saying he has been asked who is the team鈥檚 most important player.
鈥淚 said the fans,鈥 he said. 鈥溩钚滦影稍 City needs to understand the fans, for 90 minutes, can make that place hell. It needs to be loud, it needs to be energetic. 最新杏吧原创 is not a cheese-and-wine crowd.鈥
It figures to be a proud moment for Twellman when the first MLS game in 最新杏吧原创 kicks off, as the long journey finally ends.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe it鈥檚 here,鈥 he said.
Sign of the times
Given the decline of regional television networks and cable television, MLS is banking on the continued ascent of streaming as it gives up eyeballs watching its product for what it thinks its its best deal not only financially but for what it banks on as the future of viewership 鈥 the ever-growing streaming business that all major U.S. sports have migrated to in some form.
MLS officials have said that 83% of their fans use streaming devices or recorded TV to watch sports.
鈥淲e鈥檙e very happy with what we鈥檙e going to be able to offer,鈥 MLS deputy commissioner Gary Stevenson told The Associated Press. 鈥淲e think it鈥檚 going to be a great fan experience.鈥
MLB moves
In a somewhat associated development, the financial crisis that the parent company of Bally-branded regional sports networks such as Cardinals and Blues carrier Bally Sports Midwest has led to more moves by MLB officials to prepare to take over the telecasts if that company collapses.
Diamond Sports Group, which has rights to 14 MLB teams, last month missed about $140 million in interest payments and could be headed toward bankruptcy. MLB, which recently created a local media department, bolstered it this week by adding three key executives who have worked in the regional sports networks business.
MLB will be ready if need be, commissioner Rob Manfred has vowed.
鈥淚 think you should assume that if Diamond doesn鈥檛 broadcast, we鈥檒l be in a position to step in,鈥 he recently said. 鈥淥ur goal would be to make games available not only within the traditional cable bundle but on the digital side, as well.鈥
In the week's STL Soccer Talk video, Tom Timmermann and Carter Chapley reflect on 最新杏吧原创 City SC's buzz-inducing win over Austin, which they have to put behind them as they get ready for the equally buzz-causing home opener.
