re: Mexico WC Qualifiers on ESPN

I think the point is that not many people were bidding to broadcast Mexican games in America. It was relatively cheap for ESPN to get the broadcast rights.

ESPN has done a better job of late to push soccer. IMO. They will get there sooner than later, but it's all business.

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I think the point is that not many people were bidding to broadcast Mexican games in America. It was relatively cheap for ESPN to get the broadcast rights.

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I understood. I'm just saying that I've been trying to rationalize it to myself this way without really knowing for sure. The English/Spanish rights argument was definitely a good point.

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Agree, and I was referencing the amount of people who would tune in for "USA v Canada" or "Mexico v Denmark" not necesarily just the marquee matchups

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Based on stadium attendance, you have a damn good point.

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I'm not saying you're wrong, because I have no idea, but this is definitely what I've been telling myself to make myself feel better. I just can't believe that the Mexican national team is more popular than the USA national team within our boarders.

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A few points to consider:

- I could 100% be wrong. Some of the information I know, some of it I am hypothesizing. (Keep in mind when I'm hypothesizing that I have experience dealing with distribution networks that cross borders, education and reading about the business world of soccer that I really don't believe I'm pulling that out of my arse... That's my best guess as to how the onion peels.)

- With regards to Mexican broadcasts, I'm 99% certain that they are the big piece of the pie when it comes to dividing up CONCACAF broadcast rights, and far more advantageous for the drivers (i.e. the advertisers) than the US rights. I'd guess ratings for Spanish language Mexican broadcasts on US TV are much higher than English language US broadcasts on ESPN.

Lastly, after giving it some thought, I think ESPN may have done a brilliant piece of business with this deal. Since most viewers want to see Mexican games in Spanish, these rights were probably dirt cheap. They get an opportunity to broadcast games to *us*, who will cheer for the opponent, where we may not have sought the Spanish language broadcast out.

AND assuming ESPN have the broadcast rights to the US game in Azteca (has that been firmed up?) than they have rescued a potentially shitty situation, and provided a workaround for the casual US fan who would have otherwise missed a match. And probably at a cheaper price.

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I think the point is that not many people were bidding to broadcast Mexican games in America. It was relatively cheap for ESPN to get the broadcast rights.

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I think it's important to differentiate between the English rights and Spanish rights to broadcast in the US. It's my belief (and have nothing to draw that on) that the Spanish rights to broadcast in the US are the big prize. (More money to be spent by the end users.... Mexican fans in America have more disposable income than Mexican Mexicans.)

My guess is that the hierarchy is:

Spanish Mexican rights in the US

Spanish Mexican rights in Mexico

Away Mexican rights (both)

English US rights

English US away rights

Spanish US broadcast rights (home and away.... And my suspicion that these may be as valuable as the English US rights.)

English language Mexican rights

It's simply that the monopoly in those away countries where the games aren't on espn won't sell the rights to them so whatever local official is getting the payola can get paid by the PPV broadcast that's all

ESPN hired first rate Mexican broadcasters to do the games so you won't have to worry about twellmab

I bet more people watch the Mexico games in America than the USMNT games so I wouldn't assume they didn't go ahead and overpay the Hondurans for the rights

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I bet more people watch the Mexico games in America than the USMNT games

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Nah

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MIAMI, FL – AUGUST 12, 2011 – Univision Communications Inc., the leading media company serving Hispanic America, today announced that its live coverage of the international friendly featuring the United States National Team against the Mexican National Team reached 9.4 million viewers who tuned in to all or part the broadcast.

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Despite a delay of over a half-hour, Wednesday’s United States/Mexico soccer friendly scored healthy numbers for ESPN2.

ESPN2 drew 1.084 million viewers for the United States/Mexico friendly Wednesday night, up 38% from a Brazil/United States friendly on the same date last year (783K, ESPN).

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That's what I said up thread that I *believe* the Spanish language rights for US games MAY be worth more than the English language rights. People watching their adoptive nation and all that jazz.