re: Mexico WC Qualifiers on ESPN

quote:

---

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.

---

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.