The Future of Broadcasting for Smaller Sports Is Here
By Cam Van
In major sports news, the Major League Soccer (MLS) announced a partnership with Apple TV where every match will be provided, with no blackouts. This 10 year long partnership starts in 2023, is reportedly worth a minimum of $250 million per year. This news, coupled with the MLB’s $85 million per year deal with Apple, suggests a new wave in sports media as leagues partner with digital companies lots of money. For players, some argue that this deal means they should see a salary bump and increased reach within sports media as their leagues partner with these companies and create more accessible games, matches, and meets for streaming purposes. For sports in general, this may be the latest in a new movement of direct to fan streaming, which might just mean your favorite niche sport in the future might be streaming on a big name streaming platform.
If successful, the MLS x Apple connection would prove that smaller sports leagues can skirt the traditional pay TV bundle for a more direct subscription model. Not only would this mean that fans would be able to watch their favorite, perhaps less widely watched sport, but athletes within said sports would have more opportunities for making a living off they sport they train so hard for. Instead of negotiating with national broadcasters, smaller leagues like the newly minted Track and Field League (TFL) may be better suited talking with new, deeply pocketed entrants into sports media for lucrative, expansive deals. The same can be done for the Olympic channel, and a whole host of other sports with developing leagues and fanbases.
For the MLS, as it stands now, the current Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has a soft salary cap for each team to spend $4.9 million on players 1-20 on the roster. This means that teams can spend a maximum of $612,500 per player in 2022, and $884,438 in 2027. However, with this new partnership with tech giant Apple, it may be time to rework the existing CBA in light of the guaranteed money that will be going to the MLS every year. Nevertheless, blue skies ahead for MLS players and fans alike.
For players, they should keep these new deals in mind when negotiating collective bargaining agreements, and should continue to broaden their platform to make the most of their reach as athletes. One way to do just that is to become a Pro on Couro, where athletes can provide their expertise, experience, and edutainment, which users can subscribe for access.
