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Major League Soccer on ESPN debuted in 1996, the league's first season, and ended in 2022 when MLS and ESPN did not renew their broadcast contract. From 1996 to 2006, the weekly soccer match on ESPN2 was called MLS Soccer Saturday , but in the new contract, that was replaced by MLS Primetime Thursday .
Major League Soccer with ESPN and ABC Sports announced the league's first television rights deal on March 15, 1994, without any players, coaches, or teams in place. The three-year agreement covered English-language broadcasting for the 1996–1998 seasons, and committed 10 matches on ESPN, 25 on ESPN2, and the MLS Cup on ABC.
Ratings have largely remained steady if stagnant despite the move from the regular time slot. Viewership averaged 299,000 per broadcast in 2009, up from 253,000 in 2008; [4] however, it dipped to 253,000 in 2010 before rebounding to 291,000 in 2011 [5] with some matches (having been moved to ESPN as opposed to ESPN2) drawing over 600,000 viewers.
Following the 2008 season, ESPN discontinued the Thursday programming, citing lagging ratings [7] [8] and hoping to find better lead-in programming. It was replaced by the MLS Game of the Week , which rotated among a variety of nights and time slots.
On March 15, 1994, Major League Soccer with ESPN and ABC Sports announced the league's first television rights deal without any players, coaches, or teams in place. [10] The three-year agreement committed 10 games on ESPN, 25 on ESPN2, and the MLS Cup on ABC. The deal gave MLS no rights fees but split advertising revenue between the league and ...
All told, MNF amassed 26.6 million total viewers across ESPN, ABC, ESPN2, ESPN+, NFL+, ESPN Deportes, besting a 2009 Vikings/Packers game to set an all-time viewership high for the football ...
XFL merged with USFL to become the United Football League (UFL); ESPN's XFL broadcast rights absorbed into UFL. [186] [187] [29] Arena football: Arena Football League (AFL) Arena Football League on ESPN: ESPN Association football/Soccer: CONMEBOL: Copa América: ESPN+ 2019: Broadcast rights acquired and moved to Fox Sports beginning with the ...
The ESPN expansion with its own section onto Disney+ follows the launch of Hulu on Disney+ earlier this year. Those who subscribe to a bundle package with Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ will be able to ...