INTERNATIONAL TELEVISION and media rights agency MP & Silva has reported a rise in the number of countries buying broadcast rights for Major League Soccer (MLS) for the second successive season.
In 2012, 133 countries broadcast MLS games – a rise of 28 per cent from 2011 which saw 112 countries showing MLS action, which grew from 104 in 2010.
The latest figures reveal the number of broadcast partners have also increased from 25 to 46, with more nations from Asian, Caribbean and eastern European regions purchasing rights packages.
While the continued growth in broadcast sales is a strong indication of the league’s increasing popularity and acceptance worldwide, the figures will also make good reading for MLS clubs looking to maximise commercial revenues from jersey sponsors and associated club partners.
The MLS may not compare with the top domestic leagues in Europe or the UEFA Champions League in terms of global reach and attributed brand opportunities, but growth in key Asian and European markets will attract corporate brands with interests in the US and further afield.
Similarly, an expanding broadcast platform will ease the new sales and renewals process for Soccer United Marketing, the commercial arm of the MLS responsible for all league-wide sponsorship deals.
The biggest partner of the MLS is adidas. Soccer United Marketing brokered the eight-year renewal of a kit supply deal for all MLS teams in 2011, which will see the sportswear giant paying around $25m per season until 2018.
If the MLS continues to grow at its current rate, the league’s marketing team will be well-positioned to negotiate an early renewal with a significant uplift in the price of intellectual property rights the main priority.