North American Pro Soccer 2023

[WestCoastBias]

I thought they might try to go with a 30,000 capacity since it's in Willets Point.

 

[GDAWG]

Would they move the Pinstripe Bowl college football game out to the new stadium?

[Digby]

17 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

Would they move the Pinstripe Bowl college football game out to the new stadium?

 

To a worse location with 40% less capacity? Seems unlikely. The bad dimensions and field quality of the baseball stadium seems like it matters less for those novelty bowl games than it does for regular soccer games. 

 

1 hour ago, BrySmalls said:

 

No. All the other proposed sites were abandoned or didn't make much sense.

 

If the Yankees side of the operation didn't torpedo the Yankee Stadium-adjacent site... kinda wonder how invested they really are. Maybe it doesn't matter.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

https://www.sounderatheart.com/2022/11/16/23462670/pricing-details-announced-new-mls-streaming-service-apple-tv-season-pass?utm_campaign=sounderatheart&utm_content=chorus&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

 

Quote

The primary point of interest for many will be the cost of the service. While all full-season ticket holders will receive a subscription to MLS Season Pass as part of their season ticket package, there are essentially two pricing levels with two payment schedules each.

 

Starting on February 1, for fans with an Apple TV+ subscription — the subscription service where original series like Ted Lasso, Severance and Foundation can be found — the subscription will cost $79 per season or $12.99 per month. If you don’t have Apple TV+, you can subscribe to MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app for $99 per season or $14.99 per month. 

 

That kind of feels like a lot, so what are you getting for that price? First and foremost, you’ll have access to every MLS regular season game live with no blackouts. Each of those games will include 30 minutes of pre-game coverage, and games will be available with both English and Spanish broadcasting, and games featuring Canadian teams will also be available in French. If you’d prefer a homier touch, you can also listen to your team’s radio broadcast in the app.
On match days, MLS Season Pass will also feature a live whip-around show — think NFL’s Redzone or CBS’s Golazo Show.

 

But wait, there’s more! In addition to every regular-season MLS game, MLS Season Pass will also be your home for the playoffs, Leagues Cup, and will also broadcast “hundreds of MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT games during the season,” according to the announcement. The service will also provide additional coverage of every team, along with offering full replays and highlight packages. 

 

MLS Season Pass isn’t going to be the only option for watching games. Linear broadcasting plans have yet to be announced, and some games will also be available on Apple TV and Apple TV+ without having the MLS Season Pass subscription. Some MLS regular season and Leagues Cup games, including a selection of MLS playoff games, will be available at no additional charge on Apple TV+.

 

There will also be some games available on the Apple TV app for free, including the full slate of games for the league’s opening weekend.  As part of the partnership, Apple TV will appear as a sleeve sponsor for each MLS team. Additional details including broadcast teams, production and other features will be announced closer to the start of the 2023 season

 

So if I get MLS Apple TV, that's not the same thing as Ted Lasso Apple TV?

 

Why did they bother? This is stupid.

[Digby]

10 minutes ago, DG_ThenNowForever said:

So if I get MLS Apple TV, that's not the same thing as Ted Lasso Apple TV?

 

 

Yeah, I didn't realize this was going to be a whole separate subscription on top of the usual one for Apple TV...? Given how historically in the toilet MLS TV ratings are, hard to see how this is a worthwhile endeavor considering how much investment the buildout will require. Oh well, not my money. 

[Jer15]

Just saw that, for TFC anyway, a season ticket will also get you a subscription for Apple's MLS service. 

[tigers]

It's a wonder they didn't try and build on top of Yankee Stadium.

 

Plenty of examples.

 

[4_tattoos]

This was a surprise coming from The Soccer Tournament. You see many college alum teams in The Basketball Tournament, but yet to see a pro team (from anywhere around the world) participate in it. Wonder if any other established soccer clubs will have teams in TST? I doubt any MLS clubs would since they have Next Pro starting up soon and TST will likely run concurrent to that league's season.

 

Club Necaxa - The Basketball Tournament (thetournament.com)

 

 

[Dilbert]

Two bits of news from USL Championship:

 

First Phoenix Rising are on the move again. They will dismantle their stadium and relocate it near the Phoenix Greyhound track.

 

Second expansion club Queensboro FC (who was supposed to begin play in 2023 is either DOA or could be switching leagues.  Ive seen some reports that they will now join MLS Next Pro in 2024 and Ive seen some reports that they wont have a team at the professional level. With the NYCFC stadium now being pretty much official for Queens  and the fact that nothing has happened on a stadium being built for QFC, dont expect them to play, at least in 2023.

[GDAWG]

2 hours ago, Dilbert said:

Two bits of news from USL Championship:

 

First Phoenix Rising are on the move again. They will dismantle their stadium and relocate it near the Phoenix Greyhound track.

 

Second expansion club Queensboro FC (who was supposed to begin play in 2023 is either DOA or could be switching leagues.  Ive seen some reports that they will now join MLS Next Pro in 2024 and Ive seen some reports that they wont have a team at the professional level. With the NYCFC stadium now being pretty much official for Queens  and the fact that nothing has happened on a stadium being built for QFC, dont expect them to play, at least in 2023.

 

They need to stop doing that if they ever want to move to the MLS.

[GDAWG]

 

[Digby]

Athletic says that all season-ticket members for all teams get the free subscription, and also: 

 

Quote

A significant number of matches could live in front of the MLS-specific paywall, too. A document distributed to clubs in August indicated there could be six midweek matches and four Saturday fixtures available in front of the paywall. MLS is also expecting to announce linear broadcast partnerships (with specific eyes on ESPN/ABC, TUDN and Fox given their history), and a source told The Athletic the league expects to have a significantly higher number of games available for free in 2023 than at any other point in league history.

 

Not sure if that means totally free a la the MLB games, or if you'd just have to have an Apple TV sub... either way, seems like the subscription package is intended for the diehards. And ESPN and Fox will (probably) still have some numbers of games too. If I can still easily watch half of my team's games without a subscription, that's probably enough for me and I'll pass on buying the whole thing. I have other things to do on Saturday nights!

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Sounders are a team that gets a healthy amount of games on national TV; I don't feel compelled to set up another account and download another app on all my devices.

 

Idk. I'll probably end up getting it, but I'm not wowed by the value proposition yet. MLS on ESPN + was great because all of the games, local or national broadcasts, showed up in Hulu Live's sports tab. Now it's two different ecosystems, just like Prime hosting Sounders matches and TNF. It's annoying.

[leopard88]

21 hours ago, WestCoastBias said:

I thought they might try to go with a 30,000 capacity since it's in Willets Point.

 

 

I thought they might try to go bigger just because it's New York.  Maybe even pushing 40,000 to push for WC qualifiers and international friendlies.

 

20-25,000 seems like the sweet spot for soccer specific stadiums.  However, it just feels like New York should have a much bigger stadium than Columbus or Austin.

[MJWalker45]

12 hours ago, Dilbert said:

Second expansion club Queensboro FC (who was supposed to begin play in 2023 is either DOA or could be switching leagues.  Ive seen some reports that they will now join MLS Next Pro in 2024 and Ive seen some reports that they wont have a team at the professional level. With the NYCFC stadium now being pretty much official for Queens  and the fact that nothing has happened on a stadium being built for QFC, dont expect them to play, at least in 2023.

Is Villa still part of this team? If so, I hope they never take the field.

20 hours ago, Jer15 said:

Just saw that, for TFC anyway, a season ticket will also get you a subscription for Apple's MLS service. 

Now does that require a full season ticket or a minimum number of games?

21 hours ago, GDAWG said:

Would they move the Pinstripe Bowl college football game out to the new stadium?

I could see it if the stadium had more seats, but I think the allure of Yankee Stadium is the only reason that game still exists. 

[Jer15]

12 minutes ago, MJWalker45 said:

Now does that require a full season ticket or a minimum number of games?

Full season. 

[Digby]

13 minutes ago, leopard88 said:

20-25,000 seems like the sweet spot for soccer specific stadiums.  However, it just feels like New York should have a much bigger stadium than Columbus or Austin.

 

The New York metro area already has one 25k soccer stadium that's never close to full for MLS games -- gotta wonder if the 7 train and a competent marketing department are enough to make this one different.

 

Seems like everyone errs on the side of being smaller... better to drive up demand and charge higher ticket prices, I guess. NYCFC attendance has been good-but-not-great through the years, and while I'm sure it'll improve when they have a proper stadium and stop playing in four different states, I can still see why you'd want to play it safe with those numbers. I think Toronto and Nashville are the only pure-soccer stadiums to break that number so far, and one of those is a national team home base (and I suspect the other wants to be, hence 30k). 

[Jer15]

Came across this yesterday ( I missed it over the weekend):

 

https://northerntribune.ca/canadian-premier-league-kelowna-expansion-award/

 

The short is it sounds like the CPL is ready to announce Kelowna, BC as an expansion city. 
 

The more interesting/detailed notes are that it sounds like the CPL wants to wait for confirmation of a stadium getting built as Saskatoon is still in limbo due to working on the stadium and the impending news of FC Edmonton shutting down are both negatives so they want to make sure they have all ducks in a row before making this announcement.

My thoughts, as someone who has family in Kelowna and visits with some regularity; The area that is being proposed for the stadium is not bad.  Just west of it (as of August when I was last there) they are starting work on some new condo or apartment buildings and there are a number of small breweries/wineries/restaurants in the area. That whole area is transforming from industrial to a more dense population/extension of the downtown. I think it would be a fit.

In the short term, if they wanted to get a team on the field ASAP they could probably use the Apple Bowl. It's 2000ish seats but there's a lot of room around it to add some temporary risers if needed. 

[Brian in Boston]

20 hours ago, Dilbert said:

First Phoenix Rising are on the move again. They will dismantle their stadium and relocate it near the Phoenix Greyhound track.

 

So, they called Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex/Casino Arizona Field within the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community near Tempe home from 2017 through 2020. They spent the 2021 and 2022 seasons at the Phoenix Rising Soccer Complex within the Gila River Indian Community near Chandler. Now they've announced that they'll be dismantling and moving their modular soccer stadium to a site adjacent to the Phoenix Park 'n Swap on the city's east side in time for the start of the 2023 USL Championship season.

Phoenix Rising? More like Phoenix Roaming.

[Burmy]

So, when that NYCFC stadium opens, is that other team finally gonna honor the state that's hosted 'em for their entire history and be the New Jersey Red Bulls?