Soccer beats Hockey in the US

[Tawnos]

I'm going to be honest, I don't really know how this thread has been sustained for as long as it has when the reality that soccer has passed hockey is more or less undeniable.

And like that's fine! But I'm a teacher and the level of penetration soccer has with teens is unfathomable. It may be objectively bigger than baseball before long.

It really depends on what you mean by “passed”… in terms of youth participation hockey was passed by soccer like 40 years ago. The sport has had a much harder time translating that to adult attention and by extension, dollars spent. It’s still WAY behind hockey in that regard, but it has been closing the gap.

So no, it’s not “undeniable” at all. It depends on your definition of what makes a sport bigger or smaller than another sport.

 

[DoyleG]

MLS Cup linear audience down massively on Fox in year two of Apple deal

The MLS Cup between the LA Galaxy and NY Red Bulls saw a sharp decline in its linear television audience on Fox.

awfulannouncing.com

USL Championship game outdrew the MLS Cup on network TV.

 

[paul-laus]

MLS Cup linear audience down massively on Fox in year two of Apple deal

The MLS Cup between the LA Galaxy and NY Red Bulls saw a sharp decline in its linear television audience on Fox.

awfulannouncing.com

USL Championship game outdrew the MLS Cup on network TV.

Which echoes what a lot of people on these boards have espoused for some time. Yes, soccer is more popular than hockey in the US…..but it’s a complete misnomer to imply that the MLS dwarves the NHL. It’s UK Premiership, Mexican Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, and La Liga that many people follow….Thats a large number of leagues that make up the “soccer” fragmentation versus the NHL…

 

[TCNorthstars]

I’m upset that I didn’t resurrect this thread 17 years later first.

Anyway, there’s another measure to use here. If you go to the “other pro hockey” board here, it becomes easy to determine that trying to get a new rink constructed for ECHL or the lower leagues- and perhaps even the A- is very much like pulling teeth.

The number of projects for USL (and other) soccer is fairly substantial. One project just completed in Lexington, Kentucky has them moving up to Championship next year, while I can point to Milwaukee, Providence/Pawtucket, Lancaster CA, and Eugene with active projects. Meanwhile Des Moines, Omaha, Greenville SC, Albuquerque, Boise, and Oklahoma City are near ready to break ground. Not including Jacksonville (a smaller park for MLS Next), Indianapolis (where Eleven Park is getting stalled because city leaders want to try straight for MLS at a different site), Sacramento (just entering the planning stage), Oakland (their move into the Coliseum next year is not meant to be permanent), and Homestead FL (just inked an agreement with USL Miami FC for what will be a slow move).Mind you, the five teams entering USL League One next year aren’t enough and two folds right at season’s end emphasize their problems. However, they’re also capable of wedging into existing facilities.

Grand Rapids MI just announced a new stadium and MLS Next team coming in 27.