Setanta Sports USA: Soon To Become A Thing Of The Past
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you're right it is but like juan said,not here in the U.S. i've tried to like the sport but i just don't................
Soccer is so big, it does not need the US's support to thrive. MORE people watch the World Cup than they do the Super Bowl, last I checked. Last Super Bowl had about 100 million views, while the World Cup Final averages close to 3 times that at close to 300 million.
I love Soccer....no "futbol". And I am sure those that love futbol really do not care if others don't.
...and yet it still thrives world-wide, where other sports are but a blip on the radar screen.
Sandra
I remember the first year of MLS. I was living in Columbus, OH. I went to a few Crew games and loved it. I moved back to Texas in July 1996. I had Sports Pack on DirecTV, so I kept watching the Crew. The next season, ESPN put together MLS Free Kick (or whatever it's called). I wasn't about to pay extra for a one year old league. MLS would have been better off to keep the games free for a few years and let interest build.
If the EPL wants to grow in the US, they need to get their product on widely available channels and not worry about the money for the rights. Get us hooked on the product and then make us pay. As long as Setanta (and even Fox Soccer Channel) is their primary outlet for games, they will never expand the niche audience that they have in this country.
Remember when the Arizona Cardinals were in the NFC East with the Cowboys? They would play games in Arizona, and there would be 40K Cowboys fans in the stands. That's because the Cowboys gave away radio rights in their early days all the way west to California and all over Mexico. They built a HUGE fan base in doing so.
If the EPL wants to grow in the US, they need to get their product on widely available channels and not worry about the money for the rights. Get us hooked on the product and then make us pay. As long as Setanta (and even Fox Soccer Channel) is their primary outlet for games, they will never expand the niche audience that they have in this country.
Remember when the Arizona Cardinals were in the NFC East with the Cowboys? They would play games in Arizona, and there would be 40K Cowboys fans in the stands. That's because the Cowboys gave away radio rights in their early days all the way west to California and all over Mexico. They built a HUGE fan base in doing so.
Why does everyone remark about waiting for soccer to "arrive" in the U.S., when it has already arrived. I remember the dark ages when years would pass by without a single soccer game on television, or the years without a pro league. I'm completely satisfied with soccer's standing in the pecking order of sports in this country. It doesn't need to apologize because it doesn't have the stature it does in Europe or Latin America, we are talking about a totally different sports culture than the one we have here. People here have been raised on football and baseball for generations. Soccer, for its part, does well despite only being on the American sports radar since the 70s with the NASL and then again with World Cup 94 (still the greatest sporting event to have taken place in this country) and MLS since.
Sorry to hear about Setanta, but even I (as a soccer fan) never felt the need to subscribe.
Sorry to hear about Setanta, but even I (as a soccer fan) never felt the need to subscribe.
Good points, soccer is televised at a level in the US unlike ever before. Somebody is doing something right. It'll never be the NFL, but then again neither will MLB, the NBA or the NHL.
As far as Setanta is concerned, $15/month for one channel was outrageous, especially considering it's not even in HD. That probably contributed to it going under...
Sandra
EVERYTHING is televized at a level unlike ever before. Function of the plethora of channels.
Soccer is the world's most popular sport. However, soccer is not nearly as popular as some advocates claim. There are plenty of places other than the USA and Canada that ignore soccer, and, to be honest, most of the world lives pretty much hand to mouth every day of their lives, and spectator sports are a function of an affluent society. Further, ratings, in the Nielsen sense, are taken only in the "first world" and the 300M and such number are just a function of claiming that "everybody" in some godawful place watched a game.
In the USA, it is great to see soccer related things fail. Its not so much that soccer is a simplistic and pointless sport, although it is, it is the insufferable arogance of its tiny cadre of fans.
Soccer is the world's most popular sport. However, soccer is not nearly as popular as some advocates claim. There are plenty of places other than the USA and Canada that ignore soccer, and, to be honest, most of the world lives pretty much hand to mouth every day of their lives, and spectator sports are a function of an affluent society. Further, ratings, in the Nielsen sense, are taken only in the "first world" and the 300M and such number are just a function of claiming that "everybody" in some godawful place watched a game.
In the USA, it is great to see soccer related things fail. Its not so much that soccer is a simplistic and pointless sport, although it is, it is the insufferable arogance of its tiny cadre of fans.
I think you hit on something there. Soccer is a bizarre sport. There's almost no scoring, and what few goals are scored usually come by way of penalty kicks. It's nearly impossible to even get a decent shot off because of the stupid offsides rule. If soccer were to change their offisides rule to allow for a more open game (like the NHL did by abolishing the ridiculous red line) there might be something there for fans to appreciate. As it is every game ends 0-0 or 1-0, and soccer fans try to defend it by talking about the "artistry" of the players. Of course they're talking about plays that resulted in nothing more than a turnover. That's like bragging about some hotshot basketball player who dribbles between his legs, and behind his back, but never shoots. Big deal.
There are some pretty bizarre statements in this paragraph, which do not add up to an actual point. Soccer is by far the most popular sport in the world, and number two is not even close.
As salsadancer said, soccer is a sport that does not need US dollars or approval to be the most popular sport on the planet. That seems to bug people into making comments like this.
Sandra
True. But for soccer's tiny cadre of North American supporters, that is not enough. I has to be only we oafish Americans and Canadians that do not understand the "beauty" of kicking a ball back and fourth to one another. They have to spew out the idea that pertty much everybody else in the world cares.
First, of course, sadly, for most of the world, life is a short, hard, difficult struggle. Spectator sports and sitting around the TV with a can of beer for a few hours is not how most of the world lives. These soccer numbers of billions and billions are just pulled out of thin air and an unawareness of what the world is really like.
Second, as with anything, lots of people in the parts of the world where soccer is actually popular (western Europe and southern Latin America) follow other things. "Everybody" never does anything. "Everybody" doesn't follow the NFL, because somebody is at the symphony, somebody took a walk, somebody is watching TV bowling, and somebody is reading a book.
Third, there are plenty of parts of the world that ignore soccer, and by ignore I mean treat it like we do. Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, India, Pakistan, the Carribean, etc.
It is just great to see people lose money on soccer in North America. The Market is speaking to those that will listen to it. Business people who listen to It, and not to the insufferable arrogance of its tiny cadre of fans, will do well.
That's because pretty much everyone else in the world cares. I am a soccer supporter in North America, and I could not possibly care less if you or anyone else likes it or not. But it seems to bug some North American sports fans no end to be told soccer is the most popular sport in the world.
Pulled out of thin air? Very bizarre statement...
That is the case with anything.
False statements to support your theory. You can make the argument baseball is more popular in Japan and cricket is more popular in India, but soccer is still VERY popular in those countries.
No idea why it gives you such a thrill if somebody loses money on any sport. I agree, there is definitely some arrogance here...
Sandra
They may not sit around the TV drinking beer and watching soccer, but the kids are outside playing it!
I'm not a soccer fan whatsoever, but I don't have a problem with those who are.
There are soccer fans whose arrogance grates me ( and I say that as a soccer fan). But don't confuse arrogance with passion. Soccer fans have every right to demonstrate their passion and defend the honor of their beloved game. I've long since quit trying to convert the naysayers, It is always a waste of time. People are going to believe what they want to and are not going to let the truth stand in the way of their thinking. Usually it's just the same tiresome rehash of decades-old rhetoric. I admire your efforts though, Sandra, I'm pleased to count you among our "small cadre."
WOW!! Where do I start??!! I guess I could be lazy and agree with everything Sandra said, because I do....eek..but I thought I would put my 2 cents in MY way.
I doubt it's "tiny", soccer leagues for kids 15 and younger and spring up faster than any other sport in the US form where I have read. ALL due mostly to the huge latino community that is growing y leaps and bounds.
That is quite the elist look at the world. YES, there is struggle all over the world. BUT there is WAY more than enough here in the US. Australia and western Europe has alot less struggle than the US...(there ends my political rant!:rant:)!!! WHERE you are getting the "billions and billions" numbers, I do not know. You seem to be pulling THAT out of thin air. FIFA had estimated somewhere around a billion fans for the World Cup Finals, but even they admitted that was a VERY generous estimate. In reality it is about HALF of that or a little less...somewhere between 250 to 400 million fans watch. That is STILL at a minimum, 3 to for times the amount that watch the Super Bowl.
Let's rephrase here...ALL of Latin America and ALL of Europe and ALL of Africa. Also, there are TONS of people that take on "the symphony, somebody took a walk, somebody is watching TV, and somebody is reading a book."
LMAO!! WHERE did you get THIS ONE?! Australia loves soccer...maybe not like central America or western Europe, but it is almost tied with basketball for 4th most popular sport behind Australian rules football and rugby. Same goes with New Zealand. Japan and China, baseball is barely ahead of basketball and followed by soccer. In India and Pakistan, only cricket surpasses soccer. And finally, in the Carribean...??!! Really??!! Seriously...??!! I have been all over the Carribean INCLUDING Cuba and it's baseball in the more developed countries followed by basketball and soccer and the lesser developed countries it's almost a 4 way tie with soccer, basketball, cricket and baseball.
The lose money comment is the simple and TYPICAL 'American arrogance' response. Always make light or fun of things you do not or want not to understand. When the World Cup came to US, it was a HUGE success(I was at openning ceremonies in Chicago and initial game).
I do not like futbol as much as the average fan, but I do like the sport and really do not understand why soccer and soccer fan get so much heat. I just think NON-soccer fans do not like and understand how rabit soccer fans are about their favorite sport and quite possibly upset that those same fans in the US do not support and go crazy for something "more American"....
...just saying...
eek..but I thought I would put my 2 cents in MY way.I doubt it's "tiny", soccer leagues for kids 15 and younger and spring up faster than any other sport in the US form where I have read. ALL due mostly to the huge latino community that is growing y leaps and bounds.
That is quite the elist look at the world. YES, there is struggle all over the world. BUT there is WAY more than enough here in the US. Australia and western Europe has alot less struggle than the US...(there ends my political rant!:rant:
)!!! WHERE you are getting the "billions and billions" numbers, I do not know. You seem to be pulling THAT out of thin air. FIFA had estimated somewhere around a billion fans for the World Cup Finals, but even they admitted that was a VERY generous estimate. In reality it is about HALF of that or a little less...somewhere between 250 to 400 million fans watch. That is STILL at a minimum, 3 to for times the amount that watch the Super Bowl.Let's rephrase here...ALL of Latin America and ALL of Europe and ALL of Africa. Also, there are TONS of people that take on "the symphony, somebody took a walk, somebody is watching TV, and somebody is reading a book."
LMAO!! WHERE did you get THIS ONE?! Australia loves soccer...maybe not like central America or western Europe, but it is almost tied with basketball for 4th most popular sport behind Australian rules football and rugby. Same goes with New Zealand. Japan and China, baseball is barely ahead of basketball and followed by soccer. In India and Pakistan, only cricket surpasses soccer. And finally, in the Carribean...??!! Really??!! Seriously...??!! I have been all over the Carribean INCLUDING Cuba and it's baseball in the more developed countries followed by basketball and soccer and the lesser developed countries it's almost a 4 way tie with soccer, basketball, cricket and baseball.
The lose money comment is the simple and TYPICAL 'American arrogance' response. Always make light or fun of things you do not or want not to understand. When the World Cup came to US, it was a HUGE success(I was at openning ceremonies in Chicago and initial game).
I do not like futbol as much as the average fan, but I do like the sport and really do not understand why soccer and soccer fan get so much heat. I just think NON-soccer fans do not like and understand how rabit soccer fans are about their favorite sport and quite possibly upset that those same fans in the US do not support and go crazy for something "more American"....
...just saying...
Two opinions about soccer: 1) the difference between soccer & basketball in the U.S. is what the young people had in their neighborhoods to play on. If they had neighborhood soccer pitches instead of basketball courts,almost all of the NBA's stars & superstars could have been star soccer players(imagine Lebron James,Kobe Bryant,& Carmelo Anthony as soccer stars instead) & soccer,instead of the NBA,would have the "ghetto gangsta" attitude,just like the rest of the world. I think the rest of the world finds it amusing that soccer in the U.S. is considered a middle class-upper middle class sport,complete with "soccer moms" & minivans,etc.
Now point # 2, I've watched soccer matches in hotbed countries on TV & I've seen,surprise surprise,empty seats. In fact I seen entire sections of stadiums empty & devoid of fans. Matches in Europe,South America(even Chile's Colo-Colo) play in front of empty seats . I ask myself,"if these nations love soccer so much,why are the seats empty?"
Now point # 2, I've watched soccer matches in hotbed countries on TV & I've seen,surprise surprise,empty seats. In fact I seen entire sections of stadiums empty & devoid of fans. Matches in Europe,South America(even Chile's Colo-Colo) play in front of empty seats . I ask myself,"if these nations love soccer so much,why are the seats empty?"
