MLS to align with European calendar in 2027

1,296 Views | 25 Replies | Last: 21 days ago by Rudyjax
fig96
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This is potentially really big in helping grow the league.

MLS to align calendar with top leagues around the world

Quote:

Major League Soccer has announced a shift in its competition calendar, aligning the league's schedule with the world's top soccer leagues.

Beginning in the summer of 2027, MLS will adopt a summer-to-spring season format, marking one of the most significant developments in the league's history. MLS is continuing to work with the MLS Players Association to finalize agreement on a transition plan.

akm91
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It may hurt MLS in the fall competing against college and pro football.
fig96
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I think that's the interesting question in this. But they could also become the big sport for spring when not as much is going on.
Forum Troll
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Should've happened years ago. Silly for the playoffs to be competing with NFL, ncaaf, and the start of NBA and NHL seasons.

There's some cons to this but the pros far outweigh them imo.

Next can we get pro rel with usl? (I know its a pipe dream)
Rudyjax
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Yeah. I really like the fact that it won't be 11ty billon degrees in Frisco.
ThunderCougarFalconBird
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Same in Houston. The 8 pm kickoffs make going with smaller kids almost impossible and I'm too old for that noise.
jessexy
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I predicted this will happen and i'm happy. The winter break is a big deal cuz there are teams up north that would be on loooooong road trips in the winter months while also being unpredictable in the south at the same time.

Pro/Rel aint happening ever though. Enjoy the Fall/Spring season and alignment with the world soccer calendar.
peace....jessexy
Ghost of Andrew Eaton
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akm91 said:

It may hurt MLS in the fall competing against college and pro football.

Don't they already compete with college and pro football?
If you say you hate the state of politics in this nation and you don't get involved in it, you obviously don't hate the state of politics in this nation.
wangus12
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akm91 said:

It may hurt MLS in the fall competing against college and pro football.

Their move to Apple TV means they're already not competing because you had to go out of your way to watch it anyways.
fig96
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wangus12 said:

akm91 said:

It may hurt MLS in the fall competing against college and pro football.

Their move to Apple TV means they're already not competing because you had to go out of your way to watch it anyways.

On the plus side this looks to be changing some as well, though I agree with your basic premise.

From The Athletic, article makes it sound like their F1 coverage starting in 2026 will be included as well:

MLS, Apple TV to bring games outside of extra paywall in 2026: Sources

Quote:

MLS will no longer be behind a separate paywall on Apple TV beginning in 2026.

MLS and Apple have agreed to alter the partnership agreement at the end of the 2025 season, multiple sources told The Athletic. MLS Season Pass will no longer exist, and all MLS games will be available on the Apple TV streaming service. (Apple rebranded Apple TV+ to Apple TV.)

It's an important change for the MLS-Apple deal, which put every MLS game behind a paywall that cost fans for $14.99 per month or $99 for the season. While the streaming service provided a far better broadcast experience than the local TV deals for diehard MLS fans, it also made it much more difficult for the league to reach new fans.

Furlock Bones
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this was long overdue.
akm91
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Rudyjax said:

Yeah. I really like the fact that it won't be 11ty billon degrees in Frisco.

In August?
akm91
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wangus12 said:

akm91 said:

It may hurt MLS in the fall competing against college and pro football.

Their move to Apple TV means they're already not competing because you had to go out of your way to watch it anyways.

I'm more talking about attendance numbers.
akm91
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Ghost of Andrew Eaton said:

akm91 said:

It may hurt MLS in the fall competing against college and pro football.

Don't they already compete with college and pro football?

The regular season ends mid-October so there is some overlap with pro and college football. With the new schedule, it will compete for the entirety of college and pro football season.
Rudyjax
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akm91 said:

Rudyjax said:

Yeah. I really like the fact that it won't be 11ty billon degrees in Frisco.

In August?

Not the entire ****ing season!

deadbq03
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Also smart that they're gonna be like some of the colder leagues (Swiss for example) that take the whole month of January off. MLS are in an unenviable position to have to deal with both extreme heat and extreme cold in such a large and varied geographic footprint.

Correction… I was thinking of the Danish league. But Swiss and Austria also take a significantly longer break than the Top 5 leagues.
fig96
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akm91 said:

Ghost of Andrew Eaton said:

akm91 said:

It may hurt MLS in the fall competing against college and pro football.

Don't they already compete with college and pro football?

The regular season ends mid-October so there is some overlap with pro and college football. With the new schedule, it will compete for the entirety of college and pro football season.

But the playoffs will hit in April/May with no real competition as opposed to during the peak of NFL/NCAA season (i.e. right now).
deadbq03
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It would be smart for them to maybe carve out separate TV rights for the playoffs . I.e. convince Apple to sublease their rights to a real sports network.
fig96
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Totally agree, and I think they do some of that already.

Edit: looks like the final this year will be free on AppleTV and broadcast on Fox.
deadbq03
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Good to know, thanks.
Pahdz
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Gonna be some cold ass games here in MN but I sat through that Honduras WCQ here so I think I can make it through anything.
TXAggie2011
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fig96 said:

Totally agree, and I think they do some of that already.

Edit: looks like the final this year will be free on AppleTV and broadcast on Fox.


And they're dropping the Season Pass. And shortening their agreement three years to end in 2029.

Ideally for growth, they should have hitched their wagon to a service with soccer already (ESPN, Peacock or Paramount) but I guess you follow the immediate money.
akm91
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That's why I didn't say anything about impact to the spring portion of the proposed calendar alignment.
fig96
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TXAggie2011 said:

fig96 said:

Totally agree, and I think they do some of that already.

Edit: looks like the final this year will be free on AppleTV and broadcast on Fox.


And they're dropping the Season Pass. And shortening their agreement three years to end in 2029.

Ideally for growth, they should have hitched their wagon to a service with soccer already (ESPN, Peacock or Paramount) but I guess you follow the immediate money.
This is actually kind of the model that NBC/Peacock used, they started off with Premier League Pass that you had to purchase separately a few years ago, then eventually wrapped their PL coverage into the standard Peacock subscription.
fig96
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Really interesting read on what a big benefit the shift will be for MLS when it comes to the transfer window.

The basic problem (currently) is that because the MLS window closes early teams are able to sell players in the summer to bigger clubs but not replace them by the end of the window. Shifting the calendar solves this and will ideally allow clubs to make more impactful signings.

MLS club officials agree that calendar shift will boost power in transfer windows

Quote:

With the change, the league will now align transfer windows with the top leagues in the world. Instead of MLS's summer transfer window closing weeks before Europe's, it will stay open slightly after Europe's close, giving teams more opportunity at the end of the window. Those key summer signings will have a whole year to make an impact, rather than a handful of games as it is now.

"To me, this change is more important than pro/rel," former Orlando City CSO Luiz Muzzi said. "We've faced many situations where we had offers for players in the summer but could not sell because of sporting goals. It is also super important for signing players."



One other interesting note that totally makes sense, wasn't aware of the window differences in Turkey, Greece, and Saudi Arabia:
Quote:

In addition to the windows aligning in general, MLS plans to have its summer window remain open a bit beyond when the top European leagues close theirs. This can put the league in an advantageous position when it comes to players whose potential moves to, say, the Premier League never come to fruition.

"Instead of going to Turkey or Greece, those players will come to us," one club official said.

Turkey and Greece also have transfer windows that extend beyond the Premier League's. Saudi Arabia does as well.

Rudyjax
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Would love to get more European players playing in the US.
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