Another thing worth a mention is opportunities for the northern teams to arrange friendlies with European clubs that would no longer conflict with the regular season, that is when I won't mind "going to a game wearing shorts". Would one rather watch their MLS team in a late summer friendly against Arsenal or Man City as opposed to a match with barely any consequence? Also, for the Leagues Cup, I think staging that after the November internationals will make for a great lead-in to the Winter break, and will nicely align with the Central American and Caribbean cup tournaments which determine the qualifiers for the Champions Cup the following February. This may require Liga MX to forego their Apertura playoffs though.
Any August-to-May schedule has to take account of the cities where snow is possible even outside the hiatus, and the cities where day games at the beginning and end of the season would be uncomfortable.
Definitely change it. It’ll work out better in the long run, we can play the leagues cup in the December-January break to keep the players up and active. It makes no difference anyway because it takes up our time in July-August in the current schedule. Besides, NFL would start around the same time as MLS in the new schedule and they would end their season in February meanwhile MLS continues until May. With that being said that would push our biggest competitor out of the way for our playoff period. Granted the NBA still goes on but they’ll be playing in between the week and MLS on weekends so we wouldn’t have much to worry about.
This wasn’t even close, lol. Tommy said he wanted to keep it the same for selfish reasons, while Will literally laid out every counterpoint explaining in detail why the change would benefit MLS. This debate felt more like teaching someone a lesson.
I think no matter what direction they go, there’s always gonna be problems. Personally I don’t mind the current schedule, please scrap leagues cup (they won’t), and they absolutely need to be better with scheduling individual games. People are saying that MLS can’t cater to other sports but the honest reality of it is that they’re gonna be competing in a already stacked market with like 4-6 different sports market so viewership will go down in my opinion. I also don’t think MLS is at the point where they can justify putting their games behind a paywall such as apple.
@@davidday2373 leagues cup is absolutely pointless. Players don’t even care it dude and I don’t blame them. Most obvious cash grab quite honestly in the entire sport
@noJ5395 It's sports, so it's all 'pointless', but Leagues Cup has been fun. 71,000 at SOFI Stadium in 2022 was an amazing experience, great atmosphere. 2023 had 1.33 million in total attendance (Messi/Miami only accounted for 170k). It has proven to not be so competitive with MLS having all Homefield advantage, and that's the biggest draw back.
Hey now! The southern teams aren’t all new, FC Dallas has been down here giving players heat stroke in the summer since ‘96 lol I do think having the playoffs not conflict with football would be huge, but also ADVERTISE! I’m a MLS fan and I have to go out of my way to hunt down when playoff games are and who’s playing. Look at the NBA their playoff commercials are everywhere. You see them so often can darn near quote those “nba playoffs on tnt” commercials by the time the playoffs actually start. Make an advertising push when the playoffs chase is gearing up to draw in new fans.
I'm in favor of fall-spring calendar and Leagues Cup in January (although rumor has it, this might become a midweek tourney eventually). Respecting international windows and lining up transfer windows are important to me as a fan. I want to see all my players available, I want to see better incoming/outgoing transfers. And to the other guy's point, I haven't been able to watch MLS in a bar since before Apple TV deal, what is he talking about lmao. I've gotten scothed at because I want to watch soccer at the bar by the bartenders, literally walked out of bars.
Its worth at least trying Aug-May, like ive said before for me the big things are, itll help transfer business, and you avoid most of the American football playoffs, MLS playoffs would do better vs the NBA, NHL and early season MLB than it would vs the NFL and College American football (American football is an absolute cultural behemoth in the US) hopefully they have the international breaks off, plus there wont be a massive break mid-playoffs
@MLSMoves The NFL works in all Aspects while the EPL does not though. Six forever powerful teams, teams spending themselves into huge debt just to not fall apart, and the same ish 3-4 teams yo-yoing between divisions
It's a change of schedule and not the format of MLS. You can keep the format and match the schedule with Europe You're argument seems to imply a full change and that's not the case
@@MLSMoves In this case the best league in the world has a season adapted to its weather patterns, not those of another country an Ocean away. The MLS is already there.
The stats do not back up Tommys claim The highest Viewed Mls games are in the winter Mls already plays games through the winter all the way to December so his trying to avoid NFL and College football argument is irrelevant The MLS playoffs and Cup is the showpiece so having it in the auturm/summer with less competition make more sense The transfer window will be aligned with the rest of the world plus you wont have games on Fifa dates and fans wont be going to games to watch weaker teams without their best players This is a no brainer..
Let me know if they should change it or keep it the same!
Another thing worth a mention is opportunities for the northern teams to arrange friendlies with European clubs that would no longer conflict with the regular season, that is when I won't mind "going to a game wearing shorts". Would one rather watch their MLS team in a late summer friendly against Arsenal or Man City as opposed to a match with barely any consequence?
Also, for the Leagues Cup, I think staging that after the November internationals will make for a great lead-in to the Winter break, and will nicely align with the Central American and Caribbean cup tournaments which determine the qualifiers for the Champions Cup the following February. This may require Liga MX to forego their Apertura playoffs though.
Any August-to-May schedule has to take account of the cities where snow is possible even outside the hiatus, and the cities where day games at the beginning and end of the season would be uncomfortable.
Definitely change it. It’ll work out better in the long run, we can play the leagues cup in the December-January break to keep the players up and active. It makes no difference anyway because it takes up our time in July-August in the current schedule. Besides, NFL would start around the same time as MLS in the new schedule and they would end their season in February meanwhile MLS continues until May. With that being said that would push our biggest competitor out of the way for our playoff period. Granted the NBA still goes on but they’ll be playing in between the week and MLS on weekends so we wouldn’t have much to worry about.
My world is android, windows etc but I watch Apple TV and MLS regardless for the live of the game
Let's change it
I totally agree with you major people use android phone, not iPhone, they should have a tv station
True soccer lover don't care about the weather, I've gone during storms to watch games . I don't choose I just go.
Even zero degrees.? Google the Temps for Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, Boston, Minnesota etc , during the winter,
This wasn’t even close, lol. Tommy said he wanted to keep it the same for selfish reasons, while Will literally laid out every counterpoint explaining in detail why the change would benefit MLS. This debate felt more like teaching someone a lesson.
I appreciate the kind words. It was a fun debate and I’m glad Tommy was willing to do it.
It’s going to lose Ticket sale revenue for us cold states …and up north
Football soccer must be able to sustain it self , we can't be thinking about other sorts at the same time.
So you are for or against?
MLS attendance is 3rd Largest in the ⚽ WORLD, 2023/24 (Playoffs pending).
I think no matter what direction they go, there’s always gonna be problems. Personally I don’t mind the current schedule, please scrap leagues cup (they won’t), and they absolutely need to be better with scheduling individual games. People are saying that MLS can’t cater to other sports but the honest reality of it is that they’re gonna be competing in a already stacked market with like 4-6 different sports market so viewership will go down in my opinion. I also don’t think MLS is at the point where they can justify putting their games behind a paywall such as apple.
It hurts us the global market and too many teams aren’t playing enough throughout the season
Leagues Cup has been fun, but it has a shelf life. After the World Cup (2026) we won't have much need for LC so much.
@@davidday2373 leagues cup is absolutely pointless. Players don’t even care it dude and I don’t blame them. Most obvious cash grab quite honestly in the entire sport
@noJ5395 It's sports, so it's all 'pointless', but Leagues Cup has been fun. 71,000 at SOFI Stadium in 2022 was an amazing experience, great atmosphere. 2023 had 1.33 million in total attendance (Messi/Miami only accounted for 170k). It has proven to not be so competitive with MLS having all Homefield advantage, and that's the biggest draw back.
@@noJ5395 P.S. less people/ players care about the US Open Cup.
Hey now! The southern teams aren’t all new, FC Dallas has been down here giving players heat stroke in the summer since ‘96 lol
I do think having the playoffs not conflict with football would be huge, but also ADVERTISE! I’m a MLS fan and I have to go out of my way to hunt down when playoff games are and who’s playing. Look at the NBA their playoff commercials are everywhere. You see them so often can darn near quote those “nba playoffs on tnt” commercials by the time the playoffs actually start. Make an advertising push when the playoffs chase is gearing up to draw in new fans.
I'm in favor of fall-spring calendar and Leagues Cup in January (although rumor has it, this might become a midweek tourney eventually). Respecting international windows and lining up transfer windows are important to me as a fan. I want to see all my players available, I want to see better incoming/outgoing transfers. And to the other guy's point, I haven't been able to watch MLS in a bar since before Apple TV deal, what is he talking about lmao. I've gotten scothed at because I want to watch soccer at the bar by the bartenders, literally walked out of bars.
Change it MLS needs to make the season longer it's way to short and it'll be more exciting here in L.A. we have good weather all year.
100%
Its worth at least trying Aug-May, like ive said before for me the big things are, itll help transfer business, and you avoid most of the American football playoffs, MLS playoffs would do better vs the NBA, NHL and early season MLB than it would vs the NFL and College American football (American football is an absolute cultural behemoth in the US) hopefully they have the international breaks off, plus there wont be a massive break mid-playoffs
What can it hurt?
@MLSMoves like I've said before if they manage it correctly I think it could work
I hope they change it man
Me too
Tommy is correct. Stop trying to be like Europe
I think we should stop trying to make MLS like the NFL. Follow the blue print of the best soccer leagues in the world
@MLSMoves The NFL works in all Aspects while the EPL does not though. Six forever powerful teams, teams spending themselves into huge debt just to not fall apart, and the same ish 3-4 teams yo-yoing between divisions
It's a change of schedule and not the format of MLS. You can keep the format and match the schedule with Europe
You're argument seems to imply a full change and that's not the case
@@MLSMoves In this case the best league in the world has a season adapted to its weather patterns, not those of another country an Ocean away.
The MLS is already there.
Wrong. Be like Liga MX
This is like one of those "political issues" that everyone thinks they should have an opinion on, but it's actually pointless. It's whatever..
Change it, it will only be beneficial in the long run.
It’s the only way
The stats do not back up Tommys claim
The highest Viewed Mls games are in the winter
Mls already plays games through the winter all the way to December so his trying to avoid NFL and College football argument is irrelevant
The MLS playoffs and Cup is the showpiece so having it in the auturm/summer with less competition make more sense
The transfer window will be aligned with the rest of the world plus you wont have games on Fifa dates and fans wont be going to games to watch weaker teams without their best players
This is a no brainer..
So if we switch to the European calendar, we scratch leagues cup?
I hope
Leagues cup is way more trouble than what it’s worth. Get rid of it.
CHANGE IT
Change it