https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-s...tsn-tva-sports
Says a 5 year deal, so that means 21 was the last year.
I will have to find some illegal streams if I gotta listen to Gareth Wheeler attempt to call MLS games every week. "INSIGNE! In-so-good". I got a knife in my ear just imagining it.
I think you are correct the MLS deal with MLSE is finished as of 2021 however I believe MLSE/Bell has the local tv rights for TFC only. I’m maybe wrong but I thought Time Warner (Galaxy) and MLSE (TFC) had local broadcast rights for one more year. These were the only two local deals still active in 2022 and they also had to be shortened because MLS wants all contracts finished by 2022 l. The Fox/ESPN deal with MLS finished at the end of 2021.
Regardless, I think it’s safe to assume that OneSoccer has little to no chance to beat out MLSE. I think the broadcast split between Bell/Rogers works for everyone and should they lose MLS games, then TSN is going to get more Leafs games to offset which Rogers won’t like. It’s in both Rogers and Bell best interest to retain those rights.
It will be interesting to see what happens. I think all content producers want the ability to go direct-to-consumer if they can. Or, at the very least, have fully web-based platforms available without any blackouts for local TV rights.
Where does that leave the media companies in terms of gaining benefit from owning the team? Not entirely clear, although it does allow them to be inside the tent, so to speak.
Are you sure? TFC said in their schedule announcement that TSN will televise all of their regular-season games. Vancouver did as well.
https://www.torontofc.ca/news/toront...eason-schedule
Another day, another Serie A captain rumour
https://www.acmilaninfo.com/transfer...gnoli-toronto/After Lorenzo Insigne, Toronto FC are looking to sign AC Milan captain Alessio Romagnoli who becomes a free agent soon.
Serie A players have become a major draw for Major League Soccer. A couple of clubs are interested in Italian players, especially those that are about to become free agents like Lorenzo Insigne.
Toronto FC are ready to cover the Napoli ace in gold. The Canadian club are offering Lorenzo Insigne a long-term contract of 15 million euros per season that would make the European champion one of the highest payed player in the world. Genoa captain Domenico Criscito will follow in his footsteps too.
However, the Canadians are also interested in other Italy international. According to reports, Toronto will attempt to sign even AC Milan captain Alessio Romagnoli. Just like Insigne, Romagnoli is set to become a free agent at the end of the season after not reaching an agreement to extend his contract with the Rossoneri.
Alessio Romagnoli currently earns 5.5 million euros and is willing to take a small pay-cut in order to stay with AC Milan. But that may not be enough with the Rossoneri unlikely to go beyond 3.5 million per years. On the other hand, Toronto can offer Romagnoli a rich contract with improved terms.
Toronto’s intrusion could further lower AC Milan of reaching a deal with their captain. The 26-year-old would like to continue his career in Europe but Toronto’s could prove to be too tempting to turn down.
Really doubt this though. He makes far too much money and we won't have space for more DPs.
Yes! I vision it now... Naples...
S1/ Nonna in the kitchen, making the pizza, listening to the radio, rolling pin in hand, faints, pin to the floor, falls back into rustic straw seat chair,
S2/ Leather faced retirees, caps on head, mitts for hands, standing at the bar, watching calcio news TV, spitting out their espressos,
S3/ Bearded trendy dressed Italian GQ male reading morning paper at bar patio, spits out cappuccino,
S4/ Side-street crosswalk, car coincidentally stops for pedestrian upon news radio announcement,
S5/ At red light intersection, mopeds, vespas, and motorcycles actually line up behind cars, reading the billboard announcement,
S6/ Napoli city garbage trucks / sanitation people actually picking up the garbage while discussing the news amongst each other,
S7/ People in the fields in the outskirts of the city, either dropping their bushels of grapes or tomatoes, upon mobile phone text notification.
Edit. Sorry! Can't resist, can't help myself, can't stop...
S8/ PSA addressing supporter shock by l'immortale e turnat.
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 01-02-2022 at 05:27 PM.
They should just set the whole thing to this
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
This is probably bullshit, but it prompts thought about how we might structure our DPs next year.
Akinola plus a Destro level guy or even a Jesus Jimenez type is probably enough up top. Our backline is a fucking shambles, however.
Let’s say there’s room for a max TAM guy and a DP between the CB and forward spots. Considering last year and the top tier attacking talent of Pozuelo and Insigne (not to mention a healthy Akinola), wouldn’t you rather the club sign a DP CB than striker?
For those reasons, I’d rather see Destro and Romagnoli than Belotti and Criscito. (Though it needs to be said that there are probably better CBs for the club to go after than Romagnoli, like Mbemba, Ginter or Luiz Felipe).
That's interesting - maybe a local deal cut to show local team games. The national contract is done for MLS though so who knows what will happen to non-TFC/Caps games.
Point remains - TSN ain't beholden to MLS so the idea that TFC is spending $ because of TSN isn't necessarily true.
Cristiano Ronaldo did that once
https://youtube.com/watch?v=8H_DSErY...ature=youtu.be
Edit. Sorry! brain-fart between Uncle Drew and Madea.
Yes. LI in disguise ball'in in different GTA locations; nothing but fun and laughter.
rydermike, beat me to the CR mention; very funny, unfortunately he can't go anywhere in Europe without drawing a crowd.
I think LI, and CR maybe in the future? would enjoy a little more anonymity or personal space respect in NA/MLS.
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 01-03-2022 at 07:14 AM.
EDIT. Of initials...
Agree, prefer Mattia Destro and Alessio Romagnoli over Andrea Belotti and Domenico Criscito. Your highlight of Alessio Romagnoli is interesting like Mattia Destro; IIRC their may be a possible collegial connect with and to each other with Michael Bradley? Domenico Criscito has to be stop-gap, I feel he might give 2 years realistically, but fraught given his age; and I like him and want to see him here as well if it doesn't cost an arm and a leg.
Great set of other non-Italian/SerieA candidate mentions. Jesus Jimenez to me is solid like Alejandro Pozuelo and Victor Vazquez; has the more appropriate experience outside of Spain for MLS then say Pablo Piatti and Ager Aketxe did. I just do not think there is an immediate, still existing- tried, tested and true pipeline to those other candidates at this time than the Italians. Maybe for marketing considerations as well.
I get and believe winning will eventually get people in the seats, but some players are just support. For instance, I do not think Chris Mavinga instigated people to the seats as more like kept them their. I believe there was always a MLSE, is an MLS 5 year plan with/to the North America World Cup 26, but with the TFC setback something spooked someone/s at MLSE enough to execute what is evolving. It's a hop, skip and jump away to Argos GTA irrelevance; even if they are winning they can't seem to get sustained attendance traction or grow. I know there are mentions in this thread to a circa TFC 80% SSH retention, but I think it is soft. I suspect the TFC 5 to 15K per game attendance this year was worrisome enough since it may have been expected to be / needed to be with resumption and other sports comparables in the 15 to 25K and of course now plus/+ area.
Edit. Will always welcome a stalwart Laziale / Luiz Felipe.
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 01-03-2022 at 07:15 AM.
That 80% retention on SSH is an absolute Bullshit number not a chance fans were coming back at those numbers unless MLSE is doing what rumours suggest. My 2 cents is that this plan of bringing in many italian players is 110% the best thing that this club could do, capitalize on the large Italian population in southern Ontario. I am super excited and I’m Greek
Without this total rethink by MLSE which includes multi millions on proper players like Insigne what would you guess attendance numbers would be if let’s say this team was playing 500 soccer in July? I was there near the end of the season and no exaggeration there was no more then 1500 in the stands, without this big decision on Insigne this club was on the road to extinction.
I realize so many believe the attendance matters but I doubt it really does. What matters more than anything is how many eyeballs watch on tv. Remember MLSE are two cable giants (and local businessman) first and foremost so nothing is more important than content. The Leafs and Raptors went ahead and played without fans for that reason - they don’t need them at the stadium.
I don’t agree. MLSE is not MLS and MLSE is not gate driven. MLSE paid for broadcast rights and then bought local rights for TFC only too. They averaged 1-1.5 million viewers for big games and can sell huge advertisement spots with that many people watching. They bring in players and win and they could be talking 500,000 more viewers and unless they build another 20,000 seats at BMO an minor attendance bump for SSH is irrelevant
If it’s a gate driven league that’s fine but MLSE is not gate driven. I’d also challenge the gate driven league in general based on why MLS is ending all tv contracts by 2022. The League Cup and the expiring deals suggest even the league isn’t gate driven anymore.
Last edited by Webdogg; 01-02-2022 at 10:41 PM.