MLS Primetime Thursday
Parts of this article (those related to May 5, 2011) need to be updated.(May 2011) |
MLS Primetime Thursday | |
---|---|
Starring | JP Dellacamera Rob Stone Glenn Davis John Harkes Kyle Martino Allen Hopkins Alexi Lalas Tommy Smyth Julie Foudy |
Country of origin | United States |
Production | |
Running time | 2 hours (2.5 hours select games) |
Release | |
Original network | ESPN2 (2007–2008) |
Original release | 2007 2008 | –
MLS Primetime Thursday was the weekly presentation of Major League Soccer games on ESPN2 for the 2007 and 2008 seasons. The program was presented by Adidas.
History[]
ESPN and MLS had previously had a contract where ESPN2 televised live games, usually on Saturday afternoons. Under the arrangement, no rights fee was paid, and MLS controlled production, advertising, and promotion.[1] Time slots varied under the deal, secured by Soccer United Marketing's providing of rights to the FIFA World Cup.[2]
For the 2007 season, an eight-year deal was signed with an $8 million rights fee. ESPN added several features in an attempt to improve presentation—high-definition broadcasts, a sky-cam for some matches, a virtual offside line, a ball tracer, a sideline reporter, and three commentators. For the inaugural season, 2006 FIFA World Cup announcers Dave O'Brien and Eric Wynalda served as play-by-play and analyst, respectively, with Allen Hopkins serving as the sideline reporter.[3] Tommy Smyth was later added as a co-analyst.[4] Glenn Davis and Rob Stone filled in for O'Brien on occasion.[5]
For the 2008 season, JP Dellacamera and John Harkes replaced O'Brien and Wynalda as the lead team[6] with Davis, Smyth, and Julie Foudy occasionally filling in.
Following the 2008 season, ESPN discontinued the Thursday programming, citing lagging ratings[7][8] and hoping to find better lead-in programming. It was replaced by the MLS Game of the Week, which rotated among a variety of nights and time slots.[9]
Ratings[]
After averaging 223,000 viewers during the 2006 season,[10] ratings increased slightly in 2007, to 289,000 viewers, including a regular-season high of 658,000 viewers for David Beckham's second regular season match. However, ratings dipped to 253,000 in 2008. Attendance often lagged, with few sellouts for the weeknight matches,[11] with marquee club Los Angeles Galaxy unable to host home matches at the Home Depot Center on Thursdays due to its agreement with California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Personalities[]
Play-by-play announcers[]
- Dave O'Brien (2007), lead
- JP Dellacamera (2008), lead
- Glenn Davis (2007–2008), secondary
Analysts[]
- Eric Wynalda (2007), lead
- Tommy Smyth (2007–2008), secondary
- John Harkes (2008), lead
Sideline reporter[]
- Allen Hopkins (2007–2008)
Studio team[]
- Rob Stone (host, 2007–2008)
- Julie Foudy (studio analyst, 2007–2008)
See also[]
- ESPN Major League Soccer
- MLS Game of the Week
- MLS Soccer Saturday - The game of the week for MLS on ESPN from 1996 to 2006
- MLS Saturday
References[]
- ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/02/AR2007050202740.html
- ^ "Cable Television News, Broadcast, Syndication, Programming & Local TV | Multichannel".
- ^ http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-52446.html[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Upcoming Matches".
- ^ http://blog.chron.com/fanblogsoccer/2007/09/galaxys-ongoing-slide-in-la-superclasico/
- ^ http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-80356.html[permanent dead link]
- ^ "ESPN dumps MLS Primetime Thursday". 19 January 2009.
- ^ Krishnaiyer, Kartik (March 31, 2009). "The Collapse of ESPN's Soccer Empire". World Soccer Talk.
- ^ "ESPN Making Changes to MLS Broadcasts".
- ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/02/AR2007050202740.html
- ^ "Sports Business Journal".
External links[]
- Major League Soccer on television
- ESPN2 original programming
- 2007 American television series debuts
- 2009 American television series endings