From the Era of Channel Surfing to the Era of On-Demand Access
— MLS and the Future of Sports Broadcasting — AI-generated image: If OTT broadcasting becomes widespread, will sports viewing turn into a culture where people watch games on personal devices in private spaces? In 2022, Major League Soccer (MLS) announced a broadcasting strategy that was widely regarded as radical. Beginning in 2023, MLS decided to grant exclusive global broadcasting rights for all matches over ten years to the OTT streaming service Apple TV. This decision was clearly a strategic one, made with the U.S. OTT service environment and global expansion in mind. In the United States, OTT streaming penetration is higher than in many other countries and continues to grow rapidly, and the ability to watch from anywhere with an internet connection provides a strong advantage for entering global markets. However, compared with the broadcasting strategies of existing major sports leagues, MLS’s choice was highly unusual. In the U.S., the Big Four sports leagues (American f...
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