US major sports leagues: can European fans boost the rejuvenation of their fanbase?

A few weeks ago, the new Major League Soccer (MLS) season started. Besides the sports aspect, the excitement around the beginning of a new season lies in the start of the new global exclusive media rights agreements with Apple. One of the key objectives of the deal is to drive engagement and interest in the MLS. First in the US, where the league is lagging behind, compared to the 4 major American leagues (MLB, NBA, NHL and NFL), even though soccer – women’s or men’s - is gaining traction. And also in Europe, where soccer content is king. But if we reverse the equation, how do major US Leagues, especially Major League Baseball and National Football League, mostly dedicated to American-centric sports (baseball being also very popular in Asia), try to reach out to both young and international fans? The long-awaited involvement of tech giants in sports has never been this much a reality Before shining at an international level, major leagues’ priority remains their media rights on domestic soil. Over the last three years, they secured long-term broadcasting contracts, that will last at least seven seasons (a length that would make their European counterparts jealous). Thus, the MLB and the National Hockey League have deals in place until 2028, and the NFL until 2033. Those deals are crucial for broadcasters, as sports remains one of the last cornerstones of live linear TV (with news). The vital character of sports and the intensity of the competition – should it be traditional cable networks or streamers – led to a massive increase in their rights value. For instance, NFL’s new media rights agreements (with ESPN, NBC, CBS, Fox and Amazon) are now worth around $10 billion a year, nearly the double of the previous cycle. The NBA should follow over the coming weeks and expects the new cycle to be worth at least the double of current arrangements with Disney and Warner Bros Discovery’s former Turner Sports. The increase in the value of those deals is also crucial for leagues, as over half of their revenues are generated through selling broadcasting rights. In that sense, streamers’ interest in sports has turned out to be a tremendous opportunity for leagues to maintain stiff market competition and inflating costs, despite cord-cutting, and to monetize at high cost dedicated digital and streaming rights. Over the last months, all the tech giants (Apple, Amazon, Youtube) and media conglomerates’ streaming platforms (ESPN+, Peacock, Paramount+, HBO Max) have accelerated their involvement in the sports broadcasting market. But until now, none of the American leagues had selected a streamer as the main rightsholder, using agreements with traditional major cable networks as their safety net. That is what makes...