MLS Primetime Thursday

{{Infobox television

| image = MLS Primetime Thursday logo.png

| runtime = 2 hours (2.5 hours select games)

| starring = JP Dellacamera
Rob Stone
Glenn Davis
John Harkes
Kyle Martino
Allen Hopkins
Alexi Lalas
Tommy Smyth
Julie Foudy

| country = United States

| network = ESPN2 (2007–2008)

| first_aired = {{Start date|2007}}

| last_aired = {{End date|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.{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/02/AR2007050202740.html |title=MLS Tries to Make Waves on Air |first=Steven |last=Goff |date=May 3, 2007 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=2022-07-01}} Time slots varied under the deal, secured by Soccer United Marketing's providing of rights to the FIFA World Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.multichannel.com/article/124700-MLS_Sets_TV_Deals.php|title = Cable Television News, Broadcast, Syndication, Programming & Local TV | Multichannel| date=21 May 2024 }}

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.{{cite web |url=http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-52446.html |title=ESPN Names Commentators for MLS Primetime Thursday on ESPN2 :: PaddockTalk :: F1, Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP, ALMS, and More! |website=paddocktalk.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130130225916/http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-52446.html |archive-date=30 January 2013 |url-status=dead}} Tommy Smyth was later added as a co-analyst.{{cite web|url=http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/memo-to-espn-keep-tommy-smyth-on-the-mls-telecasts-1375|title = Upcoming Matches}} Glenn Davis and Rob Stone filled in for O'Brien on occasion.{{Cite web |url=http://blog.chron.com/fanblogsoccer/2007/09/galaxys-ongoing-slide-in-la-superclasico/ |title=Galaxy's ongoing slide in LA superclásico - FanBlog: Soccer |access-date=2012-07-18 |archive-date=2016-03-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304060952/http://blog.chron.com/fanblogsoccer/2007/09/galaxys-ongoing-slide-in-la-superclasico/ |url-status=dead }}

For the 2008 season, JP Dellacamera and John Harkes replaced O'Brien and Wynalda as the lead team{{cite web |url=http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-80356.html |title=MLS Primetime Thursday Returns with Soccer Superstar David Beckham :: PaddockTalk :: F1, Formula 1, NASCAR, IndyCar, MotoGP, ALMS, and More! |website=paddocktalk.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130131064550/http://paddocktalk.com/news/html/story-80356.html |archive-date=31 January 2013 |url-status=dead}} with Davis, Smyth, and Julie Foudy occasionally filling in.

Following the 2008 season, ESPN discontinued the Thursday programming, citing lagging ratings{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2009/01/espn-dumps-mls-primetime-thursday/|title = ESPN dumps MLS Primetime Thursday|date = 19 January 2009}}{{cite news |last=Krishnaiyer|first=Kartik|date=March 31, 2009|title=The Collapse of ESPN's Soccer Empire|url=https://worldsoccertalk.com/2009/03/31/the-collapse-of-espns-soccer-empire/|work=World Soccer Talk|location= |access-date=}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://awfulannouncing.blogspot.com/2009/01/espn-making-changes-to-mls-broadcasts.html|title = ESPN Making Changes to MLS Broadcasts}}

Ratings

After averaging 223,000 viewers during the 2006 season, 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,{{cite web|url=http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2009/01/20090119/This-Weeks-News/ESPN-Booting-MLS-From-Its-Thursday-Slot.aspx|title = Sports Business Journal}} 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.