Something else to consider when comparing the big 4 to MLS. The big 4 are considered the best league in the world for there respective sports. MLS is considered 29th most competitive league in the world.

NFL's best move was to make every game watchable by everyone for free. It brought fans in like nothing else could. Other leagues don't make it easy to watch games and they bleed fans because of it. This weekend I can watch every CFL and NFL game and never have to pay anything special, just watch. Which means I want to see games. Hockey, baseball, basketball, soccer, you can't watch every game without paying for specialty packages. Why would I go to a game when I have no idea what the team is like, the players, because I can't watch them play at home, thousands of miles from their home base.

Okay, Just Bring Back the Supersonics...we were robbed!

Speaking as a born & raise local San Diegian, your love for our failed sports franchises warms the heart! ❤

I'll be in tears of joy the day the NBA announces bringing back the supersonics. I see people wear sonics gear all the time. Many people miss them and are waiting for their return.

Dang Shannon.. This was pretty educational, nice!

he's already hung up we're the Texans 🤣

Maybe just maybe Rogers would get more revenue if they didn't black out games. I would actually buy the package if I could watch all the Canadian teams play, but I'm stuck watching the Leafs. Negotiate that into your next deal please!

Presuming that $18.6 billion figure is correct for the NFL (and I think if anything, it's low), that equates to $581.25 million per team, per year. That same revenue pie, divided 36 ways, would equate to $ 516.67 million (more or less). Given that its present guaranteed revenue streams (via broadcast rights) are via contracts that are (barring opt-out) in effect through the 2032 season. If the NFL were to initiate an expansion process right now, to add teams in, say, 2027, this would mean that each expansion team would need to pay about a $10.5 billion expansion fee in order to make up for the revenue dilution for the 2027-32 seasons the current 32 teams would experience. While team prices have been skyrocketing in recent years, breaching the $10 billion barrier for the right to place a team in what would still be an experimental European market would really be a risky move.

I love it when the NBA expands to other different cities because it makes the game grow more. We are speculating that Seattle and Vegas are getting a team but theirs other cities who want a team as well such Mexico City, Kansas City, Montreal and San Diego or maybe Louisville because they fans especially the young kids love basketball 🏀.

One thing we know for sure is that Arizona is losing tons of money. It’s still unbelievable that the NHL is letting the 5000 person arena fly.

The White Sox are not moving, Reinsdorf just got pissy because the fans actually started to rebel after yet another failed rebuild and his failure of getting the right people into key positions. Not enough heads rolled after the 2nd 100 loss season in 3 years with a team that was supposed to be contenders. He needs to sell the team amd mentioning a team move is just a bargaining chip, even the city said "what are you doing?" The lease isn't up for another 5 years iirc.

I don’t know if you heard, but Tom Dundon (Canes owner for those who don’t know) announced he was leading a consortium to bring an MLB team to Raleigh

nfl has been 2 years away from expanding to london for 10 years

Also the MLS is the only league out of the top 5 who isn´t the top league at its respective sport. That´s a big deal, since many sports fans to watch the best of the best.

Thing is MLS is a sport that is growing. They got their shit figured out (despite no pro/reg) they know how get billionaire company/teams involved in MLS. When a MLS team plays continental/international matches then damn the attendance and media attention explodes. It got me involved in soccer despite me being a hockey fan all my life but I have to say soccer is a international sport that is tough for country’s like Canada to be competitive in international play

Would love to see a part 2

Thanks THG!

surpised you didnt talk about boxing/mma

Hockey has the talent to expand (tho I like it at 32 teams). I know baseball and football will expand, but I really see the talent pool diluting due to lack of enough elite qbs and pitchers to field the current amount of teams. A lot of this wreaks of short term profit over future health.

I'm all for NHL expansion. It was fun debating who they take and pretending like we knew what was going to happen. 34 teams lets goooo

Mls is definetly gonna make it to 32 teams as their expansion in 2010s saw a rapid expansion of more than 10 teams with san diego joining in 2025 as the 30th team i could see 32 teams in the mls as a possibility. Sooner rather than later.

You should do a follow up comparing college football and basketball to these 4.

Unfortunately like every other adventure in capitalism Shannon is right. At the end of the day it’s business. And like all other businesses in the world the only power I have as an individual is simply not to shop with them because clearly our voices don’t count in their business model. They like to gaslight us though about how it’s for the fans and them Gary gives himself another award. In terms of business he has been good for the owners but the way he consistently turns his back on the people who supported this league for years is kind of a head shaker.

Question for all. Does a VPN work with Sportsnet?

Awesome video, thanks!

One market that MLS will likely expand to after San Diego is Vegas (especially if the A's of MLB move there). MLS's strategy when it comes to expansion is basically expanding into markets where the minor league (USL) is currently so that one of two things happen: A: USL goes out of business or B: MLS & USL come to an agreement to partner up & promotion/relegation is introduced. MLS wants the first scenario to happen because they feel as though pro/rel would kill the league even though many people (players, fans & coaches) want it. As for the NBA & their expansion, they are likely bringing back the Sonics to Seattle & Vegas. However the major thing that could prevent expansion is that the new Vegas NBA team would have to play at their own arena (either building their own or playing at either the Michelob Ultra Arena or MGM Grand Garden Arena) since the NBA absolutely does not want to revenue share at T-Mobile Arena with the Golden Knights. This despite the fact that T-Mobile Arena is a ready made basketball venue & has hosted multiple NCAA March Madness games in recent years.

I’m down for the NBA expansion. Outside of Seattle and Vegas, other cities and countries such as Kansas City, San Diego, Montreal, and Mexico City can be a great destination for a NBA team.

36 teams seems like the natural stopping point for expansion (in North America). Easily create division and conferences

Living in the Midwest, i don't think I know anyone who could name a single MLS team or city they're in besides the Galaxy. I don't doubt that it will eventually be big but I would disagree with anyone saying it already is

Anon, it’s enjoyable to not just focus on one sport but to bring the large entities up for comparison. Yeah, NHL is my fav, but it’s outrageous that NFLers are highly paid yet only play a fraction of time (on field & season) comparatively amongst sports. I think CFL is far more exciting and should be bumped up in pay for prospects. Great job on the channel.

I don't think MLS can really make it in the US until they alter the game such that they allow more time for advertisements (TV time outs).

Moving the White Sox from Chicago will be insane

Would Bettman entertain the idea of expansion in Quebec City or Toronto if they risk losing Rogers after the current contract expires??

This was awesome! I dont understand MLB making that much money. They must not make revenue from in game attendance?

With regard to so many MLB team losing money, it's very much by design. I don't pretend to know the economics business sense of it, but Derek Jeter left the Miami Marlins ownership group and resigned his executive position there because there was a difference of opinion on how to run the Marlins as an organization. Derek Jeter wants to win. Something he learned a great deal about from George Steinbrenner, but the rest of the ownership group would prefer to run the Marlins organization at a loss. There's some sort of economic advantage to it. Other than being a tax write off, I have no idea what other benefits come from it. I remember hearing that the MLB disperses funds to the teams based on how they finish in the standings, the low performing teams getting the largest boost. The reason for this is so that they can afford higher quality players and improve the team. But ask any multi $billion company that receives an infusion of funds what they plan to do with it, they aren't going to day that it's to trickle down create a higher quality product, I'll tell you that much.

I live in Cincinnati so yeah go Bengal's. but that is the only team i follow. watch a little of the Reds and the Columbus crew mostly highlights. No NBA. We watch NHL every night .one or two games and then podcast on hockey to check highlights around the league, you're the best Shannon and company. all organizations want to show a loss or minimum profit .and just like any burger joint they try new start-ups in new locations to cover loss in bad markets. Grow or die thanks THG

Very surprised that Tampa is not operating at a loss for the MLB

Maybe the Houston Texans took their name inspiration from the Montreal Canadians.

With Cabrera off the books, the Tigers should be in the black next year?

Indianapolis is building a new soccer stadium for our local team who has hopes of joining the MLS

i looked into most watched broadcast in canada for 2022 and there's only 2 football events in the top 10 : #1 the superbowl and #8 they grey cup. the world cup got #2, 4 and 6 while round one of tampa vs toronto got #5 (Game7) and #7 (game6) for 2021, football only has the superbowl at #1 with everything else (2 to 10) being the montreal playoff run (game7 round one at #2)

When it comes to NFL expansion, I wonder if the execs are indirectly letting the spring leagues experiment with non major markets in the U.S like Memphis and Birmingham to see what potential expansion into similar markets may look like for them. In the meantime, they've focused on Europe and it should go well but I expect they will also consider turning towards expansion to Mexico in the future as Gridiron Football is also popular there.

Re: MLS. In terms of revenue their has absolutely gone up this year. They’re on their first year with their new media deal with Apple and they don’t have the anchor of the RSNs. That’s not even getting into the corporate money coming from the Messi signing. As for expansion, it’s been an overall net positive for the league and the quality of play has gone up significantly in spite of it. The more successful teams in the league are expansion teams (Seattle, Atlanta, LAFC, Miami, Nashville, Cincinnati), it’s the legacy teams that are really dragging things down (New England, New York, Colorado, Chicago).

I think it'd be cool to see the NFL enter Canada, and I'd like to see the Expos return to Montreal. When it comes to the NHL, I don't think it really matters whether another league expands first. What matters are markets who are ready to go through the process and owners willing to shell out for teams. It really all boils down to that. So, if ATL and HOU have owners, shovels in the ground/a building ready to go, you can bet the league isn't gonna say "let's wait to see what the NFL does first". They'll open up the formal application process. Same goes for any other league.

Are you a Whitecaps fan in the MLS or you follow another franchise?

You can't just keep adding teams, eventually there are just too many. The average fan only cares about 1 team. Adding more teams doesn't help your current fans, they're more likely going to lose interest if their team never wins.

Coming from a British guy who’s a big fan of American sports, I want to watch the best product related to that sport - American football that’s the NFL, Ice Hockey that’s the NHL, Baseball well that’s the MLB and Basketball is the NBA. As for footy (Soccer) the MLS isn’t anywhere near the level of the top European leagues , European players go there to retire basically. Also don’t like the whole conference system for football, there should be promotions and relegations etc, it’s also much more confusing in regards to salary cap, transfers and the draft.

Do you follow CFL as well?

The sports books don't operate on a pari-mutuel basis anymore, and haven't for decades. They take an interest in the games, setting prices (odds) to attract the most money given how the books think the various contests will actually play out. Why the books took a bath on Vegas winning the cup, is that they were effectively betting against all of the "dumb money" betting on the home team. And, surprise surprise, sometimes your "sure thing" bets don't work out.

Not another expansion video

I'm probably in the minority - I have ZERO interest in baseball, football, basketball or soccer. They can all fail for all I care.

MLB likely has some very funky math going on. Losing the RSN model is gonna do a lot of damage to baseball.

I had no idea the MLS had that many teams! It's a very subpar product because all the good players go overseas

Baseball only has this problem because they have no salary cap. Some rich guys who own sports teams decided that, because it's not against the rules, they will just spend a lot of money to try to win and not care if they don't make a profit, to the frustration of the other owners that would like to make a profit. This is not really a business problem, it's a competitive problem. The game needs to have a salary cap to ensure parity. The only business problem is not that the game wouldn't be profitable, it's the problem that they have to negotiate a salary cap with the players

Okay, when Houston came back into the NFL they originally wanted to have the Oilers name but the owner of the Tennessee Titans, FKA Houston Oilers, Bud Adams didn't grant them permission so instead they asked Lamar Hunt of the Kanas City Chiefs, FKA Dallas Texans, to have the Texans name, he was okay with it thus we have the Houston Texans and it's not so random as you think it is.

Louisville would be a great fan base for a NBA/NFL/MLB team

The luxury tax in MLB subsidies the lower teams

why does this video feel familiar? Wasn't this video already posted once? St. Louis is already a team in the MLS and is the top seed in the western conference.

Based on Dundon's comments from earlier this week I'd say Raleigh is actually one of the biggest frontrunners for an MLB expansion. It just depends really on if he can convince the city to also be willing to build an MLB stadium right after he had them invest another $300 Million in the Canes' stadium renovations.

I am fascinated by the business of baseball, moreso than the other leagues because of the potential of 81 home games in 40,000 seat stadiums is something no other sport matches. Rogers knows how empty the building can be when there is no hope for the Blue Jays (mid-to-late aughts), so it is actually in their best interest to invest in the team and building. Disappointment in the playoffs aside (cough, Schneider, cough), the Jays ranked second in AL attendance behind only the Yankees, and were 8th overall in MLB. I've always heard rumors about how unhappy Rogers is with the massive NHL deal, as nobody who was involved in signing that deal is still with the company.

Atlanta wants to remain the only team in the South and they will fight tooth and nail to keep baseball out of Nashville or North Carolina.

Shannon, if you look at PGA Liv golf with Saudi Arabian money. I believe other leagues will be part of that.

If it wasn't for Canada, the MLS would be much more of a threat to the NHL in challenging for that number four position lol

Do you roast the Canadiens for the same reason you roasted the Texans?

For MLB, as much as people “talk” about Charlotte, nobody is willing to buy a team there. On the other hand, Tom Dundon (canes’ owner) has recently stepped forward for a Raleigh bid… Raleigh being only 1 media market behind Charlotte while having only 1 major league team… Charlotte has 3.

CFL and NFL merge at some point?

San Diego needs a NFL team again ever since the Chargers left

Isn't the nba looking to go back to Seattle in a expansion 🤔

nba is the most obvious expansion. seattle needs a team they, didn’t build climate pledge without a back door guarantee that after kraken prove successful(they always were going to be in the city unless something catastrophic happened) they’ll come in.

I miss the old system of CBC, Sportsnet and TSN sharing the NHL rights here. I miss TSN Wednesday nights.

Ill see you all back here in 5 years when we have the NFC Canada and the AFC Europe

Vancouver should get the Grizzlies back lol

I think you shout cheer for the Devils

Just my opinion, but why does it seem like Canadians are obsessed with bringing another NHL team back to Quebec City (sorry, but not happening) instead of focusing on bringing teams in both MLB & NBA to Montreal & Vancouver? Both markets I think the NBA & MLB would be tripping over themselves to get into.

I would love to see the NFL expand into Canada, beyond Toronto too

Income or Revenue?

How many teams in the NHL are losing $$?

NHL love there expansion money.

Which cities for the European NFL teams ? London, Berlin, Paris … and Rome, because they don’t use football as the term for soccer, unlike the other 3 ? Maybe Barcelona they love violent sport involving bulls in Spain !

PLL and NLL is getting bigger

The issue of these nothing teams in the NHL losing money vs Major League Baseball is that MLB has no salary cap, the NHL does amd has revenue sharing and those teams still lose money. And move any one of them to Quebec City already and they make money overnight guaranteed. And even people who aren't fans of the Nordiques will tune in to watch the Battle of Quebec, just as they do with the Battle of Alberta. It's ratings gold. Those nothing teams are shrinking the pie. A team in Quebec City widens the pie.

Texans!!!

MLS reminds me of the WHA, albeit they aren’t hemorrhaging money yet.

The nfl probably won’t expand honestly I believe all 32 teams cover enough of the US the mlb might but it’s definitely the nba who will expand to Seattle and Vegas for sure.

As a White Sox fan, I'd be so mad if they move the team.

Thing is, there's more kids who play and like soccer than Hockey. Costs all of a 100 bucks to get on a soccer team, lets not even get into how much hockey costs I'd rather watch hockey than soccer but popularity with kids is the best indicator of how well your sport is doing EDIT: So you root for the Chargers, Bengals, Padres, Timberwolves, and Grizzles Oh yeah, and The Ducks 👀

162 jays games and not much other options, as a Jays fan please and thank you we need a second team cause if I have to watch 162 games of the Jays stumbling dickfirst into a wild card that they clearly didn’t deserve and underachieve all season again I’m looking for other baseball options. And my second favourite team is the Mariners which yeah… man getting hit by football from the Simpsons

Surprised that MLB wants to expand. They have a ton of franchises in really bad shape

10 players on NBA and soccer. 45 in NFL. Nhl is 23. More fingers in the pie

I’m scared about how the talent would be spread out to more teams and how the money could effect Canadian teams.

I highly doubt it MLB wants to go back to Montreal, after what happened in the early 2000s, where they nearly got contracted due to the lack of a plan for a new stadium, and so moved to DC. I see Charlotte as unlikely, only because there is already a White Sox AAA affiliate there. Might give more credence to a potential move there by the White Sox, and the Knights just move to a nearby suburb

Charlotte gets a lot of talk for an MLB expansion? Really? Why? Do they know the market, or just the size of it on paper? Good luck with trying to get people here to come out to that.

How are the Nets losing money lmao theyre a new york team!!!???

I would prefer a NFL team in St. Louis before they expand to Europe

Expansion is infuriating. 32 teams is the perfect number for any sports league. 16 or 32.

NHL expansion these days have a two-year playoff team. It's a low-risk high reward investment.

... quebec, halifax and hamilton (tired of supporting leafs)

"Gotta grow the game" is such a moronic mantra. Hockey has limited appeal, it is a regional sport. They should focus on the regions that enjoy hockey rather than chasing new markets. Places like Carolina, Nashville, Dallas have produced next to zero nhl players over the last 25 years. Without the north and Europe to produce players the nhl would not exist.

MLB is going to go to 32 teams I'm sure. If i had to guess Nashville and Charlotte would be the two cities.