Set to take place in Indianapolis, IN on Thursday, January 17, the 2013 MLS SuperDraft – presented by adidas – will be available to be streamed online globally through ESPN3, MLSsoccer.com and YouTube. SportsCenter is also slated to broadcast the #1 overall pick live at noon ET, Major League Soccer also announced.
“We are taking a more progressive and fan-centric approach to how we’re distributing and producing the 2013 MLS SuperDraft,” MLS Chief Marketing Officer Howard Handler told MLSsoccer.com. “We have a young, diverse, digitally active fanbase who will watch from home, from the office, from coffee shops, or just about anywhere. Soccer is a worldwide sport and this new initiative also allows us to continue catering to MLS fans across the globe.”
On Twitter, MLS Executive Vice President of Communications Dan Courtemanche told @SoccerInsider, "Our research showed that the Gen Y audience is all going online (and other ages), especially during a weekday afternoon.”
And there are hard facts to back up these claims. In an ESPN Sports Poll last year, soccer was rated the second-most popular sport for those aged 12-24, surpassing the NBA and MLB. Rich Luker, the social scientist who oversees the poll, told ESPN.com in September 2012, “Based on the way it is trending, I believe global soccer will soon be four or five times bigger than it is today, and MLS's fanbase will triple or quadruple.”
