Beckham has Arrived but there is yet another reason why the MLS moves forward

So the crowd booed Los Angeles' mayor. And I love how informal means only letting in to the HDC 5,000 screaming Beckham fans (i.e. season-ticket holders). Wonder what formal would have consisted of?

David Beckham then received his Galaxy jersey.while being smothered and unable to spot due to some overzealous confetti.

But guess what? Yet another landmark in MLS history happened recently and yet again it had to do with television deals. This time, the international ones.

Though small, Soccer United Marketing has brokered some international rights deals totaling up to a cool $2 million or so. Does this news outweigh Beckham? No, but it is a step in the right direction nonetheless. There are four deals altogether says Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal.


1. a one-year deal with Cadena Tres, a Mexican broadcaster that reaches over 5 million households. This is for the remainder of the MLS season.

2. ESPN International also signed a 1-year deal that will showcase games with international stars (about 22 to be exact) like Beckham, Blanco, Angel to countries in Latin America, Oceania, Africa, and the Middle East.

3. Mexican media company TeleVisa signed with SUM (the marketing branch of MLS) a revenue-sharing agreement for the televising of the new SuperLiga tournament which is about to get under way in late July 2007.

4. Last but not least, ART - a North African and Middle Eastern company, signed a high six-figure deal to televise SuperLiga.

The last "significant" international deal was back in 2000 when Mr. Lothar Mattheus graced the MetroStar and MLS stage for a brief tragic while. The league has come a long way since 2000 and with the capture of Beckham, Angel, Blanco, Schelloto, these international deals coupled with the strong domestic broadcast deals, I'd say firmly that the MLS has got progress firing on all cylinders and damn is it fun to watch.