MLS Games to Use Split Television Screens

[AreliusII]

NEW YORK — A split screen of game action and commercials will be part of Major League Soccer's television coverage this season by ABC Sports and ESPN2.

The split screens will be used during the telecasts twice during each half and in 30-second intervals. The coverage starts with Saturday's MLS season opener in Carson, Calif., between defending champion D.C. United and Club Deportivo Chivas USA, the league's new Mexican-owned franchise.

The split screen was used this month during first two races from the 2005 IndyCar Series.

In addition, coverage will feature expanded use of microphones, worn by coaches.

[Deuce]

It is a good idea as long as the advertisements don't intrude on the game and the game half of the split is bigger than the advert split!

Very ingenious solution indeed!

[mckid]

Do we have any racing fans who have seen this? I'm curious to know viewers opionions who have experienced the split screen.

[Aero]

If it is anything like the split screen they using during the NCAA basketball tournament to watch multiple games, it won't be that bad. If they have good timing and only do it when the action is stopped, we might not even notice it. I think this is good for US soccer because it provides a way for people to make money by broadcasting the game, which has always been one of the drawbacks of soccer on television. I'm all for it.

[bordelais7]

Yup. There might be the rare moment when a goal is scored during a split-screen cut away, but it's all worth it if it helps bring $$ to the league.

[Aero]

What did people that watch the DC-Cheetos game think of the split screen? I didn't think it was all that bad. I think that they could have improved on the size of both screens if they didn't have all that fluff around them. Hopefully, they will do that for future games. Other than that, not much to complain about if it will help the league make money I guess I can suffer through one minute a half of watching the game split like that.

[bordelais7]

Man, there are a lot of people whining about this on BS.

Yes, if I had a choice between "split-screen commercials" and "no commercials", I think I might go with....the latter. But let's get real. MLS needs money, and these commercials are going to deliver on that need. I only saw one commercial (I think the 2nd one in the first half), and I thought it was done pretty well given what they had to work with. I think they timed it right (on that one at least), so that not much actual game-play was missed (which benefits the fan AND the advertiser). The views could have been a tad larger, but simple math will tell you that they couldn't have been a whole lot larger without screwing with the aspect ratio (which I absolutely hate -- example: score updates on ESPN or TNT basketball games that come on the bottom of the screen and "squish" the game picture).

I think they're fine. As long as they keep 'em at 2 per half.

[Aero]

I hate the squishy thing too.

There was only one commercial that even came close to intruding on something I might have wanted to watch. The other two that I saw were great. One was on a goal kick and the other during an injury. The one on the injury didn't miss any actual play at all. If they can do them then, that would be best.

And this is kind of picky, but I don't understand why they don't broadcast the games on ABC in HiDef. There are only a few of them. It can't be that much more difficult to do them, especially the kick-off game for the year.

[bordelais7]

but I don't understand why they don't broadcast the games on ABC in HiDef.

hear, hear! We get the news in HD on the local channels, but we can't get sports?? (MLS, College Football). I think I'd rather see 25% more of the field than Mark Eubanks' elbow on the edge of the screen.

[Czar Jake]

This time wasn't too bad (the commercials during the injuries didn't bother me at all (the ones during game-play sort of did though))... but just wait. The first time we miss a goal because of a commercial there will be hell to pay.