LAFC, the newest MLS expansion team, makes its debut this year. The club is still working on sorting out a number of variables from finalizing its roster to completing construction of its stadium. But a new LAFC YouTubeTV deal announced Wednesday means the club now has a shirt sponsor and a local broadcaster. But the local English-language broadcasts won’t be free.
We’re proud to announce a historic partnership.@YouTubeTV is Black & Gold.
— LAFC (@LAFC) January 31, 2018
The LAFC YouTubeTV deal will create a channel specifically for the Los Angeles club. While a league-high 16 of the team’s 34 regular-season matches will be nationally televised, 30 matches will be available to Los Angeles residents who subscribe to YouTubeTV — a $35 per month subscription. These local broadcasts will be geo-locked to Los Angeles, meaning those outside the city will not be able to view these matches. At least in English.
LAFC said it will announce an over-the-air Spanish-language broadcast partner soon, plus English- and Spanish-language radio stations, so there will be free options available in the country’s second-largest city.
The LAFC YouTubeTV deal will also see the YouTubeTV logo appear on the front of the LAFC jersey and on the team’s training kit.
Worth mentioning: LAFC co-owner Chad Hurley is a co-founder and former CEO of YouTube.
— Ian Thomas (@byIanThomas) January 31, 2018
The LAFC YouTubeTV deal is perfect for cord cutters in LA, but could risk alienating those who stick with traditional cable companies. It remains to be seen how many LAFC fans will want to switch to YouTubeTV (a legitimate cable alternative offering with all four local broadcasts and nearly 50 other channels available) for $35. While $35 is a competitive price, it requires change and people can be stubborn. But because it doesn’t require any long-term commitments, fans are free to subscribe just for the months during the MLS season.
The LAFC YouTubeTV deal means more ways to watch Carlos Vela. Photo: @LAFC | Twitter
As a bonus for LAFC fans who do sign up for YouTubeTV, the team’s channel will be full of exclusive content, plus 30-minute pre- and post-game shows for all the matches. It’s the first streaming partnership of its kind in MLS. In all, YouTubeTV will broadcast 30 of the teams 34 regular-season matches, the most across any distribution provider.
Best of all, with YouTube broadcasting LAFC matches, it will never take long to go from soccer to cat videos. How great is that?
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