Christopher Harris - World Soccer Talk
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Christopher Harris

Since launching World Soccer Talk in 2005, Harris has played an influential role in shaping how broadcasters deliver the sport by providing in-depth analysis and reviews of the soccer TV coverage. He has interviewed virtually all media executives at the different media giants to stay apprised of changes in OTT and broadcast television while also keeping up with the latest reports and breaking news about key soccer rights acquisitions and the media landscape.

STORIES BY Christopher Harris

TV

/ 3 days ago

How Netflix's Women's World Cup deal is groundbreaking

Netflix's deal to acquire the U.S. media rights to the 2027 and 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup is a groundbreaking deal for the sport of soccer in the United States. For women's soccer, it secures top billing on a streaming service with 66 million subscribers in the United States. In doing so, it'll help increase subscriptions […]

TV

/ 6 days ago

Why Rebecca Lowe could leave NBC Sports, per report

NBC Sports lead presenter Rebecca Lowe could be enticed by an opportunity to leave the US broadcaster after a new opportunity has opened up. That's according to a report by The Sun tabloid newspaper in the United Kingdom. The pending departure of host Gary Lineker from BBC's Match of the Day has caused a domino […]

News

/ 7 days ago

Climate change effects could cause havoc on Club World Cup

According to a climate change expert, FIFA's Club World Cup in cities across the United States next summer could see fans and players suffer from extreme temperatures due to the effects of climate change. Many of the kickoff times for games featuring some of the biggest clubs from Europe have been scheduled for early-to-mid-afternoon local […]

TV

/ 10 days ago

Apple TV's MLS gamble backfires: Record-low final viewership

Reporter John Ourand, a two-decade veteran of Sports Business Journal and the leading sports TV industry insider in the United States, suggests that Apple TV's MLS viewership for the 2024 final was as low as 65,000 viewers on MLS Season Pass. Ourand, who now writes for the sports industry newsletter Puck, added that the game […]

News

/ 11 days ago

Orlando wants to host soccer events in lead-up to LA28 Olympics

One of the memorable scenes during the 2024 Summer Olympics, which were hosted in Paris, France, was seeing the surfing competition happening 9,700 miles away in Tahiti. The footage was spectacular, and it made sense to have the surfers compete there in French Polynesia instead of trying to find a less-than-suitable location off the coast […]

News

/ 16 days ago

Orlando bullish on FIFA Club World Cup plans for city

Orlando, Florida, is a mecca for tourists, and soon, it will be a destination for soccer fans as they descend on the city for a major sporting event: FIFA Club World Cup 2025. At next summer's FIFA Club World Cup, Orlando will host six games, including four Group Stage matches, one Round of 16 game, […]

TV

/ 18 days ago

Alan Shearer on Alexi Lalas, Gary Lineker and St James' Park

I had the privilege this week to catch up with Premier League all-time leading goalscorer Alan Shearer to discuss a range of topics. We discussed Gary Lineker's legacy on BBC's Match of the Day program, Alan's memories of being marked by Alexi Lalas in a US-England match, as well as his opinions about the future […]

TV

/ 20 days ago

DAZN acquiring Club World Cup rights is a deal made for TV

DAZN has come to the rescue of FIFA by agreeing to a reported $1 billion deal to acquire the exclusive global broadcast rights to next summer's Club World Cup. The UK-based streaming service, which has made losses of several billion dollars, plans to broadcast all 63 games for free. The FIFA Club World Cup, which […]

News

/ 24 days ago

Video of Messi's new Inter Miami stadium reveals major progress

Inter Miami is racing against time to have its new stadium named Miami Freedom Park ready before the end of 2025 when Messi's current contract ends with MLS. As of press time, Messi has made no indication that he plans to extend his contract. However, Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas remains optimistic that Messi will […]

News

/ 25 days ago

US Soccer backs down from birth year change for youth soccer

Following last month's report that US Soccer was considering a plan to break up youth soccer teams based on birth year, a new report reveals that the US Soccer Federation has backed down and will leave it up to the individual leagues to decide. The proposed reversal would have changed the age groups for soccer. […]

TV

/ 26 days ago

NWSL takes bite out of MLS’ Apple viewership with record number

Timing is everything. Just ask the NWSL and MLS. NWSL, which runs almost identically to MLS as a single-entity closed league, is benefitting from a rise of interest in women’s sports and better luck with the timing of its deals. Formed in 2012, the women’s league has evolved on a similar path to MLS as […]

News

/ 28 days ago

Why watching Champions League is better in US than Germany

One of the best parts about traveling abroad is that you often discover new things you’ve never seen or experienced before. Vice-versa, you also learn to appreciate the better things in life that you find stateside (Europe, I'm looking at you, and the lack of free, public restrooms). On the subject of soccer, however, there […]

News

/ 28 days ago

RB Leipzig’s international push continues after successful US tour: Interview with Johann Plenge

Bundesliga club RB Leipzig continues to focus on prioritizing internationalization as part of its strategy. Building off this past summer’s successful U.S. tour where the club played matches against Aston Villa and Wolves in New Jersey and Florida, the United States remains a priority for RB Leipzig as it expands its appeal to both fans […]

News

/ 32 days ago

USA and beyond: Bayern Munich's search for the next Musiala

Bayern Munich has long been a powerhouse on and off the pitch in Germany. Through wealthy sponsorship deals with German giants such as Adidas, Deutsche Telekom, Allianz, and Audi, the Bavarian club has dominated German soccer with annual revenues of $895 million. In comparison, rival Bayer Leverkusen, last year’s winners of the Bundesliga title, has […]

TV

/ 32 days ago

How Comcast spinning off USA Network will impact EPL games

Comcast's announcement this week that the media giant plans to spin off a string of cable TV channels, including USA Network, caught many by surprise. But while the television industry debates whether this is a smart move or not, a bigger question has emerged for soccer fans in the United States. How will this decision […]

News

/ 40 days ago

Germany’s love affair with the NFL and the struggle to play Bundesliga games abroad

The influence of America in Germany continues to expand at an enormous rate. So much so that American football is now the fastest-growing sport in Germany. Exhibit A of America’s influence in Europe is this past weekend’s game between the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers. Both teams played a regular-season NFL game in front […]

News

/ 55 days ago

Bundesliga club doesn't rule out playing games overseas

RB Leipzig Managing Director Johann Plenge, who has been with the club since it was in the fifth tier of German soccer, has opened up about the possibility of Bundesliga clubs playing league games abroad in a revealing new interview. Ask any fan of a Bundesliga club which league is most likely to play league […]

News

/ 57 days ago

5 biggest misconceptions about RB Leipzig

For a club that was founded in 2009, RB Leipzig has come a long way. It began as a partnership with fifth-tier SSV Markranstädt, who Red Bull bought the playing rights from, ultimately changing the club name to RB Leipzig. Intending to reach the Bundesliga in eight years through the promotion/relegation system, RB Leipzig did […]

News

/ 59 days ago

What it's like sharing a hotel with Liverpool FC

What happens when you find out that the hotel you're staying at is the same one as Liverpool FC ahead of its Champions League game in Leipzig? The last time I shared a hotel with a professional soccer club was in Swansea where I stayed near the marina in the 1990s. Crystal Palace was in […]

News

/ 62 days ago

Lois Openda strikes a chord for RB Leipzig

In the same quiet city where composer Johann Sebastian Bach performed many of his miraculous compositions, its greatest export these days is RB Leipzig. Led by head coach Marco Rose, the club is hitting all the right notes as it sits at the top of the Bundesliga table alongside Bayern Munich. A key reason for […]