McCarthy's Musings: 2012 MLS National TV Preview: ESPN, NBC jockey for top billing

MLS raised the stakes for its national broadcasts at the exact moment it reached an agreement with NBC Sports last year. The three-year pact places NBC alongside long-time MLS partner ESPN in this particular realm. It also sets up an intriguing scenario in which the two rival networks will share the stage over the next few years and perhaps position themselves to snatch the package outright when the TV contracts expire at the end of the 2014 season.