Over all, M.L.S. ratings declined by 29 percent on ESPN/ESPN2 and by 8 percent on NBCSN in 2013.

There is likely to be a trickle-down effect from the richer deal, however. Each of the league’s clubs will pocket about $3 million more. The league’s contract with the union that represents M.L.S. players expires at the end of 2014, and the players are likely to see an opening to increase the salary budget (which was $2.9 million for each team last year) while also negotiating to increase the minimum salary. The growth in rights fees will also enable the league and its clubs to continue to up the ante in bidding for players from abroad, and for Americans who went to Europe but now want to come home, as the national team stars Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey have done in the past year.

RED BULLS DRAFT With the growth of club academies and a growing thirst and ability to attract talent from outside North America, Thursday’s Major League Soccer draft (ESPNews and Watch ESPN, noon Eastern) shuffles on — mostly as a way for the league’s 19 clubs (21 next season with the addition of teams in Orlando, Fla., and New York) to find a few inexpensive players.

The Red Bulls have never been that crazy for the draft, which is taking place in Philadelphia, although the present club and its previous incarnation (the MetroStars) succeeded in plucking some pretty good players: Michael Bradley, Eddie Gaven, Ricardo Clark, Jozy Altidore, Tim Ream and Ryan Meara.

This year, however, the Red Bulls are without a pick in the first round and do not have a selection until No. 22 over all. The club’s only other selection in the four rounds will come at No. 34 over all. The Red Bulls traded their first-round pick (No. 15) to Toronto for defender/midfielder Bobby Convey, the club’s only off-season acquisition so far; traded their third-round pick to Salt Lake last year for Jonny Steele; and traded their fourth-round selection to Los Angeles in 2012 for goalkeeper Bill Gaudette.

“We have a list, like we did last year, of players that we think might sneak through,” Coach Mike Petke said during a recent conference call. “Hopefully they are available and we’ll be very confident in picking them.”

Last year the Red Bulls also had the 22nd pick. They selected Georgetown’s Ian Christianson, who struggled with injuries and did not play a minute in the league. The club used its pick in the supplemental draft on Boston University midfielder Michael Bustamante, who showed good skill and some promise in the four league games he played.

“I believe in the college system; I came through it,” said Petke, a Long Island native who played at Southern Connecticut State. “I believe there is a lot of talent out there. However, it gets more diluted as we go on. It’s all a matter of an eye for talent.”