Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

[teebone]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Well, I don't obsess about it but it is one of the bigger rivalries in baseball that dates back before either one of us were born. It's probably reversed. I think most Cubs fans(except you of course and the ones you know) hate the Cards because they dominate the divison most years and the White Sox now since they won a WS and are the best team in Chicago.

Just give it up. Youre confused, dude.

[teebone]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Relax... It was a mistake. I got distracted by all of the Sox/Sox/Chicago/LA/NY talk.

My bad...

Fair enough. Yeah, I was wondering myself why were talking about the Cubs so much.

[jonpt]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Just give it up. Youre confused, dude.

good point....I stand corrected!

[TheGenius]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

I'm not really sure why Fox expects to get good ratings, they have the worst presentation in the history of sports.

[teebone]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

I'm not really sure why Fox expects to get good ratings, they have the worst presentation in the history of sports.

Please elaborate. How do they have the worst presentation?

[Kccitystar]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Please elaborate. How do they have the worst presentation?

Because well, for starters, they take the focus away from the game, relying on stupid gimmicks and scooter to tell us what kind of pitch the guy threw etc etc. On top of that, they always start playoff games at unusually late times. The lateness of the games does definitely bother me. It also means that a new generation of fans, can only see a few innings before having to go to bed.

Even playoff and World Series games played on weekends are in primetime. Back in the 70s weekend games would have a 4:00 p.m. start time, so you could see entire games. Weeknight games would start around 7:00 p.m., so you could see a lot of the game before having to go to bed. Now, it's all about the almighty advertising dollar, and that dictates that the games start (and finish) so late.

Here's an example. Game 6, 1975 World Series. Everyone in here should know something about it. It's the one where Carlton Fisk homered to win the game for the Red Sox and he is pictured waving and yelling at the ball go to fair, which it did. Everyone has seen a replay of that famous homerun.

Well, that game went 12 INNINGS. 12. And that game ended at 12:30 am. The only reason why that game ended that late was because it had to go in extra innings. Back then the games moved faster. People were only up late that day because the damn game lasted that long. Now, it is a nightly occurrence.

[fsquid]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Because well, for starters, they take the focus away from the game, relying on stupid gimmicks and scooter to tell us what kind of pitch the guy threw etc etc. On top of that, they always start playoff games at unusually late times. The lateness of the games does definitely bother me. It also means that a new generation of fans, can only see a few innings before having to go to bed.

Even playoff and World Series games played on weekends are in primetime. Back in the 70s weekend games would have a 4:00 p.m. start time, so you could see entire games. Weeknight games would start around 7:00 p.m., so you could see a lot of the game before having to go to bed. Now, it's all about the almighty advertising dollar, and that dictates that the games start (and finish) so late.

Here's an example. Game 6, 1975 World Series. Everyone in here should know something about it. It's the one where Carlton Fisk homered to win the game for the Red Sox and he is pictured waving and yelling at the ball go to fair, which it did. Everyone has seen a replay of that famous homerun.

Well, that game went 12 INNINGS. 12. And that game ended at 12:30 am. The only reason why that game ended that late was because it had to go in extra innings. Back then the games moved faster. People were only up late that day because the damn game lasted that long. Now, it is a nightly occurrence.

Bingo

[Chaos81]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

But even beyond Chicago, the Cubs have their games broadcast by WGN which is a superstation and covers a vast geographic area.

Not that I care much, but you do realize the White Sox have games on that same WGN channel?

[teebone]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Not that I care much, but you do realize the White Sox have games on that same WGN channel?

Why would I not realize that? Whats your point? Are you suggesting there aer loads of White Sox fans out there? Actually, they only began showing them sparingly around 1990. Many of the Cubs fans are so because of Harry and everything else. Harry started doing Cubs games around 1982 and were talking about cultivating a fan base. I dont see your point.

[SPTO]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Let me be the voice of reason here with a couple or so points:

1) MLB is no longer a national superpower. Do you know that 90% of the TV revenue is generated not through national contracts but rather through individual team's regional TV deals? Just look at some of the teams out there right now.

Yankees: YES (essentially a regional network but has national coverage)
Mets: SNY (Same deal tho I have a feeling SNY doesn't have the broad national scope of YES)
Braves: TBS and Turner South (regional in scope but national in viewership on TBS whereas Turner South is strictly a southern regional network)
Blue Jays: Sportsnet (A regionalized national network)
Nationals: I forget the name of the network (regional network in the beltway, also covers a limited number of O's games if i'm not mistaken)
Cubs: WGN (National in scope but very regionalized take to broadcasting)
White Sox: Comcast (The most homeristic regional broadcasting i've ever heard)
most of MLB: The regional fox affiliates (Quite regional and doesn't register a blip on the national scene)

Now all this is not to say that MLB is a piss poor property but rather they've taken the approach that the NHL has taken in following the regional model to generate their ad and television revenues.

2) Despite the low ratings most of the games in this year's world series beat out the other traditional networks. So while the numbers are down for MLB they're still beating out the competition. It's not like Fox finishes in 4th whenever the WS games are on.

3) A lot of people cry about the ratings and such because a good chunk of us remember a time when MLB had a glamour position in the sports world in much the same way that the NFL does today. It just makes us sad to see a great sport being marginalized into a more or less regional approach. HOWEVER, MLB has one distinct advantage over the other leagues. They've fully embraced the "new media". MLB.com and the webcasts of baseball games goes far beyond what other leagues have done. I also think that MLB was the first pro league to jump into the sat. radio fray as well. So where they're losing out on traditional forms of broadcasting they more then make up for it with the digital media.

[DrJones]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Seriously, it gets old. There are other options. Its not 1975 and there are more than 7 channels. Get over it. Fox may or may not have overpaid. Get over it. It doesnt really matter if its the Yankees vs Mets since that was the lowest rated WS. So get over it. Who really cares. The underlying theme seems to suggest that a team from NY, Boston, LA or Chicago must be in the WS every year. Is anyone else sick of this? I mean, why do I care if the ratings are low? Why should anyone care if the ratings are low. Its not like MLB had a low attendance this year, so WTF.

I agree. Same goes with box office figures. Who cares? I'm not a TV or movie executive. I miss the pre-internet days when sports and movie fans didn't give a crap about this stuff.

[teebone]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Let me be the voice of reason here with a couple or so points:

1) MLB is no longer a national superpower. Do you know that 90% of the TV revenue is generated not through national contracts but rather through individual team's regional TV deals? Just look at some of the teams out there right now.

Yankees: YES (essentially a regional network but has national coverage)
Mets: SNY (Same deal tho I have a feeling SNY doesn't have the broad national scope of YES)
Braves: TBS and Turner South (regional in scope but national in viewership on TBS whereas Turner South is strictly a southern regional network)
Blue Jays: Sportsnet (A regionalized national network)
Nationals: I forget the name of the network (regional network in the beltway, also covers a limited number of O's games if i'm not mistaken)
Cubs: WGN (National in scope but very regionalized take to broadcasting)
White Sox: Comcast (The most homeristic regional broadcasting i've ever heard)
most of MLB: The regional fox affiliates (Quite regional and doesn't register a blip on the national scene)

Now all this is not to say that MLB is a piss poor property but rather they've taken the approach that the NHL has taken in following the regional model to generate their ad and television revenues.

2) Despite the low ratings most of the games in this year's world series beat out the other traditional networks. So while the numbers are down for MLB they're still beating out the competition. It's not like Fox finishes in 4th whenever the WS games are on.

3) A lot of people cry about the ratings and such because a good chunk of us remember a time when MLB had a glamour position in the sports world in much the same way that the NFL does today. It just makes us sad to see a great sport being marginalized into a more or less regional approach. HOWEVER, MLB has one distinct advantage over the other leagues. They've fully embraced the "new media". MLB.com and the webcasts of baseball games goes far beyond what other leagues have done. I also think that MLB was the first pro league to jump into the sat. radio fray as well. So where they're losing out on traditional forms of broadcasting they more then make up for it with the digital media.

Yes is not national in scope. Youre third point is a part of it but its also the media being in love with itself. In other words, media-types are more worried about ratings than Joe the cab driver and as a result, it gets reported as news because its pertinent in the world of those reporting the news. To everyone else its not so relevant but they get to hear about it because the media is in love with itself.

[SPTO]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

Yes is not national in scope. Youre third point is a part of it but its also the media being in love with itself. In other words, media-types are more worried about ratings than Joe the cab driver and as a result, it gets reported as news because its pertinent in the world of those reporting the news. To everyone else its not so relevant but they get to hear about it because the media is in love with itself.

As far as I know YES is available on most cable systems in the East and i'm sure there's enough Yankee fans that it will eventually be available in some form throughout the US.

Oh well at least someone responded to my drivel

[cjonesfan921]

Re: Why do people make so much of the tv ratings for a WS?

YES is offered basiaclly everywhere. When watching M&MD(who also air live on YES) they get calls from all over the states because they are watching them on YES.