Baseball Playoff TV ratings

by Dale on Oct 7, 2008 10:34 AM EDT Comment 12 comments

Since we're all baseball fans here, I'm wondering what your thoughts are about baseball,s continued lousy TV ratings in the playoffs are? (I haven't seen results from this year's LDS yet, but early signs aren't good.)

Baseball seems to be healthy overall, with revenues up, attendance solid, better parity, and strong local TV ratings. But when it comes to the post season, people just aren't tuning in. Why is that?

Short of having the Yankees in every world series, what thoughts do people have about this? Do people love their local team, but just not care about other teams? Why is a generic Redskins/Titans game a better TV draw than postseason baseball? Is it all about TBS and scheduling?

Thoughts?

0 recs | Comment 12 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

Great questions.

I think the same thing happens in baseball that happens in most of the main American sports…if the big, famous teams aren’t playing, national interest wanes and you don’t get the fair-weather fan or the generic baseball fan watching. You end up with people who love the sport, and fans of the individual teams, and unfortunately that doesn’t always make up a ton of viewers.

In basketball, if there are no Lakers or Celtics or Knicks or Bulls; football no Cowboys or Patriots or Colts; baseball no Yankees, no Braves.

Scheduling probably has a lot to do with it. Why the hell does TBS have a baseball game? Keeping post-season play on network television—NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC…this increases access to viewers. Unfortunately, cable stations like TBS or ESPN can dish out a bit more revenue…and it’s all about making money. It’s a poor investment in the sport long-term (cough, parallel to the economy, cough), but with how much money you can bank RIGHT NOW being what everyone cares about, we’re stuck with ESPN’s generic coverage or stuck searching for a second-rate cable network in order to catch the game we love.

At least, that’s my two cents.

by Jesse on Oct 7, 2008 1:26 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

All games on TBS

Is a little bit ridiculous. Boston-LA the other night didn’t end until 2:00 am EST. Why does every single game have to be on the same network? Put ’em all on at prime time and let people pick.

by Neil on Oct 7, 2008 3:03 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I disagree with games at the same time.

I love baseball, I want to see all the games…and I do, when I can. I just don’t like some of the choices for times and stations.

by Jesse on Oct 7, 2008 4:45 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Could it be politics as well

I think cable affects it slightly (I don’t remember the number, but the vast majority of homes have cable or satellite), and the unusual hours of some games hurts too. But I wonder if coverage of the financial crisis and presidential race are having an impact as well. I have to assume that the cable news stations are getting the best ratings they’ve had since the first golf war. I know it does seem like the same target market, but who knows.

by snolls on Oct 7, 2008 5:10 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I think

I think you are right. I was watching “Almanac” last week, and they had a guy on from the Campbell Mithun ad agency talking tv. He suggested that the Network tv shows season premieres are way down this year because everyone is watching the cable news channels and following politics very close this year

by DedicatedFollowerOfFashion on Oct 7, 2008 7:14 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Baseball is not as exciting (game by game) as football and basketball

I know you are all going to howl at this (a certain MVP is already pulling on his panties and getting ready to SHOUT at me) but the truth for most of America is that fans want fast exciting games.

Baseball is a game of intellect, strategy, individual struggles, and momentary fleeting examples of athleticism. It is enjoyable in the way that strategic turn-based video games are. The primary enjoyment comes from following individual players, individual matchups, and statistics. That draws a lot of fans when it is the fans’ team. When it is someone else’s team (even a Cinderella team like the Rays) it just isn’t as compelling. Most fans of teams other than a playoff team dont know anyone other than a marquee player or two. Not compelling.

Basketball and Football are faster games. They have more non-stop high speed action that keeps people riveted to the t.v. set. (well now there are so many commercials in football that that statement is a little bit of a stretch) but the action is exciting enough for fans to watch other teams play as well. In terms of video games these two sports are more similar to first person shooters.

More people like first person shoot em ups than video chess…

by montanatwinsfan on Oct 7, 2008 5:46 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

You hit it on the head

I was going to post this exact thought. Of course, without the hilarious references to “a certain MVP”, and video chess.

Nicely said.

Viking Vigil
http://www.vikingvigil.com
Twins Fix
http://www.twinsfix.com

by Andersklasen on Oct 7, 2008 9:49 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It is a shame that baseball is not as exciting as football etc

but I know a very good reason for this: Americans and yourself, montanatwinsfan, like the action and not the strategy. Americans are dumb, thus wanting blood-thirsty 300 pound men to kill each other on the gridiron, and not watch a gentleman’s game of baseball which involves thinking.

Basketball and Football are faster games. REALLY? Lets see here now, what games have a thirty minute break in the middle of it, in order that the players can fart around in the clubhouse? Football and Basketball. What games take on average 3 hours to complete? Football and Basketball. Now, on the other side of it, what game takes about 2 hours 15 minutes on avg to complete? Baseball. What game has a two minute between innings break so the pitchers can warm up? Baseball…18 minutes < 30 minutes. What game takes the most toll? probably Football and basketball…but let us not forget our very own Twins! They play on fake-turf for 9 innings, consistently running around…that wears you out after 162 games (granted about 70-80 of those games are on the road, where there is yet again fake-turf and sometimes grass).

So, I dont know….I prefer baseball to any other sport, because it makes me think. (hmm, I wonder if Casilla should move two steps to his left for Nick Swisher….hmm, man on first and third, 1 out, I wonder where they will go in this 1 run game here in the seventh.) That is what I enjoy!!! Take your 300 pound men and have them sit on you, or else go sit in the fan-friendly Metrodome (Target Field) and watch the REAL athletes (mind and body) compete!

by 33MorneauMVP on Oct 8, 2008 2:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think Americans are dumb

but I do agree that the complaint about baseball taking too long is laughable considering how long it now takes to complete a college football game. Might as well not plan anything else on Saturday.

by wcooley on Oct 8, 2008 3:08 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

My two cents

What games take on average 3 hours to complete? Football and Basketball.

Actually, baseball games generally take as long or longer than basketball games, and they’re often well over three hours in the World Series when the commercial breaks are extended to accommodate the networks.

I think the “boring” aspect of baseball is the fact that a huge amount of the actual gameplay is dead space – the time between pitches isn’t as long as the time between plays in an NFL game (unless the NFL team is using a no-huddle offense), but individual pitches don’t lend themselves as well to analysis as well as NFL plays, leaving the viewer more engaged during football’s “dead time”, while it’s much easier for your mind to wander or whatever between baseball pitches.

Americans and yourself, montanatwinsfan, like the action and not the strategy. Americans are dumb, thus wanting blood-thirsty 300 pound men to kill each other on the gridiron, and not watch a gentleman’s game of baseball which involves thinking.

Bah. There is far more strategy in a football game than a baseball game, at least at the team level (I will grant that the batter-pitcher matchup, particularly, is likely more strategic than any individual-level football matchup). There are probably more team-wide strategic decisions (substitutions, positioning, set plays, etc.) in one football series than there are in an entire baseball game. Baseball managers make far less difference on their team’s record than football coaches.

Don’t get me wrong – baseball is my favorite sport, and I love attending baseball games. But if I have a choice between a baseball or football game on TV, and the Twins and Vikes aren’t playing (if both, I will flip back and forth between them, favoring the one whose game is more important), I’m picking the football game every time – it’s simply more entertaining to watch on TV.

Two other reasons football dominates baseball in ratings:
1) Number of games – a single football game is far more meaningful than a single baseball game, other than a one-game playoff or the final game of a series.
2) Competition – football occurs primarily on Sunday and Saturday afternoons, when there’s nothing else to watch.

"There are only two things that are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein

by BeefMaster on Oct 8, 2008 4:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

: P

; )

by montanatwinsfan on Oct 8, 2008 9:31 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

TBS

I can’t watch the games because they’re on TBS. Just not having any New York fans tuned in is probably enough to knock ratings way down by itself.

"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all."
~ Earl Weaver
"In God we trust. All others must provide evidence."
~ Billy Beane

by AdamOnFirst on Oct 8, 2008 4:34 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs