TBS Has Record-Low NLCS Ratings
After our discussion in class about broadcasting revenue, I thought this article was interesting. TBS, which is now carrying more than just Atlanta Braves games, isn't drawing a large crowd for the playoffs. The National League championship series had all the elements of a low-rated sporting event: a sweep involving two smaller-market, tradition-poor franchises. Why would anyone think that the ratings would be higher? The Rockies four-game sweep over the Diamondbacks drew a 3.3 rating for homes with TBS. The previous low average NLCS rating was a 6.2 for the Mets' five-game victory over the Cardinals in 2000. Why the big difference? Even though they are smaller teams, it's the playoffs. This is where teams are supposed to bring in extra money. However, Tuner Sports said network executives were "still very, very happy" with their seven-year deal with Major League Baseball despite the low NLCS ratings in their first year airing the playoffs. President David Levy is still optimistic. He said that broadcasting all the division series games on the same network helped attract viewers by eliminating confusion. Which could be very true. Were the ratings low because both contenders were small-market teams? Why wouldn't the playoffs draw more attention and demand?
1 comment:
I think what size market the teams come from has a lot to do with ratings, especially in playoff situations. Like in this situation with the NLCS, there were two smaller markets playing in a not-so-highly anticipated matchup. I am sure there were plenty of Rockies and Cardinals fans tuning in, but if you werent a fan of either of these teams, was it appealing to watch? Probably not, especially when you look at the ratings from the series. That trend has always appeared with lesser known teams ending up in the playoffs, compared to the big names being there as expected.
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