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TV Ratings: World Series Opener Hits 5-Year Low

TheBigA said:
Ratings for Game 6 were unusually high, over 15 million viewers. I'm sure Game 7 will also be big:

https://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/daily-ratings/tv-ratings-tuesday-oct-29-2019/
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I was listening to ESPN Radio this afternoon and there was Dan Le Batard, who like most of his colleagues usually talks only about the NBA and NFL, actually talking about BASEBALL with some sportswriter (female, of course, so they could dig into the Astros' Osuna/Taubman/domestic abuse/insensitivity issue). Of course, he saved the segment for the final half-hour of his show, and the ESPN update at the bottom of the hour didn't mention the World Series at all, only some incident or injury that happened to some NBA soap opera star in the Philadelphia 76ers game last night. But hey, Le Batard did wind up the show by proclaiming how much he loves baseball and has always loved baseball, which will stun anyone who's ever listened to his daily mix of LeBron drama, Brady deification and pop culture and not heard a peep about the national pastime. I assume normal service will be restored by Friday, allowing for a segment tomorrow about the result of tonight's game.
 
CTListener said:
I was listening to ESPN Radio this afternoon and there was Dan Le Batard, who like most of his colleagues usually talks only about the NBA and NFL, actually talking about BASEBALL with some sportswriter (female, of course, so they could dig into the Astros' Osuna/Taubman/domestic abuse/insensitivity issue). Of course, he saved the segment for the final half-hour of his show, and the ESPN update at the bottom of the hour didn't mention the World Series at all, only some incident or injury that happened to some NBA soap opera star in the Philadelphia 76ers game last night. But hey, Le Batard did wind up the show by proclaiming how much he loves baseball and has always loved baseball, which will stun anyone who's ever listened to his daily mix of LeBron drama, Brady deification and pop culture and not heard a peep about the national pastime. I assume normal service will be restored by Friday, allowing for a segment tomorrow about the result of tonight's game.
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As I posted earlier, I thought the ratings would rebound. And they have. And my "choke" comment was obviously in error as we are seeing tonight. But this was a strange series where the home team never won a game! That is highly unusual. Congrats Nats!
 
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The home team actually won zero games in this series. By far the most notable thing that happened in the 2019 World Series!
 
PTBoardOp94 said:
The home team actually won zero games in this series. By far the most notable thing that happened in the 2019 World Series!
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That's never happened before, either in MLB, the NHL, or the NBA. Six road wins broke the record, last night.
 
RadioPatrol said:
https://www.fox5dc.com/sports/final-comeback-as-nationals-win-world-series-title-beating-houston-6-2

and now the Nationals win the World Series. Sure if you are in Washington D.C. or Houston the ratings will be the highest in those markets but for the rest of the nation not so much.
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So what does MLB do about this? Replace its current umpiring staff with WWE referees to make sure the "right" teams win? The NBA had a strange streak over several seasons of home teams winning Game Sevens -- I believe it was 20 or 21 straight series. It defied credibility, even if home court in basketball is statistically a much bigger advantage than home field in baseball. And who can forget all those calls that just happened to work out well for the Michael Jordan Bulls and not for less glamorous franchises.

I want baseball to regain some of its old popularity and to have recognizable mainstream stars, but the idea of teams like the Astros and Nationals having no chance to play for the championship because they're not in the "right" cities or don't have the "right" superstar is unpalatable to me.
 
It was refreshing to see a team win it all for the first time. They just wrapped their 51st season. First as the Montreal Expos from 1969 to 2004 and then as the Nationals since 2005.

There was also a major connection for us in central Connecticut: Second baseman Brian Dozier is a former New Britain Rock Cat (now the Hartford Yard Goats, a AA-Colorado Rockies affiliate). 2017 World Series MVP George Springer is a New Britain native. :cool:
 
CTListener said:
I want baseball to regain some of its old popularity and to have recognizable mainstream stars, but the idea of teams like the Astros and Nationals having no chance to play for the championship because they're not in the "right" cities or don't have the "right" superstar is unpalatable to me.
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Similar to popular vote vs electoral college. I don't think anyone at MLB is concerned about market size. That's primarily a concern for broadcasters.

MLB is talking again about expansion, and all of the cities I'm hearing are outside the Top 20. More teams will mean more diluted talent pool.
 
TheBigA said:
Similar to popular vote vs electoral college. I don't think anyone at MLB is concerned about market size. That's primarily a concern for broadcasters.
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I think Fox was just fine with a Market #6 vs #7 matchup, and MLB doesn't really care. But the fact remains that only a handful of teams have anything close to a national audience: the Yankees (last Series win in 2009), Dodgers (last appearance 2018, last win 1988), Cubs (only appearance and win in the TV era 2016), and the smaller-market but still-large fan-base Cardinals (last appearance 2013, last win 2011).

I don't include the Red Sox here because "Red Sox Nation" is a figment of the imaginations of fans in eastern New England, and ESPN. Especially ESPN. I never got the impression that Fox cares about them any more than any other AL team not named the Yankees.

MLB is talking again about expansion, and all of the cities I'm hearing are outside the Top 20. More teams will mean more diluted talent pool.
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The talent pool is already diluted, but eventually they will add 2 more teams. Montreal is all but a given, and whoever the 2nd city is depends on the fate of the Tampa Bay Rays and/or the Oakland A's. Charlotte, Portland OR, Indianapolis, OKC, and Nashville have been mentioned.

The only Top 20 cities without teams are #18 Orlando and #20 Sacramento, which are close to Tampa and SF/Oakland, respectively. It might make sense to build ballparks somewhere in between Tampa & Orlando and Oakland & Sacramento, which would take care of those teams' ballpark issues and make more of their fan-bases able to attend games.
 
KeithE4 said:
The talent pool is already diluted, but eventually they will add 2 more teams. Montreal is all but a given, and whoever the 2nd city is depends on the fate of the Tampa Bay Rays and/or the Oakland A's. Charlotte, Portland OR, Indianapolis, OKC, and Nashville have been mentioned.
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The MLB suits are really charged up about getting teams outside the US. If you think ratings are bad with small market US teams, wait til they start playing teams in other countries. I know some companies who have no interest in baseball for that reason.
 
Locally in Washington (WTTG), game 7 drew a 31.8/53 with a peak in the ninth of 39.2/74. In Houston (KRIV), game 7 drew a 42.7/63.
 
TheBigA said:
The MLB suits are really charged up about getting teams outside the US. If you think ratings are bad with small market US teams, wait til they start playing teams in other countries. I know some companies who have no interest in baseball for that reason.
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Aren't overseas franchises also on the NFL and NBA's radar? And what exactly do the corporate types you know dislike about the idea? That they'd be stuck with a Houston Astros-London Whatevers World Series and have their ads reach only one Nielsen market?
 
CTListener said:
Aren't overseas franchises also on the NFL and NBA's radar? And what exactly do the corporate types you know dislike about the idea? That they'd be stuck with a Houston Astros-London Whatevers World Series and have their ads reach only one Nielsen market?
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Yep. On the other hand, NBC seems to be very excited about things like hockey, rugby, and the Olympics. Don't ask me why.
 
TheBigA said:
Yep. On the other hand, NBC seems to be very excited about things like hockey, rugby, and the Olympics. Don't ask me why.
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Travel is already a big issue with hockey teams so I don't think a trans-Atlantic NHL franchise is a possibility. Exhibition games? Perhaps.
 
The biggest problem with baseball in general is that the season is way too long and there are too many meaningless games. One reason the NFL is so popular is because there are so few games in the season that every Sunday is a "must win" game. I've been a Yankees fan for 40+ years, but I find myself watching less and less every year. How can I possibly stay interested watching the Yankees play 60+ games against Tampa, Toronto, and Baltimore every year.
 
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