Sports TV ratings, etc. Random sports talk

FLRacingFan said:
Streaming results modest despite lofty expectations
https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2018/03/05/Olympics/Olympic-ratings.aspx



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Really, really interesting.
 
Football’s Brain Injury Crisis Lands in Family Court
It is impossible to say precisely how many disputes over football are occurring in family courts. Most records are sealed and disputes often settle before they go to trial. But Joe Cordell, the founder of Cordell & Cordell, which specializes in divorce law, said that about a third of the 270 lawyers at his firm, which is spread across 40 states, said that they have seen an increase in custody battles over whether a child should be allowed to play football. In some parts of the country, football has replaced hockey as the sport at the center of custody battles, other lawyers said.
Most of the disputes over football are occurring in states where football remains very popular, like Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio, places Mr. Cordell described as “heavy football states.” In states where football appears to be on the wane, including those in the Northeast, disputes are less common because both parents have already decided that the game is too dangerous for their child to play.
Continue reading the main story
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/sports/football/concussions.html?smid=tw-share
 
This is why sports is a bigger deal for the television industry than ever. The Oscars is traditionally American television's biggest non-sports night, and has never not been among the year's top ten telecasts. This year it is already outside of the top ten, and will finish behind a bunch of football games and possibly even some World Series and NBA Finals games.

 
StandOnIt said:
Football’s Brain Injury Crisis Lands in Family Court
It is impossible to say precisely how many disputes over football are occurring in family courts. Most records are sealed and disputes often settle before they go to trial. But Joe Cordell, the founder of Cordell & Cordell, which specializes in divorce law, said that about a third of the 270 lawyers at his firm, which is spread across 40 states, said that they have seen an increase in custody battles over whether a child should be allowed to play football. In some parts of the country, football has replaced hockey as the sport at the center of custody battles, other lawyers said.
Most of the disputes over football are occurring in states where football remains very popular, like Texas, Oklahoma and Ohio, places Mr. Cordell described as “heavy football states.” In states where football appears to be on the wane, including those in the Northeast, disputes are less common because both parents have already decided that the game is too dangerous for their child to play.
Continue reading the main story
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/05/sports/football/concussions.html?smid=tw-share
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Just like Al Capone was done in by the IRS football will be done in by family court. A sobering thought indeed.

I think we should start another thread for sports injuries/legal battles to keep this thread more about stick and ball ratings. What ya say?
 
I wonder if any of the other broadcasts that beat the Oscars were Nascar or race related?
 
UFC still having trouble getting big increase for its TV rights, thanks to limited TV-focused bidders
Fox has offered the UFC an increase, but far from the one they were seeking. Other TV-focused bids have been slow to come in. And it looks unlikely the UFC will get anywhere close to the $450 million it initially targeted.
What’s interesting with Fox is that they’ve been heavily linked to a bid for WWE rights, which expire in the fall of 2019. But some of those reports have suggested Fox wants one or the other between the WWE and the UFC, not necessarily both.

There might be more interest in WWE, thanks to its better ratings (which even tend to beat a lot of good NBA regular-season games) and the UFC’s declining TV ratings, but the UFC rights might be much cheaper to acquire and with less competition.

http://awfulannouncing.com/mma/ufc-having-trouble-getting-big-tv-rights-increase.html
 
:XXROFL:

The WG Sports Survey, singling out fans who watch at least two football games a season, found that 32 percent have an “unfavorable” view of the game. Another 63 percent had a favorable view.

Nascar needs to get more unfavorable viewers in order to get interest up.
 
I watch as much football today as I always have. My only unfavorable view of the sport deals with the now introduced political side and the over-officiated sport that it's become. I think the latter is due to instant replay and the endless scrutinization of every single move of a catch/no catch rule. It hurts the sport more than it helps it.

What really surprises me on that list is the favorable view of NASCAR. Seriously? I read endless bitching and moaning on the NASCAR section of the forum. I guess our contingent in that section is not a true representation of the actual fan-base.
 
TexasRaceLady said:
I used to be a devoted NFL fan --- but I don't watch anywhere near as much as I used to.
Why? For me, the game has become boring. The constant analyzing by 5 or 6 talking heads has taken all the
fun out of the game.
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The only time I watch is to cheer for the Saints or the Gators or boo the Patriots or Alabama.
 
So NASCAR had the second-smallest percentage of voters, behind MLS, who watched at least 2 "games" or races, yet those who did watch were overwhelmingly favorable towards it. Huh - interesting.
 
Different strokes for different folks as some of the things I like about stick and ball take place when the game is not being played. I like line match ups in hockey and the tactical nature of football. I can't describe the feeling I get when I see great individual athleticism, great coaching and proper execution from a team. Not everybody's cup of tea though.

Going from the headline the NFL will lose 33.3% of its fans next year which is utter rubbish. If I get a chance I will look into the organization and how this poll was conducted.
 
Looks like the NFL has hit it's peak. Have to go aways to find the lowest average on record for Monday night. All the way back to 08 for Sunday night games.

According to Sports Business Daily, ESPN averaged 10.8 million viewers for its Monday Night Football games this year, the lowest average on record, and NBC averaged 18.2 million viewers for Sunday Night Football games this year, the lowest figure since 2008.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nfl-not-dying-may-plateauing-161457955.html
 
It is certainly possible that the NFL has plateaued in terms of popularity and less people will be watching year after year but it is also possible the NFL could bounce back and at least recapture some lost market share. Lots of things are important when it comes to the health of a sport including number of viewers and where they slot in demographically but the most important thing is what you can sell your broadcast rights for. Even though Nascar is suffering from viewer erosion it is all good for the tracks and Nascar as the broadcast deal still pays handsomely. Same for the NFL and it will be interesting to see what NFL and Nascar rights sell for when they are bid out.
 
FLRacingFan said:
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Tiger's return apparently was ratings gold for the PGA. NASCAR needs a Tiger in its tank.

NBC saw a record 5.11 overnight rating on Sunday for its 3pm-6pm coverage of the final round of the Valspar Championship, the best rating for a non-Major PGA Tour event since the 2013 Players Championship. Sunday’s final round was also the best-rated golf telecast, other than The Masters, since the 2015 PGA Championship.

NBC Sports also saw a record 3.26 overnight rating on Saturday for its coverage of the third round. It was the best-rated Round 3 of a PGA Tour event on any broadcast network since 2006, and the best rating for the Valspar tournament in its history—an eye-popping 181% gain over Round 3 of the event last year.

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/tiger-woods-still-brings-ratings-gold-golf-133405585.html
 
I don't think I've watched any contemporary professional wrestling since I was 13 years old. (I'll still occasionally watch old clips of that period on YouTube to relive the fun.) Yet still, the relative strength and popularity of WWE is something that many sports fans tend to ignore. Perhaps because it is not a sport and should be compared to other scripted entertainment programming instead? I don't know. But still, this is worth noting.



That is why Fox Sports has turned its attention to taking WWE from NBC. It is much more popular than UFC, which is getting shunned a bit.
 
gnomesayin said:
I don't think I've watched any contemporary professional wrestling since I was 13 years old. (I'll still occasionally watch old clips of that period on YouTube to relive the fun.) Yet still, the relative strength and popularity of WWE is something that many sports fans tend to ignore. Perhaps because it is not a sport and should be compared to other scripted entertainment programming instead? I don't know. But still, this is worth noting.



That is why Fox Sports has turned its attention to taking WWE from NBC. It is much more popular than UFC, which is getting shunned a bit.
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UFC didn't get the money they were asking for, but they did get a sizable chunk for their next contract. Some say the WWE deal was why they didn't get what they wanted. Eh, I don't know about that.
 
gnomesayin said:
Perhaps because it is not a sport and should be compared to other scripted entertainment programming instead?
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To me, this is the crux of the matter. I try never to underestimate the capacity of the networks to dumb down programming to the lowest possible level, and I try never to underestimate the appetite of the American population to eat it up. But to me, what you said is the crux of the matter.

If legitimate sports leagues ever face the choice of (a) becoming fake like the WWE, or (b) disappearing forever, then I won't care which option they choose... because at that point they are already gone.
 
This is bad news. This seems like the kind of deal where NASCAR changes something in Xfinity or Truck to slowly acclimate fans to it and then ease it into Cup (ie: Caution Clock >>>> Stages). Baseball is the last sport that should be resorting to such gimmickry. I think it's bad enough that NBA teams advance the ball up to halfcourt simply by calling a timeout under two minutes remaining. This is far worse.

At all levels of Minor League Baseball, extra innings will begin with a runner on second base. The runner at second base will be the player in the batting order position previous to the leadoff batter of the inning (or a substitute for that player). By way of example, if the number five hitter in the batting order is due to lead off the 10th inning, the number four player in the batting order (or a pinch-runner for such player) shall begin the inning on second base. Any runner or batter removed from the game for a substitute shall be ineligible to return to the game, as is the case in all circumstances under the Official Baseball Rules.
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https://www.milb.com/milb/news/mino...pace-of-play-regulations-for-2018/c-268683294
 
FLRacingFan said:
This is bad news. This seems like the kind of deal where NASCAR changes something in Xfinity or Truck to slowly acclimate fans to it and then ease it into Cup (ie: Caution Clock >>>> Stages). Baseball is the last sport that should be resorting to such gimmickry. I think it's bad enough that NBA teams advance the ball up to halfcourt simply by calling a timeout under two minutes remaining. This is far worse.


https://www.milb.com/milb/news/mino...pace-of-play-regulations-for-2018/c-268683294
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Yeah, people who go to baseball games enjoy the current atmosphere. This is dumb as ****.
 
FLRacingFan said:
This is bad news. This seems like the kind of deal where NASCAR changes something in Xfinity or Truck to slowly acclimate fans to it and then ease it into Cup (ie: Caution Clock >>>> Stages). Baseball is the last sport that should be resorting to such gimmickry. I think it's bad enough that NBA teams advance the ball up to halfcourt simply by calling a timeout under two minutes remaining. This is far worse.


https://www.milb.com/milb/news/mino...pace-of-play-regulations-for-2018/c-268683294
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They have done a similar thing in hockey. Overtime started off with a 10 minute period and if a team won they got 2 points and the loser 0. It has devolved into a spectacle of 3 skaters aside for a 5 minute overtime and if that doesn’t produce a winner it moves to a shootout. In any case the winner gets 2 points and the losers 1 which has really screwed up the standings.
 
FLRacingFan said:
This is bad news. This seems like the kind of deal where NASCAR changes something in Xfinity or Truck to slowly acclimate fans to it and then ease it into Cup (ie: Caution Clock >>>> Stages). Baseball is the last sport that should be resorting to such gimmickry. I think it's bad enough that NBA teams advance the ball up to halfcourt simply by calling a timeout under two minutes remaining. This is far worse.


https://www.milb.com/milb/news/mino...pace-of-play-regulations-for-2018/c-268683294
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I agree that they are using the minor leagues as a testing ground. I am trying to envision them bringing the starting with runners on base in extra innings thing to the major league level without a huge uproar. It's utter garbage.

I am actually in favor of some methods to improve actual 'pace of play' in the bulk of games, but not a narrow measure that would only affect the small percentage of games that extend into multiple extra innings. Limiting mound visits? Yes please, that is a modern stalling tactic that I think is abused. A pitch clock? It depends on how it is executed. I don't necessarily consider it an affront to traditional baseball because many pitchers are operating at a slower pace than would have been imaginable decades ago.

Every sport needs to pragmatically look at this issue, because longer games are ultimately not good for overall audience appeal. The fact is TV networks prefer more time certainty too. Most of the leagues know this.

One underlying issue is that if MLB is going to continue to 'enhance' and promote more run scoring and home runs as I believe they are, with the way modern bullpens are used, this leads to more pitcher substitutions and longer games. An ideal baseball game to me is a 3-2 or 4-2 game. I prefer a league in which 7-5 is an offensive explosion, not an every night occurrence. They can either seek more slugfests, or shorter games. It's hard to have both.
 
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gnomesayin said:
I agree that they are using the minor leagues as a testing ground. I am trying to envision them bringing the starting with runners on base in extra innings thing to the major league level without a huge uproar. It's utter garbage.

I am actually in favor of some methods to improve actual 'pace of play' in the bulk of games, but not a narrow measure that would only affect the small percentage of games that extend into multiple extra innings. Limiting mound visits? Yes please, that is a modern stalling tactic that I think is abused. A pitch clock? It depends on how it is executed. I don't necessarily consider it an affront to traditional baseball because many pitchers are operating at a slower pace than would have been imaginable decades ago.

Every sport needs to pragmatically look at this issue, because longer games are ultimately not good for overall audience appeal. The fact is TV networks prefer more time certainty too. Most of the leagues know this.

One underlying issue is that if MLB is going to continue to 'enhance' and promote more run scoring and home runs as I believe they are, with the way modern bullpens are used, this leads to more pitcher substitutions and longer games. An ideal baseball game to me is a 3-2 or 4-2 game. I prefer a league in which 7-5 is an offensive explosion, not an every night occurrence. They can either seek more slugfests, or shorter games. It's hard to have both.
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I'm all in favor of cutting down the dead air, jock-scratching time. I don't have a problem with mound visit limitations and pitch clocks. Fundamentally changing the game by automatically putting runners on so everyone can just get home already - hard pass. I think baseball, of all sports, still has the highest concentration of "purists" in its fan base so I can see Manfred being burned at the stake if he tries to bring this into the majors at some point.
 
A Tiger is just about ready to tee off again @ Bay Hill. I wonder how this week's PGA ratings will go? He's got 8 previous victories here.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
A Tiger is just about ready to tee off again @ Bay Hill. I wonder how this week's PGA ratings will go? He's got 8 previous victories here.
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Tiger seems like the elixir for all things wrong. As you said Nascar needs a tiger or maybe even a Morris the cat at this point.
 
AtomicPunk55 said:
Tiger seems like the elixir for all things wrong. As you said Nascar needs a tiger or maybe even a Morris the cat at this point.
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Tiger's only the remedy for the PGA. It can't be argued that when that guy is in the hunt on Saturday/Sunday, the PGA is alive and well. He is however a detriment to anyone and everything else that happens to be televised in the same time period.

I'd love to see, should he do well this week, how is it going to affect the NCAA March Madness ratings? We know where NASCAR numbers are going. This week, it could be Tiger vs. the NCAA & CBS Corp. I'm saying this though with the impression that the PGA will be televised OTA and not strictly cable.

Always interesting to see how the numbers play out.
 
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