World Series Ratings?

Question

Ok, so everyone is constantly complaining about how espn shows bias to teams like the Cubs, Yankees, and Red Sox when it comes to talking about them and airing they're games nationally. But doesn't this World Series just prove to them that they should keep doing what they're doing. They're goal is to get ratings and as is apparent from this World Series, without a marque name people just don't care. Ratings were down 17% for game 1 from last year and 28% for last nights game. The ratings are so bad I think that everyone has lost the right to complain because this just proves what ESPN already knew.

Just wondering your thoughts.

Answer 1

Everyone in television forfeited the right (which they treat as an obligation) to whine about ratings when the Saturday game started at 10:00 pm Eastern rather than postpone it entirely.



Ratings are NOT important. The World Series is NOT going to be canceled. Yes, ESPN blathers on (and on and on and on...) about big-market teams because they want ANY eyeballs and those markets / teams bring in the most. Television is an attention whore; we get it.



That doesn't apply to the World Series. If Fox is disappointed in the ratings, so what? Let Fox not bid on the next postseason contract. The World Series will be played no matter what, and somewhere, coverage will be cast, and fans will have access to that. It certainly doesn't have to be on Fox, and for the good of baseball and fan sanity, having coverage on a different media source is highly desirable.



The best thing to do about ESPN is turn it off. Game coverage is pretty good, but the highlights shows have gone badly downhill.

Answer 2

MLB is the problem. Those are not the only teams that matters. If MLB paid attention to the fans they would have better ratings. MLB should show it cares about the fans and not money (it's a business, yes, but the fans are the customers that drive the business. All businesses strive to pull in more customers to their stores, ie ballparks, not catering to big business which it has turned to). Used to be a good family experience back in the day, now it's just all money and show. As a baseball fan I'm not interested in seeing the same teams in WS every season. What's the point in watching at that point?



Rp-Dk 08, I assume I am the "idiot" you are referring to. I guess you haven't watched the WS. Pretty good series in my opinion. If the Rays or Phillies didn't deserve to be in it, then they wouldn't have gotten to this point. Say what you want, but this series is the best since 2003.



And you have picked out one game Cregg. One game doesn't make a series boring. It was 6-2 going into the 8th which maybe if not for a bad call could have been 5-2. So the 10-2 doesn't tell the whole story when it broke out that late in a very decent game. I had no problem with that game. It's like you saying the Game 5 Rays/Sox was boring. Well, it was close in the end but before bottom 7th, the Rays were in cruise control, up 7-0. So look at the big picture and not silly boxscores. That's one boxscore that doesn't tell the entire truth of the matter.

Answer 3

How about with the national coverage, more people become fans of teams and not of the game.



If you aren't watching this AMAZING world series, you should not consider yourself a baseball fan.



In 2007, the Red Sox won and it was a frightfully boring world series.

Now, some Red Sox fans may have loved it because their team won, but seriously, was there ever ANY doubt that they were going to win.



If you know a team is going to win, why not just save yourself 3 hours and get the highlights.



Lastly, Ratings cost you money.



ESPN pays baseball, advertisers pay ESPN and they get their money back through increaes in prices for the stuff you buy.



It's better for the fans if the ratings are low.



edit to asker: Did you bother to actually watch any of the first 3 games??

Answer 4

Its not about money and show like this idiot above me said Red Sox and Yankees have one thing in common: they win, championships. People want to watch good teams play and people arent sold on the Rays until they give about 3-5 good seasons. 1 season doesnt mean anything they can come back next year win 50 games and be forgotten about. I would much rather watch Yankees or Red Sox vs the Cubs or Phillies.



I see you have completely altered your answer after you saw mine 9=1 Rays...haha thats ok though you must have seen my point and how dumb your answer was. The only reason you would find this series exciting because by your name I'm judging you are a Rays fan...kind of obvious Rays and Phillies fans would find it exciting since it is the World Series. But truth is people want to see teams that have proven they are good time and time again ie. the red sox, yankees, even the cardinals(although they didnt make it this year) they also want to see those big name players...I surely dont want to see a trashy team like the Phillies in the WS who strikeout almost as much as they walk...Red Sox-Dodgers would have had tremendous ratings...this series Rays/Phillies is just a terrible matchup. I also think that after watching an entire season of baseball people want to see and deserve a better series than this...Once I saw the Red Sox lose I knew I wouldn't be watching this.

Answer 5

the ratings were low because everyone knew the rox, as exciting a run as they put together were no match for the far superior sox, and quite frankly, the sox have in the course of 2 years worn thin on people, it shows the immense unlikability of the team of the obnoxious tendencies of all those bostonians that so shortly removed from being the "darlings" of baseball in '04 people are already talking about the sox in the same way they do the yankees, noone cares about the sox anymore, generally speaking

Answer 6

This is just a guess, but I am thinking that the presidential election and global economic collapse coverage may have something to do with the ratings this year.

Answer 7

Wow phoscho you must be on crack. Why the hell does everyone bash on the teams fans. That has nothing to do with anything. I don't really care for ratings. when did the topic of fans just get throw in?

Answer 8

theres no baseball fans in florida. the marlins and rays have been winning all season, no one showed up!! they'd rather go to the beaches, go clubbing, get a tan.



and philly, well its just philly, if theyre fans are anything like their football fans, jeez, they better win.



it comes down to a small market team in tampa that'll probably get moved, because they cant even get sell outs, and theyre in the world series.





well angel, if you werent an idiot like yourself, you would know that "fans" watch the games. and "ratings" are based on, again "fans" watching the games. DUH!

Answer 9

I wonder how they know what I'm watching? Nobody called my house and asked. Besides, if somehow they can track it, what time do they do it, after 11pm est? Nope...I'm going to bed, I'm not staying up. Did they check when I'm switching channels during commercials?

Answer 10

umm i have no clue but the PHILLIES are gonna win