The past four World Series have been bad revenue news for FOX. Fox' annual MLB rights fees, estimated at $250 million per year through 2013, aren't worth the current return. The almighty advertising dollar has taken a hit as the cumulative World Series record the past four seasons is 16-1. That's right, one game over the minimum. Ouch!
2007 Red Sox win 4-0 2006 Cardinals win 4-1 2005 White Sox win 4-0 2004 Red Sox win 4-0
Small market teams making the World Series drive down the ratings and advertisers don't like small market teams. Four game sweeps kill Fox advertising revenue. Denver is the 18th largest market. Boston will bring a huge demographic, yet it's not enough. The final ratings should be interesting.
The coma inducing 2007 World Series pales compared to the NL Rockies/Padres play-in and ALCS Red Sox come back from a 3-1 deficit.
The viewer has too many cable television options. A blow out or quick series sends viewers elsewhere. Channel surfers may not come back. I didn't in the first or third game. Ooooh look! Tyra is on and it's not a repeat.
In the eighth inning of Game 4, broadcasters couldn't resist ruining the game by announcing A-Rod is opting out of his contract. Scott Boras is a punk for sending the news out. Way to go guys, take away from the Boston win by talking up A-Rod. Let's see how many times Joe Buck can work it into the play by play.
Oh yeah, congrats Boston. click-click-click This just in...the ratings are the 2nd lowest, ever.
You are right husker, Scott Boras is a punk. Unfortunately he'll own the winter. He has A-rod, Lowell, Carlos Pena and a number of others to get ridiculous contracts for.
Maybe he can get Joe Buck to do his public relations for him so he can spend more time twisting the screws on baseball's general managers.
im joking i dont pay attention to them why?? my mom read hers one year and it said, you are getting excited today becasue baseball is coming soon!!!! my mom hates baseball
I was thinking the same thing when the Sox got up 2-0 and looked unbeatable: "not much WS drama the last few years..." Gave the Rockies the benefit of the doubt since the first 2 were at Fenway, but the Sox were just too much. They were the best pretty much from wire-to-wire this year and deserve kudos.
And yes, Boras knew exactly what he was doing. A leopard doesn't change his spots. Now we'll see if anyone's silly enough to pay A-Rod what Boras is asking.
The 2005 World Series may have been a sweep, but those four games were decided by a total of six runs. It may have been the most dramatic sweep in World Series history. Unfortunately, no one watched it because the White Sox and Astros don't get much attention from the national media.
Baseball was my first and most favorite sport growing up... I played what was called Knot Hole league, then Little League, Pony League, American Legion, and high school ball. I remember summer evenings listening to the games with my dad. Then the teachers in elementary school would bring in radios so we could listen to the world series instead of doing our lessons. It was truly America's game.
Today it's so commercialized (free agency, ridiculous salaries, needing to take out a loan to go to a game, playing the world series games at night, even on the weekends...) I've simply lost interest in it all. I got up this morning and saw that the Red Sox had swept the series and was actually happy it was all over.
Congratualtions to the Red Sox. You've become the second coming of the Yankees... The next-best team money can buy. Way to go...
Nice post, husker. And here I go with my nostalgia again. MLB isn't the same anymore. Being a traditional-call it purist if you want-sports fan, I was against wildcard teams, but that's not the problem. Wildcard teams would have been great when there were 24 (roughly) teams in the league. As in the S.F. Giants in '92(?) when they won over 100 games yet failed to make the playoffs. But when more teams were added and the talent was spread out, and therefore watered down, it cheapens all accomplishments, if you ask me. Teams just over .500 making the playoffs have become the norm rather than the exception, which is not good. I know the NHL and NBA do it, but I always held baseball to a higher standard. At least until Bud Selig and his cronies took over, that is.
Ringo - We both hope to live that long...say hey to Mr. Lydon for me.
Ricko - I didn't like the expanded field playoff format at first, either. Then it grew on me. It's really no different than the NFL, so I'll take it.
It was great seeing the D'backs and Rockies, with payrolls somewhere down in the lower 20th places in the league, making the playoffs. No NY teams. Cry me a river, hippie!
Yep, congrats to the Sox...oh look, a new Ninja competition is on....great, commercials.. I don't think I saw this Animal Planet...holy cow did they just show the belly of a buffalo being ripped open by those lions while still steaming? GROSS...what channel was Ninja on?
Last edited by Dusty_Outlaw on November 4th at 12:08 PM.
slshusker
The answer is for Fox to take a leaf out of CBS's book and charge a little bit extra in terms of the ad fees over the course of the series. Even if the rates as such are prefixed.
CBS made out like bandits with the Colts' Pats' game.
Guys now that series was swept by the Sox. Will we also see the findings of the Mitchell enquiry swept underneath a carpet ?
It's not as if they're willing to let anyone know what their findings are as a whole.
it's just a game, these guys are making mucho peso's, and I am getting pissed off because my team is losing, i say no more, that bleeping varitek and lugo could not bring in the tieing run top of the 9th, with bases loaded, I will root for the rays from now on, I must have a winner! pissed me off, there was only one out, varitek and lugo must go, as I have said along from the biginning of the season, if the red sox keep varitek and sign him to a 3 year contract, I am going to burn my red sox hat!
Statistics are a dangerous when handled by zealots.
I believe Burnt Orange isn't a color, it's a disease.
The DH rule should be elimintated.
I like cats and dogs...cats taste more like chicken.
Women are god's greatest creation.
Barry Bonds was detrimental to sports.
The month after the Super Bowl is sports HELL.
March Madness is the best elongated sports extravaganza.
The Masters is great watching, in spite of Jim 'nancy boy' Nantz.
Anyone spouting political commentary should be barred from this site.
This is a sports blog!
I need a soma.
