Here are the ratings for last week, with game 4 of the NBA finals coming in 2nd, and game 3 coming in 5th:
http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,272|||weekly,00.html
Falling well behind America's Got Talent, but, otherwise, basically both games did better than all other network programming last week.
Some would argue "Man, the ratings have fallen so far from the Jordan era!", without really taking into account that all TV ratings are down.
To make that point, here is the similar week in 1994:
http://groups.google.com/group/rec.arts.tv/browse_frm/thread/bfaf0dae49140288/64e65e4bfe7c4f88?lnk=st&q=&rnum=4&hl=en#64e65e4bfe7c4f88
Now, granted, this was the year of the Houston/NY finals, so, no Jordan led Bulls, but, it did have NY in the finals, which is supposedly the market every league wants in the finals.
One thing you'll notice right away is the lofty ratings EVERYTHING was getting. Reruns of sitcoms getting ratings (16-17's) in June that CSI and even American idol don't get now during sweeps months. FIFTY shows got a better nielsen rating than the higher rated program in the same week in 2007.
And where did the NBA finals games finish... 9th, 16th and 46th.
Their is no doubt, NBA ratings are down, and less people "seem to care". But, really, I think it has to do more with people not caring about watching TV in general, even cable, because of the internet.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
New League Proposed By Mark Cuban
http://www.nbcsports.com/sports/1569872/detail.html
Looking at the top "MSA"s without an NFL team:
Metro area populations on Wikipedia
Your top candidates are:
2. Los Angeles
21. Orlando
23. Sacramento
26. Portland
29. Columbus
30. San Antonio
31. Las Vegas
32. Milwaukee
33. Virginia Beach/Norfolk
34. Salt Lake City
35. Raleigh-Durham
37. Greensboro
38. Austin
39. Louisville
40. Grand Rapids
41. Hartford
43. Memphis
44. Oklahoma City
About a third of those cities though are probably too college football focused to get a team (Columbus, Austin, Louisville, etc). But, add in Mexico City and possibly Toronto (where there's been speculation they'd want an NFL team eventually as opposed to just the CFL), and you've got at least 10-14 viable markets to start out with, although you are locked out of most of the Top 20 markets other than Los Angeles, which is what will really hurt this league for TV marketability purposes. And deciding to compete with "pro" football in NFL markets in the fall seems like suicide.
If I was speculating on what the "UFL" would look like if it comes to fruition in 2008:
East - Orlando, Milwaukee, Virginia, Canada (Toronto or Ottawa), Carolina (either Raliegh or Greensboro)
West - Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Portland, Mexico City
As far as TV networks, I can't see any major players being too interested, despite the people involved. I think you are looking at probably a "Versus" on cable, and possibly if they wanted to try to get on network TV, maybe "MyNetworkTV".
Looking at the top "MSA"s without an NFL team:
Metro area populations on Wikipedia
Your top candidates are:
2. Los Angeles
21. Orlando
23. Sacramento
26. Portland
29. Columbus
30. San Antonio
31. Las Vegas
32. Milwaukee
33. Virginia Beach/Norfolk
34. Salt Lake City
35. Raleigh-Durham
37. Greensboro
38. Austin
39. Louisville
40. Grand Rapids
41. Hartford
43. Memphis
44. Oklahoma City
About a third of those cities though are probably too college football focused to get a team (Columbus, Austin, Louisville, etc). But, add in Mexico City and possibly Toronto (where there's been speculation they'd want an NFL team eventually as opposed to just the CFL), and you've got at least 10-14 viable markets to start out with, although you are locked out of most of the Top 20 markets other than Los Angeles, which is what will really hurt this league for TV marketability purposes. And deciding to compete with "pro" football in NFL markets in the fall seems like suicide.
If I was speculating on what the "UFL" would look like if it comes to fruition in 2008:
East - Orlando, Milwaukee, Virginia, Canada (Toronto or Ottawa), Carolina (either Raliegh or Greensboro)
West - Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Sacramento, Portland, Mexico City
As far as TV networks, I can't see any major players being too interested, despite the people involved. I think you are looking at probably a "Versus" on cable, and possibly if they wanted to try to get on network TV, maybe "MyNetworkTV".
Monday, January 08, 2007
Thoughts on what they should do for the next NFL TV rights bidding
I'd like the see the following happen:
1. Let the SNF network (assuming it stays network) have 2 weeks of playoff games on Sunday Night, instead of two Saturday Wild-card games.
It just seems like a better case for continuity. Right now, NBC gets 2 Saturday Wild Cards, and CBS/FOX split the Sunday games, and each have 2 Divisional games.
If my proposal, the schedule would go (assuming all networks stay the same):
Wild Card: Sat 4:30pm AFC/CBS, 8pm NFC/FOX Sun 4:30pm NFC/FOX, 8pm AFC/NBC
Divisional Playoffs: Sat 4:30pm NFC/FOX, 8pm AFC/CBS Sun 4:30pm AFC/CBS, 8pm NFC/NBC
NBC gets their games on Sunday night, plus a divisional instead of a 2nd wild card. That should make the SNF package increase even more than a nominal amount. The AFC & NFC packages would rotate every other year who gets the two Divisional playoffs vs who gets the 2 Wild Card and only 1 divisional. This is only a decrese of 1 divisional game every other year (and they pick up another wild card), so, doesn't seem like something that should really make the contract dip too much.
2. Let the MNF Cable contract also get to rotate in the Super Bowl rotation (assuming it stays ESPN, I doubt any other network would get it). ESPN would show the Super Bowl as "ESPN on ABC" (no Super Bowl on cable) obviously, but, would still be interesting to see the Super Bowl with ESPN branding, I think.
1. Let the SNF network (assuming it stays network) have 2 weeks of playoff games on Sunday Night, instead of two Saturday Wild-card games.
It just seems like a better case for continuity. Right now, NBC gets 2 Saturday Wild Cards, and CBS/FOX split the Sunday games, and each have 2 Divisional games.
If my proposal, the schedule would go (assuming all networks stay the same):
Wild Card: Sat 4:30pm AFC/CBS, 8pm NFC/FOX Sun 4:30pm NFC/FOX, 8pm AFC/NBC
Divisional Playoffs: Sat 4:30pm NFC/FOX, 8pm AFC/CBS Sun 4:30pm AFC/CBS, 8pm NFC/NBC
NBC gets their games on Sunday night, plus a divisional instead of a 2nd wild card. That should make the SNF package increase even more than a nominal amount. The AFC & NFC packages would rotate every other year who gets the two Divisional playoffs vs who gets the 2 Wild Card and only 1 divisional. This is only a decrese of 1 divisional game every other year (and they pick up another wild card), so, doesn't seem like something that should really make the contract dip too much.
2. Let the MNF Cable contract also get to rotate in the Super Bowl rotation (assuming it stays ESPN, I doubt any other network would get it). ESPN would show the Super Bowl as "ESPN on ABC" (no Super Bowl on cable) obviously, but, would still be interesting to see the Super Bowl with ESPN branding, I think.
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