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October 9, 2020 8:26 pm  #1


Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

The Toronto Sun reported last week this years Stanley Cup had it's lowest ratings ever, kind of blowing the NHL's bubble so to speak.

Here is the article that states this years audience was a quarter of what has been in past years...plus the teams had almost no significance to the hotly sought after GTA market...

https://torontosun.com/sports/hockey/traikos-ratings-showed-that-few-of-you-watched-the-stanley-cup


Now, this is not just the NHL, all sports are down as far as viewers go...NPR in the U.S. reports lagging numbers for basketball, baseball, golf, horse racing and other sports too!

https://www.npr.org/2020/10/08/921782079/sports-events-tv-ratings-are-down-where-are-the-fans-who-missed-them-in-pandemic

NPR asks the question, "Where are the fans"? 

So big Yellow, where are they? 

Is this trend going to turn into a "thing"?

Is mom, who stays home and works and takes care of the kids leaning on dad to pitch in and help and forgo watching Dallas and Tampa?

What is your take?

Chime away!




 

Last edited by Muffaraw Joe (October 9, 2020 8:27 pm)


The world would be so good if it weren't for some people...
 

October 9, 2020 10:03 pm  #2


Re: Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

Muffaraw Joe wrote:

Is mom, who stays home and works and takes care of the kids leaning on dad to pitch in and help and forgo watching Dallas and Tampa?

What is your take?

Chime away!




 

yes, the low ratings are solely due to the actions of the fairer sex, it's a proven fact very few women enjoy sports, and during the pandemic are insisting their spouses co-parent instead of staying glued to the boob tube 🤨🥱🥴😒
OR... could it be there was so much disorganization with the broadcast schedule fans couldn't be arsed to chase around and find the games that aired at ridiculous hours, the NHL in particular failed to showcase the best player in the league when he was playing for Pete's sake! 🥅🏒

 

October 9, 2020 10:27 pm  #3


Re: Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

summer time hockey??

 

October 9, 2020 10:53 pm  #4


Re: Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

i listened to more radio sports coverage , during this pandemic, usually streamed online i can forget   the empty seats in my mind i still watch the highlights to see the best plays

 

October 10, 2020 3:13 pm  #5


Re: Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

In my case I tend to be a "Toronto" fan as opposed to a sport at large.

The Jays really grabbed my interest this year, however the Leafs never got out of the gate and basketball isn't my thing.  I still read the sports sites and catch the odd highlight;  but watching another city's team has never been of interest.

Also,  I think cash has nailed it with his comment.  He is not the first one to make the observation that hockey in summer is not a big attraction to many.

 

October 10, 2020 3:45 pm  #6


Re: Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

I'd be curious to know if leagues in Asia, Australia and Europe are suffering from similar ratings drops. If it's isolated to North America, that would suggest there might be more at play here than just no crowds = no atmosphere, weird scheduling, etc.

Finding out that the NBA finals are down significantly year-over-year is actually very surprising to me. LA and Miami are two of the largest markets in the United States. Last year had a team in a city not even tracked by Nielsen.

 

Last edited by Retaw (October 10, 2020 3:46 pm)

 

October 10, 2020 4:16 pm  #7


Re: Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

Filling a parking lot full of cars to watch a big screen doesn't count as ratings?  


RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person. 
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.

 
 

October 12, 2020 7:31 pm  #8


Re: Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

I've actually been thinking about this and I can't help but wonder if the fact that all the major pro sports seasons are more or less tainted by the virus has something to do with the lacklustre ratings. 

Consider:

-The NHL and the NBA seasons were delayed, meaning injured players, who might not have been there otherwise during the regular season games or the playoffs, were back. They had months to recuperate but really shouldn't have seen action at all if things were normal. 

-There was no home field advantage for NHL or NBA teams, playing in the so-called bubble. And the Jays were forced to call an unfamiliar Buffalo stadium home. The lack of local crowds, which can inspire amazing performances, was a possible factor, too. 

-Major League Baseball was something of a joke, with only about 60 games played instead of the usual 162. The extra number of series usually separates the wheat from the chaff in terms of talent. Sixty matches wasn't a very good sample and because of COVID, the playoff format was altered as well. 

All in all, every one of these winning teams will likely forever be tainted with an asterisk in the record books, because they don't match the storied history of the games that went before them. I will find it hard to take whoever wins the World Series as real champions, because they didn't get a chance to play like real champions do.

I always watch the Jays every year. This season, I barely paid any attention to them because it somehow didn't seem legitimate to me.

I'm not sure if anyone else feels this way, but if they do, that might account for a ratings slump.  

 

October 13, 2020 12:07 am  #9


Re: Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

I feel exactly the same way.  It's also about disruption to a routine.  TV watching is habitual and I think with so many sports and TV shows not being on when we usually expect we just end up watching less of everything.  This is the first time that I can ever remember forgetting to watch the deciding game of the Stanley Cup Final.

 

October 15, 2020 11:52 am  #10


Re: Sports, yes all sports T.V. ratings are down...

Obviously the lower numbers are effecting the sports broadcasters as well.  On-air personnel are being let go.

https://awfulannouncing.com/mlb/the-phillies-have-cut-loose-radio-host-jim-jackson-calling-him-a-luxury-the-team-can-no-longer-afford-in-such-uncertain-times.html

Last edited by Media Observer (October 15, 2020 2:18 pm)