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The collapse of sports ratings - BostonCard - 10-19-2020

Quote:According to data compiled by Sports Media Watch, golf's U.S. Open was
  down 42 percent. The Kentucky Derby: 43 percent. The Stanley Cup
  finals: 61 percent. The vaunted NFL is down 13 percent early in its
  season. MLB's division series were down 40 percent. A World Series
  between, potentially, Atlanta and Tampa Bay isn't likely to change the
  tide.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/10/16/sports-ratings-down-pandemic-politics/

(may be behind a paywall)

BC

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - Spiny_Norman - 10-19-2020

(10-19-2020, 01:40 PM)BostonCard Wrote:  
Quote:According to data compiled by Sports Media Watch, golf's U.S. Open was

  down 42 percent. The Kentucky Derby: 43 percent. The Stanley Cup

  finals: 61 percent. The vaunted NFL is down 13 percent early in its

  season. MLB's division series were down 40 percent. A World Series

  between, potentially, Atlanta and Tampa Bay isn't likely to change the

  tide.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/10/16/sports-ratings-down-pandemic-politics/



(may be behind a paywall)



BC

I think this article has the source data. https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2020/10/nba-playoff-ratings-decline-finals-record-low-sports-viewership/

Even with the drop in viewership, I think I saw a report that all 15 of the most watched shows so far during the fall season are NFL games. Sports continues to deliver a bigger audience than other shows to advertisers. The doom and gloomers expecting the rights fees for sports broadcasts to collapse will be disappointed.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - BostonCard - 10-19-2020

My suspicion is that those eyeballs are just generally moving to streaming services.  Disney+ hit its 5-year subscriber target in 6 months.  Sports are probably the last gasp for live TV, but I think old fashioned TV will continue to slowly decline.

BC

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - OutsiderFan - 10-19-2020

I haven't watched as much sports since the pandemic started. I did watch some regular season MLB games. Watched a fair amount of NBA playoffs until the Finals. I have to interest in watching the Lakers no matter who is playing. I watched some Stanley Cup playoffs.

I watched one college football game on Saturday - Georgia at Alabama.  

On Sunday I didn't turn on any screen. Frankly, the Niners were so dreadful the last two weeks and I'm so tired of the injuries to key players, I had no enthusiasm for the NFL. I watched highlights of a few games on YouTube Monday morning. 

The Bills and Chiefs are playing now and I have no interest. But I will watch the Cardinals and Cowboys because Kyler Murray is fun to watch, the Dallas defense is terrible, and I've hated the Cowboys since birth.

I'd say my personal sports viewing is down about 40%.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - Bampa - 10-19-2020

My viewing time of the NBA and the NFL has NOT dropped.

It's kind off hard to go below zero!

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - BostonCard - 10-19-2020

The barbershop over the week end was the first sports that I watched since the pandemic started.

BC

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - Snorlax94 - 10-19-2020

(10-19-2020, 01:56 PM)Spiny_Norman Wrote:  
(10-19-2020, 01:40 PM)BostonCard Wrote:  
Quote:According to data compiled by Sports Media Watch, golf's U.S. Open was

  down 42 percent. The Kentucky Derby: 43 percent. The Stanley Cup

  finals: 61 percent. The vaunted NFL is down 13 percent early in its

  season. MLB's division series were down 40 percent. A World Series

  between, potentially, Atlanta and Tampa Bay isn't likely to change the

  tide.



https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/10/16/sports-ratings-down-pandemic-politics/



(may be behind a paywall)



BC

I think this article has the source data. https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2020/10/nba-playoff-ratings-decline-finals-record-low-sports-viewership/

Even with the drop in viewership, I think I saw a report that all 15 of the most watched shows so far during the fall season are NFL games. Sports continues to deliver a bigger audience than other shows to advertisers. The doom and gloomers expecting the rights fees for sports broadcasts to collapse will be disappointed.
Football is the biggest fish in a much, much smaller broadcast pond. If this keeps up, the sports industry will not be able to maintain its current cost level. Who cares if you are still #1 in broadcast if 60% fewer people are watching and have switched to streaming.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens in 2021 and 2022. To some extent, the drop demonstrates the loss of water cooler banter about sports and watching games with friends, and taking kids especially when the kids play those sports. That part should come back eventually.

But streaming services have done a remarkable job this year delivering the goods. I could see myself watching less sports in the future, though I am really looking forward to when I can return to Stanford Football in-person.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - old spanish trail - 10-19-2020

Looks like I'm an audience of one. Could hardly wait for football and I've watched all day Saturday and Sunday since it began. Have watched all the "important" games, and many others. And, it's been fun. Beats reading The Iliad.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - bnarver - 10-19-2020

Rant time.  I haven't watched pro sports in over a decade.  Maybe closer to 2.  In the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers mercenaries beat the Miami Heat mercenaries.  Whoopee.  In MLB, the Los Angeles Dodgers mercenaries beat the Atlanta Braves mercenaries.  Whoopee.  Paying athletes in excess of $20M/year because they can hit a ball or stuff a ball through a hoop or throw a ball in a spiral or catch said ball is ridiculous.  I'll bet most of these guys have no other marketable skills and would play their sports for 10% of what they're actually making.  The average American family can't afford to attend these games.  Yet, the fans want the owners to continue to go after free agents for more and more money.  Makes no sense.  I wonder if most fans are more interested in their fantasy sports leagues than in the actual pro teams.

Give me college sports any time.  Yes, currently Alabama and Clemson are dominating college football, but that isn't guaranteed season after season, and there are lots of other sports to watch.  The players change year after year, so teams have to adjust.  It's fun seeing Cinderella teams come through.

Rant over.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - Phogge - 10-20-2020

Luddite here. I will watch any golf... PGA, Champions, LPGA, Koran Ferry. Favorite is the European Tour. A computer will never trump the TV. Still get DVD’s from Netflix. Was delighted to watch the Giants. Would rather watch Memphis and BYU than the SEC. only NFL I watch is Inside the NFL on Showtime because I can check my work and my son’s work. The pro leagues are greedy but they have given our Shut In Nation something for a few hours to blunt the reality of the insane world.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - Mick - 10-20-2020

My viewing habits changed a bit, to the negative.  I stopped watching the NBA.  Tried EPL for a bit -- I've been a soccer fan since 1989 -- and it's very much a different game than what's played in America, but I just don't give a rip about Arsenal or Juventus or Ipswich.  I watch Giants baseball, and the 49ers.  I watch the majors in golf.  Don't watch college sports outside of Stanford or SCU.

And when I do watch, I tend to watch online.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - oldalum - 10-20-2020

(10-19-2020, 11:02 PM)bnarver Wrote:  I'll bet most of these guys have no other marketable skills and would play their sports for 10% of what they're actually making.
The owners would then be pocketing the other 90%; I'd rather it go to the players. They are in the entertainment industry and, in our era of mass media, are generating the big $ and reaping some of the benefits of that, as are other non-sports types of entertainers.

But the only pro sport I watch any more is occasional golf.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - teejers1 - 10-20-2020

(10-19-2020, 02:27 PM)BostonCard Wrote:  My suspicion is that those eyeballs are just generally moving to streaming services.  Disney+ hit its 5-year subscriber target in 6 months.  Sports are probably the last gasp for live TV, but I think old fashioned TV will continue to slowly decline.

BC

The article notes that drop in viewing is not tied to the airing of social justice issues, including BLM presentations.  I suspect that is significantly true; however, two people have volunteered that they stopped watching pro sports - and NBA hoops in particular - because they don't like being lectured to by players/owners/whomever.  So while I think the % tuning out due to social justice statements is small, I suspect it is not zero (and may be greater than negligible). 

I think bigger drop percentages due to (i) more important things on mind (though you think sports fans would appreciate the diversion - our family certainly did/does), (ii) out-of-whack seasons that don't seem "right," and (iii) the belief that everything sports related this year comes with an asterisk, so why bother?

Who knows though, maybe it is all attributable to streaming . . . 

P.S. As for asterisks, I disagree.  The NBA Champion Lakers were completely deserving, and the caliber of hoops in The Bubble was tremendous.  If anything, this championship might be one of the most impressive accomplishments for any team.  And baseball's champion will be legit, too, even with only a 60 game regular season.  Dodgers-Rays are best two teams and have earned their way into the Fall Classic.  Hockey, I can't really comment on.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - SamuelMcF - 10-20-2020

Gen Z on the whole are tuning out of live sports way more, but interest in E-Sports is on the rise with them. Interesting article from last month.

https://morningconsult.com/2020/09/28/gen-z-poll-sports-fandom/

[Image: 200922_Gen-Z-Watches-Sports-Less-Often_fullwidth.png]

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - Phogge - 10-20-2020

Gen Z are living in a fantasy world. They hardly knew 9/11 happened let alone WW2, the Civil War and the Punic Was.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - Spiny_Norman - 10-20-2020

(10-20-2020, 01:10 PM)Phogge Wrote:  Gen Z are living in a fantasy world. They hardly knew 9/11 happened let alone WW2, the Civil War and the Punic Was.

In fairness, some of them are less than 10 years old.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - Phogge - 10-20-2020

My nine year old grandson can tell you all about the use of the short Roman sword. We've had talks about the Civil War. No reason not to teach history at the elementary level but I get that it's not PC these days. Humbug.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - Papa John - 10-20-2020

Not sure where your grandson goes to school, Phogge, but in the California public elementary schools they teach a combination of history-social science-geography. As I recall in third grade my son learned about Santa Barbara County, fourth grade was California, fifth grade was U.S., sixth grade was world history/ancient civilizations.

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - 2006alum - 10-20-2020

I have to say I am pretty amused.... this thread could be retitled, "Grumpy Old Men."

Teaching history is "not PC these days." 
"Gen Z is living in a fantasy world"
"Viewers don't like being lectured by players."

I think I'm a "In my day, we played through head injuries!" comment away from BINGO.

Carry on. =)

RE: The collapse of sports ratings - teejers1 - 10-20-2020

(10-20-2020, 06:05 PM)2006alum Wrote:  I have to say I am pretty amused.... this thread could be retitled, "Grumpy Old Men."

Teaching history is "not PC these days." 
"Gen Z is living in a fantasy world"
"Viewers don't like being lectured by players."

I think I'm a "In my day, we played through head injuries!" comment away from BINGO.

Carry on. =)

You left out #okayboomer!

P.S.  You may not agree with the prospect that some people - undoubtedly including some "grumpy old men" - would rather tune out from TV viewing than be subjected to topics they have little interest in being lectured about.  It may be sad . . . but it doesn't make it any less true.  And out of curiosity, is it okay for grumpy old men (or anyone?) to tune out the NBA because of how they "put on knee pads" when it came to China and its treatment of Hong Kong, or is that also only indicative of having a dated, grumpy-old-man mindset?  Because that happened, too.