ESPN & Futbol

[JeremyFromTexas]

I know ESPN is primarly an American sports biased company, but why dont they show more futbol? Only time you can see it is when they have a major tourney like the Euros or world cup. They need to realize that their is a huge futbol fan base. Its time for ESPN to step up their game.

[bbsbt]

I know ESPN is primarly an American sports biased company, but why dont they show more futbol? Only time you can see it is when they have a major tourney like the Euros or world cup. They need to realize that their is a huge futbol fan base.As huge as that futbol fanbase may be, the insecure non-soccer fans (100X the number)who dislike the sport get their panties in a wad and call ESPN to threaten them about any increased coverage.

[ElJefe]

As huge as that futbol fanbase may be, the insecure non-soccer fans (100X the number)who dislike the sport get their panties in a wad and call ESPN to threaten them about any increased coverage.

Yeah, I don't think that that's happening. If it did, ESPN would tell them "Sorry you don't like it. Thanks for watching."

The real problem is that they don't watch... which is basically the reason why ESPN doesn't broadcast more soccer. The viewership numbers in the USA for soccer on English-language channels have traditionally been pretty been pretty crummy.

[bbsbt]

Yeah, I don't think that that's happening.You'd be surprised.
I witness it almost every day.

[bigredfutbol]

You'd be surprised.
I witness it almost every day.

You witness people calling ESPN and threatening to stop watching if they show more soccer? And not just once, but almost every day you see people making these threatening phone calls to ESPN? Really?

[bbsbt]

You witness people calling ESPN and threatening to stop watching if they show more soccer? And not just once, but almost every day you see people making these threatening phone calls to ESPN? Really?No, not that part.
What I witness almost every day is this part: "...the insecure non-soccer fans (100X the number)who dislike the sport get their panties in a wad..." .

I witness it in my store every week, thru my customers. Whenever I have the TV showing a soccer match, a few request that I change the channel.
Sure, some of the requests are for baseball/basketball/football, but mostly, they don't care where I put it(many of them don't even lift up their head to watch the TV)... as long as it's NOT a soccer telecast.



About my ESPN statement... I remember reading a couple of articles the past 2-3 years in which an ESPN employee have stated that quite a great number of soccer-hating fans constantly call the station to complain and threaten them about soccer coverage.

And I read many posts here in BS about soccer-hatin' radio listeners calling their local radio hosts to complain every time there's a soccer mention on the air.

[Makandal]

I know ESPN is primarly an American sports biased company, but why dont they show more futbol? Only time you can see it is when they have a major tourney like the Euros or world cup. They need to realize that their is a huge futbol fan base. Its time for ESPN to step up their game.

They will never realize the magnitude of futbol's fan base in the USA because they base their decisions on the extremely inaccurate Nielsen ratings and the majority of football fans are not part of the targeted audience that Nielsen research use. I still have a hard time understanding why million-dollar companies rely so much on the faulty Nielsen data.

[JeremyEritrea]

They will never realize the magnitude of futbol's fan base in the USA because they base their decisions on the extremely inaccurate Nielsen ratings and the majority of football fans are not part of the targeted audience that Nielsen research use. I still have a hard time understanding why million-dollar companies rely so much on the faulty Nielsen data.

You have no idea what you're talking about.

Signed,

A former Nielsen rater and avid soccer fan.

[fitbaed]

nielson's is actually incredibly accurate

[Big Football]

Actually, I think espn is doing a half decent job when it comes to hours devoted to football, considering that it is, after all, an USA based broadcaster. The country's sports landscape is very crowded to begin with, and you can't expect espn to cater to the "minority" when you have the Jim Romes types screaming for more traditionally American sports.

Sure, I hate when espn shows some cheerleading tournaments, or bowling, when I know there is a great match going on somewhere in Europe, S America or MLS; fortunately nowadays we have other channels to chose from (FOX, GOLTV, SKY, Spanish channels etc) and that makes the lack of football showing on espn less painful.

[huhe888]

The real problem is that they don't watch... which is basically the reason why ESPN doesn't broadcast more soccer. The viewership numbers in the USA for soccer on English-language channels have traditionally been pretty been pretty crummy.

Exactamente, amigo.

It took ESPN, Inc. over 13 years and over 200 UEFA Champions League matches before a match was able to draw over 1 million viewers (due to the match being a final featuring Manchester United and Chelsea).

Otherwise, international club soccer on ESPN2 have almost always produced the identical household rating, week after week, for the past 13 years: 0.2%

0.2% is acceptable as weekday afternoon filler, but is certainly NOT acceptable during evening prime time.

[huhe888]

Sure, I hate when espn shows some cheerleading tournaments, or bowling...

ESPN gets paid by the program producers to air cheerleading tournaments and bowling, both of which are "time buy" infomercials. ESPN locks in a guaranteed profit with zero financial risk every time one of the "time buys" air.

You will also notice that FOX Soccer Channel also has "time buy" programming. The NSCAA College Soccer matches of the week during the autumn, Friday night USL during the summer, and Friday night MISL indoor during the winter, are all time buys in which the participating teams pay $15,000 each to be on FOX Soccer Channel.

The colleges that play during the NSCAA time slot, in particular, get the $15,000 from their equipment sponsors, i.e. Nike or Adidas, to pay FOX Soccer Channel. Those colleges do so for one reason and one reason ONLY: recruiting players. The kids want to play in front of TV cameras.

[huhe888]

nielson's is actually incredibly accurate

On a relative basis (i.e. Monday Night Football draws 100x the audience compared to UEFA Champions League), Nielsen ratings work.

On an absolute basis, Nielsen ratings have always been criticized for undercounting viewers.

[JeremyEritrea]

On a relative basis (i.e. Monday Night Football draws 100x the audience compared to UEFA Champions League), Nielsen ratings work.

On an absolute basis, Nielsen ratings have always been criticized for undercounting viewers.

Criticized by whom? Certainly not by advertisers and network execs.

[Makandal]

You have no idea what you're talking about.

Signed,

A former Nielsen rater and avid soccer fan.

Former rater, heh? Good for you for having been one of the very few selected who get to decide what the majority watch! How did you rate TV programs for the rest of us? With that monitoring box on your TVs or just by participating in some voting or survey? It would be interesting to see how many former Nielsen raters there are here on Bigsoccer, wouldn't it? :rolleyes:




nielson's is actually incredibly accurate

Really? How so? Do you use other methods, studies to come to that conclusion? If yes what are the way you gauge Nielsen accuracy? Or do you just assume that monitoring and surveying about 0.005% of the US households give us an "incredibly accurate" idea of what the whole country is watching at any given moment?

[JeremyEritrea]

Former rater, heh? Good for you for having been one of the very few selected who get to decide what the majority watch! How did you rate TV programs for the rest of us? With that monitoring box on your TVs or just by participating in some voting or survey? It would be interesting to see how many former Nielsen raters there are here on Bigsoccer, wouldn't it? :rolleyes:


Really? How so? Do you use other methods, studies to come to that conclusion? If yes what are the way you gauge Nielsen accuracy? Or do you just assume that monitoring and surveying about 0.005% of the US households give us an "incredibly accurate" idea of what the whole country is watching at any given moment?

:rolleyes: all you want.

You're wrong.

[superdave]

Otherwise, international club soccer on ESPN2 have almost always produced the identical household rating, week after week, for the past 13 years: 0.2%

0.2% is acceptable as weekday afternoon filler, but is certainly NOT acceptable during evening prime time.
What do these two thoughts, when synthesized, suggest? :D

[Longo Rules]

The reason we don't watch on channels like ESPN is because the coverage is HORRIBLE! Who wants to see the ticker all match long? And the announcers...Oh, the humanity, someone please shoot me! If they could do simply add the Spanish announcers trademark "Goooooooaaaaallllll", it would be a great start. When Turkey hit that miracle goal to win 3-2 the other day at Euro 2008...all I heard was, "Oh, what a brilliant goal. About 10 seconds of silence....That ruins it for me! Man, the moment is gone! Where's the thrill, the poetry, the drama???

[superdave]

The reason we don't watch on channels like ESPN is because the coverage is HORRIBLE! Who wants to see the ticker all match long?
That's how they justify the coverage, business-wise. Notice that the "score bug" is never pimping Nike or Coca-Cola. ESPN is showing the Euros to increase viewership of their other shows. They've found a way to hit a distinct audience, one that isn't likely to watch alot of their other stuff.

[Dr. Wankler]

That ruins it for me! Man, the moment is gone! Where's the thrill, the poetry, the drama???

The poetry and the drama are on the field, not in the expressions of the commentators.