So other than the PAX stuff, what matches do the Charge have on TV?? looking at tvguide.com the Charge match on 4/5 at San Jose is NOT listed...
Well so far I haven't seen the CSN-Philly Charge schedule yet. The Cyberrays no longer have local TV coverage. No schedules released yet for the Courage and Breakers. Your games against Atlanta on 6/22 and 8/2 will be carried on Comcast Sports South or something like that. This is a station not on satellite. Ugh. The METRO network in NYC is carrying the 6/11 Power game. METRO is not available on satellite. Cox 4 in San Diego will carry the 6/7 match. The Freedom have 7 games on CSN-DC but no Philly games.
I searched the Comcast and CN8 websites, and since the Charge were on CN8 and Comcast last season, I encountered NO evidence they would be this year. The Charge site lists NO TV info by Comcast nor CN8... Of course, by NOT telecasting HOME matches, there could be a marginal increase in attendance, but let's say TV viewership is 10,000 households, I'd say a max of 10% would attend any match NOT on TV, but it's probably closer to 1%... so by NOT putting HOME matches on TV, there's probably about 100 people who'd come to the match.... so that extra $1000 bucks gets added to the coffer??
Have you tried contacting the local TV station yet? I emailed CSN-DC a while back and they reassured me that they would be carrying a handful of Freedom matches.
San Jose, and perhaps Boston.... Cities which won't have local coverage of games; dammit, I heard about Boston from somewhere (either on BS or on the WOOSA official message board, but can't put a finger on it..) Maybe we best be prepared for no Comcast SportsNet/CN8 stuff. At all. Their silence has been deafening. So that means no TV for the opener, nor Boston... Paul
There clearly is NO live TV for San Jose-Philadelphia on April 5, 2003. I checked tvguide.com already. As to tv, it's the road matches which count, the home ones already are accounted for by my presence. cn8 was doing lots of saturday tape delayed replays of matches, i think in the 1 pm -3pm slot. not a good time in the summer for most people
I loved those 1-3 matches because they were not Charge nor PAX games. It was good. Anyway, not surprised about the first game because maybe WUSA is doing what they did last season in having the local crews handling the matches and since the CyberRays won't be having any games then they won't have the Charge game on. The road matches to Boston, New York and DC, I will go to. And of course, the last game of the season to Carolina. That will probably be an important one.
I sent an e-mail to Lou Tilley who did play by play last year, and he has NOT responded yet. I doubt there is any local TV. I think they want to max the money derived at the gate. If an extra hundred show up because the match isn't on tv, then that's an extra $1000 or so in the Charge pockets.
This is not the way to do it! If I'm Comcast who now has the deepest pockets of all the operators, wouldn't I want to showcase my product? It might lead to more gate money. You can go outside and ask 10 randoms walking by the stadium, let alone up/down a few blocks, and 8 will tell you "CHARGE WHO!" Get them on TV and have someone other than Lou Tilley who should be doing anything else but soccer. The guy had most of the girls on his show plenty of times and all we got out of it is "who is Heather going out with" and "let's make a Charge calendar." PERV!!!
Since I go to the matches, I didn't see Lou much. The color guy was actually pretty good from some of the tape replays they did. He'd actually talk tactics. I think if you're into soccer, you're aware of who the Charge are, you know they exist. Otside those interested in soccer, then I agree with Baggio10, the Charge might be of the Light Brigade. I don't know of any soccer fan who doesn't know of the Charge existence. When I was in Korea last year, I wore the Charge jersey all the time, and I got more than a few comments from USA supporters about wearing a chicks jersey... The other obstacle is interest in football. That's generational, gotta brainwash the kiddies into liking the game. The propaganda machine needs to get going, wear soccer stuff, talk soccer, go to matches, make it culturally acceptable. that's where I believe the battle can be won... in coming generations... forget the old farts.
Go to a game and you are Hooked! Just get them there. That is the problem. this is where TV might have helped! Watch the game and see the excitement. That might translate into going to the game. By the way Adam "what a gol by FIGO" yesterday! Magic! Someone needs to tell Pichon that Barthez is NUTZ! Whats wrong with that guy.
I agree wholeheartedly with this; no TV coverage beside the PAX games is penny-wise, pound foolish. Nothing succeeds in sports without television. There's only so many hours of the day the Charge themselves can promote the team and the league. At some point, it's gotta be up to Comcast to grab the baton in this relay. Paul
The assumption is COMCAST is interesting in spending money for the Charge??? Are they?? HAs COMCAST done any commercials promoing the team this year?? I agree if you go to a manu-barca match and do not enjoy the match, then you live a culturally deprived life... not all football is watchable...the Charge pass my test for watchability... returning to the motivation of COMCAST The few in power will do what motivates them, not some good for the general public. This applies to the Charge and it applies in general to those who have power. public good??? it does not exist in the minds of those with power, except the general good of those with power... So if COMCAST wants to sell the Charge to a new owner, and make some money out of it, they could easily do so... remember Oliver and the LA Charge??? given the total lack of TV coverage from COMCAST and CN8, there is an element of concern here.... we're NOT privy to the HIGH level discussions at COMCAST, but this money saving move strikes me as being a step in offloading the Charge... and a move to LA??
Well, this is a problem. I could see that maybe they wanted to have more games on for the Phillies but already every home and away games are on local TV. It's not like Comcast, unlike the other owners in the league, are in big financial trouble right now. TV is the way to go. I saw a couple of commercials so far this season about tickets for the games at Villanova. But without coverage from the networks on the nightly news, there needs to be somebody filling that void. CSN did a decent job last year with its coverage during the nightly sports news show. They've already had on Lorrie Fair this season. But still no games on local TV is not good. last year's deal with having the away games done by the local commentators and then having that feed go back to the away team's city and environs was a great idea and were it not for the blinding impartiality of teams' fans in the NHL, NFL, NBA and MLB would be the way to go. It saves a bunch of money. But then again announcers sometimes the problem. If only there was a way to just listen to the game while just hearing the crowd and the players...But no TV is not a good sign. I fear L.A like most sensible people from areas of the world with four seasons(But we still want the seasons to end on time!) and an aversion to hot, dry weather. They will often get what they want in these matters to begin with because of the ever-clashing worlds of sports and entertainment. and because Philadelphia has an image problem. But now they have a new stadium that will have to be used for more than national team games. But no local TV is not a good sign. But I am optimistic because we are in a strange time in the worlds of sports and everything else. Thing will bounce back. Hopefully sooner rather than later.
I imagine the Charge ad budget has been slashed since last year. year 1 and year 2, the object was to create an awareness of the Charge, within the population of potential fans... I think this has been done. The object now, is to keep those fans, and from what I've seen, and all the literarture and e-mails I get, they're doing a very good job of that. A 30% increase in season tickets is a stunning growth. If the rest of the league sees this increase, the WUSA has a very sound foundation. In some ways I think the TV policy, none, is good, because it gets more people into the stands. I can't imagine the ratings were anything but microsopic, so I say if you want your soccer, get your rears into a seat at Villanova. The skill is far better in person, as is the atmosphere.
What about radio coverage of Charge home games? I would think radio is a bit less expensive than TV. Maybe put it on WFIL or WZZD (since both of them split coverage of Villanova football and basketball). And no, Adam, there have been no commercials or print ads for the Charge yet. Although it's still about a month away; maybe they'll start when it's 2 weeks away. Paul
Being one with an eye and ear to those of us to the East or the Far West since the world is cyclical, I have always thought that internet radio broadcasting would be a very good idea for the WUSA. It's easy to set up and relatively inexpensive. Also if broadcasted in clear enough English, it would be easily understood around the world and also helpful for those millions of soccer fans outside of the areas where PAX and the teams themselves are found. It's another way of spreading the game. Also local radio(and online to the world as well) is another option that I'm surprised they haven't thought of. Villanova are indeed covered by local stations. Once a week is not much to ask for. And once again, I have already seen a commercial for the Charge this season. A newer one with highlights from last season. But I'm pretty sure they will be more when the home opener comes around.
fwiw - i was talking to one guy in the charge office last week - he told me that there will be games shown on cn8, but had no specifics yet.
How late? The one I saw was at an hour in which only lovelorn souls and insomniacs are awake. And I believe the one that I saw was on one of the niche channels like TVLand or VH1. "And no, Adam, there have been no commercials or print ads for the Charge yet." What's with this?
Not that I've seen, but your mileage may vary, of course. That *doesn't* mean there haven't been any on... Paul