the espn ratings are definitely interesting. ESPN2 starts off with great ratings, and the ESPN game sets the record for worst rating. 217K is considerably lower than the ESPN2 average last season.
I have another reason for hating 4 PM games. I simply cannot sit still and watch television at 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I fall asleep. If I'm moving around and doing stuff, I'm fine, but plop me down in a chair and it's lights out. Been like that pretty much my entire adult life. ------RM
It's been mentioned that people have to get used to knowing where the games are being broadcast and I agree 100%. I don't know if it's been mentioned before, but I think MLS stands to benefit from timeslot standardization. Let me explain: I know it's not the same, but I'd like to reference the NFL. I believe the NFL not only benefits from people knowing where to find the games, but also when. Every Sunday you know there is an early timeslot and a later one. It's always at the same time. Basically people create a routine, and it's easier to plan to watch the games. MLS is not there, but doing time blocks could be the way to go to increase ratings. I believe that the oft-maligned MLS season actually works in its favor, because a large chunk falls during school break months. I would propose two basic timeslots for the majority of games (all times Eastern): Saturday/ Sunday: 6:00 PM (6:30 kickoff) for East coast games - this means that Central time teams start at 5:00/5:30 local time. The same applies to West coast teams. The games are broadcast at 9:00 for the East coast. That means that teams start at 6:00 (broadcast)/6:30 (kickoff) - consequently, Mountain time teams would have the corresponding times be 7:00/7:30 local time. Weekdays apply the same timeslots to whatever day. Yes, there would be lower ratings, but that's the reason you have the majority of games on weekends.
I don't expect DC vs Dallas to get very high ratings. Probably 90K at the most. LA vs NE will probably get around 100K. Would have been higher had USA made the Olympic match that NBC is airing right before the MLS game.
Agree on the DCU match. It was great football for anyone who did watch though. Agree as well on LA vs. NE. Its too late for the east coast to get many viewers of course. Maybe a few thousand from NE. Perhaps a few people start watching once the NCAA basketball game ends too.
That is absurd. That has to be in the millions of women. Let's get real about that. That is many women filling out their Nielsen books and putting down the "family" watched Sunday Night Football while she fed the kids, helped home work, laundry, dishes, yoga, went for a bike ride or run, talked on the phone for two hours. I mean it could be a plethora of things that will take until I am 70 years old to type out, but not that many women are actually seeing most of the game. I know females like sports I am sure many women actively do watch the NFL, but the NFL probably gets way over counted because folks can associate the game being on with actually watching it. Now of course that doesn't account for bars. I mean what if a Bar Maid or waitress started wearing Portable people meters at work on Sundays. I guess they would be watching the NFL, or listening to it on radio too. I guess the wife doing laundry and playing fruit ninja is watching too. Sorry I just don't buy it, Iv'e been around a lot of women and it ain't happening like that.
This was the lead in for the Friday night game. Not much to build off of TVSportsratings (@tvsportsratings) 4/2/12 5:36 PM NBCS Fri 3/30: 7p Sports Biz had 14k viewers. Down from 23k last week.
that sucks, maybe they should have left Versus up a bit longer the way it was and implimented MLS in the fold. Also letting MMA walk was an epic fail.
MMA hardly walked IMO. Fox put together a UFC package that no one expected in terms of both money and exposure.
Saturday's game did 123K on NBCSports...(it was for the whole match, the match-window is always higher, and usually we have a peak number)... This is pretty respectful number for a late Saturday start (10:20 PM EST kick-off)...
Updating with StingBee's data. Only missing Fridays game. ================================= NBC Sports Network Game 1: 82k (Dal vs NY). Sunday 3:00pm. 3/11/2012 Game 2: 124/145k (2.5 hour/two hour) (Phi vs Colo) Sunday 4:00pm. 3/18/2012 Game 3: 107k (2.5 hour) (Sea vs Hou) Friday 10:00pm 3/23/2012 Game 4: ? (DC vs Dal) Friday 7:30pm 3/30/2012 Game 5: 123k (2.5 hour) (LA vs NE) Saturday 11:00pm 3/31/2012 ESPN2 Game 1: 337k (Por vs Phi) Monday 9:30pm 3/12/2012 ESPN Game 1: 217k (NY vs Colo) Sunday 4:00pm 3/25/2012
From Twitter. More good news than just the 123k TVSportsratings (@tvsportsratings) 4/3/12 12:33 PM MLS (NE/LA) on NBCS Sat: .15 Men 18-49 (their highest of day), 123k viewers (#2 behind Road to Kent. Derby)
This is now complete. We have the ratings for every game so far. ================================= NBC Sports Network Game 1: 82k (Dal vs NY). Sunday 3:00pm. 3/11/2012 Game 2: 124/145k (2.5 hour/two hour) (Phi vs Colo) Sunday 4:00pm. 3/18/2012 Game 3: 107k (2.5 hour) (Sea vs Hou) Friday 10:00pm 3/23/2012 Game 4: 76k (DC vs Dal) Friday 7:30pm 3/30/2012 Game 5: 123k (2.5 hour) (LA vs NE) Saturday 11:00pm 3/31/2012 ESPN2 Game 1: 337k (Por vs Phi) Monday 9:30pm 3/12/2012 ESPN Game 1: 217k (NY vs Colo) Sunday 4:00pm 3/25/2012
Wow... 123,000 for a game on at 11 PM in the east? West coast viewership must be pretty robust. ------RM