Sports Web sites "are increasingly drawing viewers away
from TV" on NFL Sundays, and while "the development bodes
well for the nascent sports-site industry, it could be bad
news down the line for sports TV advertisers," according to
David Sweet of the WALL STREET JOURNAL. A survey done by
NY-based Jupiter Communications reveals a "growing synergy
between the two mediums," as "at least half of NFL.com
visitors on Sundays use the site as a companion to televised
games." SportsLine USA Exec VP Mark Mariani said that CBS
SportsLine's page views "jump" 50% on NFL Sundays, and the
site has signed up more than 70,000 fantasy football
players. Mariani: "The (Internet) advertisers win because
I'm spending more time on a page. TV wins because I'm not a
Pittsburgh fan, but I'm (watching the game) hoping Green Bay
shuts down [Steelers RB Jerome] Bettis because some other
guy has him in a fantasy league." Sweet wrote that the
Internet "may end up being TV's curse," as the NFL, despite
declining ratings, "is still a successful means for
advertisers to reach the affluent male audience. If many TV
viewers are turning to the Internet during commercials,
though, the lure for advertisers may diminish." Jupiter
analyst Patrick Keane: "I wouldn't say the audience is large
enough yet (to have a detrimental effect), yet (it's
possible), especially as sports television viewership is on
the wane" (David Sweet, WALL STREET JOURNAL, 11/11).
