Last night's Mariners-Yankees ALCS Game One on NBC
produced a 10.6/17 preliminary Nielsen overnight rating,
down 10% from last year's comparable Mets-Braves NLCS Game
One, which drew an 11.8/19 (NBC).
RECURRING THEME? MLB's Division Series had two N.Y.
teams, two teams from the No. 5 market in the Giants and A's
and "America's Team," the Braves, yet the ratings were the
"lowest ever among over-the-air networks, a 5.0 average for
Fox and NBC," according to Rudy Martzke of USA TODAY.
Network officials "point to stiff competition," including
the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates. But
Mediacom's Jon Mandel "has had enough excuses." Mandel:
"For a long time I said the only thing that would help
baseball is if it would run against the debates. Now it
can't even beat the debates. The truth is the population
has voted -- 95% of the country wants to do anything but
watch baseball. And what's scary is these aren't run-of-
the-mill games." Fox Senior VP Lou D'Ermilio disagrees:
"Jon Mandel might not be watching the presidential debates,
but 70 million Americans have." Pilson Communications
President Neal Pilson cautions, "A Yankees-Mets Series would
be good for the people of New York and the mayor but not for
a national television audience" (USA TODAY, 10/11). In
Chicago, Jay Mariotti: "Really now, does anyone outside the
five boroughs want to see the Yankees play the Mets amid two
weeks of Sal-from-Brooklyn delirium?" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES,
10/11). In Boston, Jim Baker writes Fox "should be
concerned" about its new six-year, $2.5B pact with MLB.
Baker, noting the combined average for Divisional Series
coverage on NBC and Fox was 28% below last year's average:
"Given the size of Fox' commitment for six-year postseason
exclusivity, there should be worry over that low divisional
average" (BOSTON HERALD, 10/11).
