Fox Sports kicks of its coverage of the Subway Series
tomorrow night at 7:30pm ET, and the network will feature an
"opening tease" from Yankees fan Billy Crystal. Meanwhile,
Fox Sports President & Exec Producer Ed Goren said yesterday
he is "cautiously optimistic" about the ratings for the
Series. Goren: "Part of me truly believes that if all of you
give us a call after the World Series, we will be talking
about the highest-rated Series in a number of years. ...
Something very special is about to take place" (Steven
Stark, HOLLYWOOD REPORTER, 10/20). Optimum Media
Direction's Steve Grubbs said that his company projects a
World Series rating for Fox that will be "short of last
year's" 16.0/26 for the Yankees' sweep of the Braves on NBC,
which was the second lowest World Series in history.
Grubbs: "That's as much of a function of the marketplace
today, with all ratings down except golf. And Fox's
(affiliate) distribution system isn't as strong as NBC's."
Pilson Communications President Neal Pilson: "I'm not
persuaded that Yankees-Mets has captured the nation's
attention. I don't think the first four games will average
last year's 16.0 rating. If it goes six or seven games, the
rating will go beyond that" (USA TODAY, 10/20). Schulman/
Advanswers President Paul Schulman: "I think that it's going
to be a high-rated World Series and I think it will be high-
rated because it's not going to be what we had in the last
two years, a four-game sweep" (STAR-LEDGER, 10/20).
Optimedia Int'l VP/National Broadcasters Kristian Nagel: "It
probably won't be among the highest-rated World Series, but
it won't be disastrous, and I don't think it will be the
absolutely lowest-rated series" (NEWSDAY, 10/20).
RATINGS BUSTER: Goren said that "too much emphasis" is
being placed on ratings for sports events: "Sports is a
group experience and we don't get a fair shake. I've never
invited people over to my house to watch the nightly news.
But when there's an NBA Finals or an NCAA Championship, I'm
watching with other people (which doesn't get measured by
the ratings). The advertisers know they're getting a
bargain. What gets lost [in all reports on the ratings] is
the quality of the product" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 10/20).
FOX AND THE FAN ANGLE: In Baltimore, Milton Kent writes
that in order to attract viewers from outside N.Y., "the Fox
people pledge to downplay the New York angle, at least in
the early going" of the Series. Kent: "Let's hope so, for
the sake of all of us outside the 212 and 718 [N.Y.] area
codes" (Baltimore SUN, 10/20). Fox Sports' Coordinating
Producer Michael Weisman said the net "might get criticized
a bit" for its decision to "treat the fans both at Shea and
Yankee Stadium as an integral part of the story." Weisman:
"We are not going to do it at the expense of what's
happening on the field. But craziness in the stands, the
intensity of the fans, is part of the fabric, part of the
very core of baseball" (BOSTON GLOBE, 10/20). Weisman: "If
you're in the hinterlands and you don't care what team wins,
you're still going to be somewhat curious about this scene
and the difference between the crowd and the fans" (Newark
STAR-LEDGER, 10/20). Fox' Goren noted the network needs to
"monitor and determine how important" the N.Y. fans will be
to the Series' "ongoing storyline": "There are going to be
two stories playing out, on the field and the sense of
madness in the stands" (L.A. DAILY NEWS, 10/20).
AROUND THE HORN: In Chicago, John Jackson writes, "No
one at Fox Sports seems concerned that a regional World
Series in New York will struggle to draw a national
audience" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 10/20). In a USA TODAY Cover
Story, David Leon Moore wonders, "If you're not a New
Yorker, what then? Do you tune into this intra-city rumble
because it is, after all, the World Series? ... Or do you
tune this whole thing out because postseason baseball on TV
has become too long, too boring and, this year, just too New
York?" (USA TODAY, 10/20). USA TODAY's Mike Lopresti: "It
is possible the rest of the nation gets the feeling there is
a party they have not been invited to" (10/20). In
Toronto, Bob Elliott wonders, "Will this play in Milwaukee,
Pittsburgh, Montreal or Wyoming? Well, New Yorkers could
not care less. This is the centre of the universe" (TORONTO
SUN, 10/20). In Milwaukee, Bob Wolfley: "The argument here
is that the World Series will be greeted with something
other than indifference by television viewers. Milwaukee
will not deliver a big ratings number for these games, but
nationally I don't think the Series is headed for the
ratings' dumper" (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 10/20). In
Philadelphia, Bill Fleischman writes that the "number of
transplanted New Yorkers" is "fueling Fox's hope for high
ratings" throughout the U.S. (PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS,
10/20). But in Boston, Michael Gee writes that "fewer
people will bother to watch the games than did so last year.
That's a cinch" (BOSTON HERALD, 10/20).
IS MLB CONCERNED? In L.A., Larry Stewart writes that
the TV ratings so far this MLB postseason "have been
dreadful. And now we have a Series concentrated in one
area. Will anyone outside New York care? Is baseball in
trouble? Do bad ratings now mean bad times for years to
come?" MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said, "When you look at
the ratings we've been getting during the postseason, you
have to consider the aberrational factors," including the
presidential debates and late start of fall season premieres
because of the Olympics (L.A. TIMES, 10/20). In Toronto,
Chris Zelkovich writes that MLB and TV "need a spectacle,
badly," and yesterday, Fox "came out swinging in defence of
both the game and television." Goren: "We have been going
up against the stiffest post-season competition that any
sport has ever faced." Zelkovich: "While Goren makes some
strong arguments, there are still reasons for concern"
(TORONTO STAR, 10/20). While Selig said MLB does not hear
"a lot of complaining from fans" about the increased length
of games during the playoffs, Phil Mushnick writes that
there is "good reason": "People aren't normally disposed to
complain while they're fast asleep!" (N.Y. POST, 10/20).
Goren: "When does 'Monday Night Football' end? When does
the NCAA Championship end? Eleven, 11:45, midnight [ET].
How did we get to be different with baseball? All of the
so-called media experts pushed for an 8 p.m. [ET] start for
'Monday Night Football,' so (ABC) tried it, and you know
what? It was a disaster. And our ratings actually get
better after 11" (WASHINGTON TIMES, 10/20).
NOTES: nycsports.com and Emerald City Media launched
www.NYsubwayseries.com (NYCSports.com)....KJRH-NBC (Tulsa)
news anchor John Walls, on the end of NBC's MLB deal: "I
honestly don't think ... that baseball represents as much of
a value as it used to. I don't know how much of a loss
baseball really is anymore. It's not nearly the same animal
as losing the NFL" (TULSA WORLD, 10/20).
