Rays Set Another Record TV Rating; Fox, TBS May Add Rays Games

Rays Set Franchise-Record TV Rating Twice During Red Sox Series

MOVIN' ON UP: BLOOMBERG's Danielle Sessa reported ESPN's coverage of Red Sox-Rays Wednesday marked the "fourth time this season [the Rays have] appeared on the network," double the appearance the Rays made last year. Meanwhile, Fox is "working on adding two Rays games to its Saturday afternoon schedule, which included none at the start of the season." Fox Sports Senior VP/Media Relations Lou D'Ermilio said that the net is "working with [MLB] to add" Rays-White Sox on August 23. The Rays' game against the Twins on September 20 and the Tigers on September 27 "are also possibilities." Sessa noted TBS "doesn't have the Rays in its lineup of Sunday afternoon games through July 20." Turner Sports Senior Dir of PR Jeff Pomeroy: "They definitely merit consideration now. But there needs to be a team that is a national draw on the other side of the equation to help bring in the audience" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 7/2).

RAYS CONTINUE TO DRAW WELL: Attendance at Tropicana Field for this week's Red Sox-Rays three-game series was 101,305, the third largest for a weekday series in Rays history (ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 7/3). ESPN’s Dave O’Brien said the Rays "continue to draw very, very well here lately. Another sellout here, this is their fourth of the season, and the fans have finally begun to catch on that they have a product they may be watching into October here in 2008.” ESPN's Andrews, a Tampa native, said, “We used to come to the games five minutes beforehand, be able to park right at the Trop, and get right inside. Last night, we came as a family and drove around for 45 minutes, couldn’t find a parking space anywhere" ("Red Sox-Rays," ESPN, 7/2).

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