Fox Earns 9.3/16 Fast National First Nine Innings Of All-Star Game
 |
Fox Earns 9.3/16 Fast National Rating For
First Nine Innings Of MLB All-Star Game |
Fox earned a 9.3/16 fast national rating and drew 14.5 million viewers for the first nine innings of Tuesday night's MLB All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium, which saw the AL win 4-3 in 15 innings. The rating ties the nine-inning '06 edition for the highest-rated All-Star Game since '03. The audience for the first nine innings marks the most-viewed All-Star Game since 14.7 million viewers in '02. Nielsen allows networks under unique circumstances to take two ratings for a broadcast, which was the case with Tuesday's game. Fox drew a 7.5/18 fast national rating for the extra six innings. The game's rating peaked at 10.1/17 from 10:00-10:30pm ET (Fox). DAILY VARIETY's Rick Kissell reports the game earned a 4.5/14 among adults 18-49, up 10% over a 4.1/12 in the demo last year. There were "minor gains in core young-male demos," while the male 55-plus and women 18-49 demos were up 17% and 24%, respectively. Viewership also increased 22% among male teens. The game drew a 17.1/28 (1.25 million HHs) in host market N.Y. Many major markets hit "five-year highs Tuesday, including some whose teams are very much in contention after the first half of the season." Chicago earned a 16.5/27, Philadelphia drew a 12.6/21 and Tampa posted a 11.7/21 (DAILY VARIETY, 7/17).
REMEMBER THE TIME: In a special to THE DAILY, media critic Jim Williams reviews Fox' coverage of Tuesday's game and writes the net "delivered quality television when it counted the most." Fox' Joe Buck "was masterful as he opened the pregame show off camera, just as an audio track to the viewers at home and fans in Yankee Stadium. Buck could be heard both on the air as well as in the stadium." Fox producer Pete Macheska and director Bill Webb "did an outstanding job of showcasing some of the greatest Hall of Famers in baseball as they stood at their positions while Buck announced their names. There were 49 former greats in all, and with each close-up that Webb showed us, memories of the best years in baseball came back." The sights of later seeing the HOFers with Yankees Chair George Steinbrenner on the same field with today’s All Stars "could not have been handled better by Fox. It was effective due to its simplicity -- Buck’s voice announcing the names, music in the background and Webb showing close-ups of each and every face."
PLAYING EXTRAS: In N.Y., Richard Sandomir writes it was "puzzling that Fox waited until the extra innings to carry its tribute" to late Yankees broadcaster Bobby Murcer. The tribute aired during the 11th inning, and Fox Sports VP/Communications Dan Bell said that the net was "balancing its game coverage with advertising and sponsor enhancements." But he insisted that Fox "would have found a way to carry the tribute if the game had ended in nine innings" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/17). Meanwhile, CNBC.com's Darren Rovell reported Fox "didn't have any contingencies to run certain ads in the event of extra innings." Sources said that the advertisers that received ad time during the extra innings were companies who advertise on Fox' regular-season coverage, and they received the spots as make-goods, as regular-season ratings "are currently below the advertiser's guaranteed rating" (CNBC.com, 7/16).
|
Related Stories By Company
|
Related Stories By Sport
|
FSN Quietly Debuts Local Web Sites
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Boras, Manfred Talk About Finances Escalate
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Selig: Concerns Around Economy Still Exist
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Hicks Hopes To Remain Rangers Majority Owner
November 19, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Selig Committed To Condensing Playoffs
November 19, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
Boras, Manfred Talk About Finances Escalate
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Selig: Concerns Around Economy Still Exist
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
MasterCard Present At WS DVD Premiere
November 20, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Hicks Hopes To Remain Rangers Majority Owner
November 19, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
Selig Committed To Condensing Playoffs
November 19, 2009 :
SportsBusiness Daily
|
|
