TEAM MEDIA NEWS: SPURS GO JINGLE, JANGLE ... CLUNK
Paragon Cable officials in the San Antonio area are
reporting that Spurs' pay-per-view numbers are down from last
year -- by almost as many as 2,000 homes. Paragon Cable
spokesperson T.J. Connolly: "We are very concerned and really
don't know what the answer is. We aggressively marketed and
promoted the product. People still aren't tuning in." Paragon
and the Spurs split profits from the arrangement. Former Spurs
Owner Red McCombs: "They took a hit when they got rid of Dennis
Rodman. He was a personality and this is the entertainment
business" (Tim Griffin, SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS, 5/11).
EXPOS FOR FREE: Expos VP/Marketing and Communications
Richard Morency said he wants to talk to CBC and CTV about
"virtually free packages" for the team's remaining games this
season. The Expos have only 25 games on national English TV in
Canada via TSN. Morency: "Something is definitely wrong with
the television coverage of baseball in this country." The Blue
Jays have 35 of their games on Baton Broadcasting and 26 on CBC.
CBC Sports head Alan Clark noted the Olympics, World Cup of
Hockey, the CFL and the Jays as limiting their available time,
and CTV's Doug Beeforth had similar "shelf space" problems. But
Clark did say "we'll see" about picking up more Expos games next
season (Marty York, Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 5/10).
PANTHER FEVER: The Panthers' playoff games are attracting
more viewers than the Marlins' regular-season games, noteworthy
because the MLB used to draw more than five times the viewers
during the teams' first seasons. Since the NHL playoffs have
started, the Panthers are out-drawing the Marlins on Channel 33
by 4.3 to 3.6. The Marlins' season average is 3.8 -- down from
an 8.0 in the team's first season (Barry Jackson, MIAMI HERALD,
5/12).
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