The Dodgers are going the way of the Lakers starting in 2014

[rvvaquero]

I saw on the news a couple of days ago that the Houston Astros game had a Nielson rating of 0.0 for the second time. Last year was the first year for the Astros to have their own network. According to the news story, only 500,000 people have access to Astros TV games out of a market of almost 6 million.

I watched the Astros religiously for about 30 years until last year when they weren't available Most think this was a bad move, especially since they aren't fielding the kind of team anybody but family would want to watch anyway. I can see this franchise going away soon.

 

[mike123abc]

I saw on the news a couple of days ago that the Houston Astros game had a Nielson rating of 0.0 for the second time. Last year was the first year for the Astros to have their own network. According to the news story, only 500,000 people have access to Astros TV games out of a market of almost 6 million.

I watched the Astros religiously for about 30 years until last year when they weren't available Most think this was a bad move, especially since they aren't fielding the kind of team anybody but family would want to watch anyway. I can see this franchise going away soon.

http://mlb.si.com/2014/04/09/houston-astros-get-0-0-television-rating/

Yep, they are getting 0 viewers:

In other words, not one of the 579 TV set-top meters set up by Nielsen in the city to measure local ratings was tuned to the game, a 9-1 Houston loss. Ratings-wise, the game lost to its own pregame show, which got a 0.2, or roughly 4,600 viewers. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the Astros didn’t have any viewers Monday; CSN Houston reaches 500,000 households in the area, so the odds are that at least one of those TVs was tuned to the game. But it’s still a bad sign for both the team and the network, which is currently in the midst of Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Hopefully this new money grab will get derailed soon...

The Dodgers are not doing well either with their network: http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...atings-20140403,0,5876379.story#axzz2yR3J8B5D

An average of 37,000 people have watched the Dodgers this week on their new television home, SportsNet LA, according to Nielsen.
That pales in comparison to the first two games last season on Fox-owned Prime Ticket, both of which averaged around 300,000 viewers.

 

[Jaspear]

And of course, if this channel ever does make to DISH, you'll be subject to the games being "available in HD when we feel like it, even after we list it in the guide as in HD". Just like last night on Root Sports Northwest.

 

[mike123abc]

I think that this puts the teams in serious danger - far more than I think the execs think. If people get out of habit of watching the games because they are not available, how long do you think their overall fan base will hold up? These teams are not the Yankees whose YES network is wide spread.

 

[king3pj]

I think that this puts the teams in serious danger - far more than I think the execs think. If people get out of habit of watching the games because they are not available, how long do you think their overall fan base will hold up? These teams are not the Yankees whose YES network is wide spread.

I agree. I think it's pretty short sighted to go after this TV money increase at the risk of losing your fanbase. People who grew up as fans of these teams might hold on and switch to a provider that carries the games. If kids don't have access to the games on TV now what's going to make them care about a team as an adult? They haven't formed that connection to the team yet and never will if they don't grow up watching the games.

Yes, the Dodgers still get paid whether TWC can sell this channel to other providers or not. In the short-term they are raking in money from this TV deal. I have no doubt this will hurt them in the long run if the other providers don't start picking up this channel though.

 

[Tampa8]

I don't get the YES network is widespread? In what way?

 

[mike123abc]

I don't get the YES network is widespread? In what way?

Every provider in the home market except Dish.

 

[Deadlocked]

http://mlb.si.com/2014/04/09/houston-astros-get-0-0-television-rating/

Yep, they are getting 0 viewers:



Hopefully this new money grab will get derailed soon...

The Dodgers are not doing well either with their network: http://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...atings-20140403,0,5876379.story#axzz2yR3J8B5D

Not 0 viewers, VERY LITTLE 18-49 viewers


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[mike123abc]

Not 0 viewers, VERY LITTLE 18-49 viewers


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I suspect that they had some viewers, but if they do not cross any of the Nielson set top boxes, it is a 0 as far as advertisers are concerned. What good is the channel if there are not any advertisers?

 

[PortlandChris]

Yes, the Dodgers still get paid whether TWC can sell this channel to other providers or not. In the short-term they are raking in money from this TV deal. I have no doubt this will hurt them in the long run if the other providers don't start picking up this channel though.

Unless the channel itself goes out of business, much like the CSN Houston issue where no one is getting paid what they are due. The freeze out by all the providers other than Time Warner will eventually lead to the demise of the channel.

I wonder if there are guarantees somewhere with parent Time Warner? I doubt it, personally, these things are so layered now in separate LLCs.

 

[Tampa8]

Every provider in the home market except Dish.

Ok I thought you were saying YES is more wide spread than others, it was just an example. Actually most all the RSN's are on all the carriers in their market, even more so than YES!