WS/playoffs to start earlier

[Pete K]

Finally caving in to years of declining ratings, FOX and MLB have agreed to start post season playoff games and the World Series earlier:
http://mlb.mlb.com/news/press_relea...ent_id=4801420&vkey=pr_mlb&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb

 

[HD MM]

Finally caving in to years of declining ratings, FOX and MLB have agreed to start post season playoff games and the World Series earlier:
FOX and Major League Baseball to move up start times for World Series and American League Championship Series | MLB.com: Official Info

Is the MLB really "caving into" the mercy of the networks? By a later start, you would think they would get better ratings with a combination of both the East and West coasts. Now, by moving it up, you're losing a good chunk of West Coast viewers.

Personally I like this decision for personal reasons as I'm an early riser on in the Eastern Time Zone. It's hard for me to stay up for later sports broadcasts.

 

[Pete K]

Ratings decline=fewer eyes for advertising. This may or may not help the bottom line but they've got to do something. West Coast viewers may miss the start of the game but East Coast viewers could finally get something they've not seen in decades - the conclusion. Last year was the exception, my teen age son and I were able to enjoy the final innings of the World Series which ended by 10 p.m. in the East.

 

[Ramy]

I have been wanting this for many many years. Thank you MLB.

 

[KCK_Halo]

Personally I like this decision for personal reasons as I'm an early riser on in the Eastern Time Zone. It's hard for me to stay up for later sports broadcasts.

Age catchin' up with you there, ol' buddy? Can't make it past the 7th inning stretch nowadays????

 

[HD MM]

Age catchin' up with you there, ol' buddy? Can't make it past the 7th inning stretch nowadays????

LMAO. Unless I put on a pot of coffee, I'm out by 10pm.

 

[Ramy]

LMAO. Unless I put on a pot of coffee, I'm out by 10pm.

Me too.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Play a WS game in the afternoon? What a concept! Why hasn't anybody ever thought of this before?

Maybe now my 4 yr, old will actually see a WS game.

 

[HD MM]

Play a WS game in the afternoon? What a concept! Why hasn't anybody ever thought of this before?

Maybe now my 4 yr, old will actually see a WS game.

Let's not get crazy now. It sounds like they are only moving things up 30 measly minutes...

The 2009 World Series and American League Championship Series on FOX will start before 8 p.m. ET on weeknights, it was announced today by FOX and Major League Baseball.

The FOX pre-game show will start at 7:30 p.m. ET for weeknight games with first pitch scheduled for 7:57 p.m. ET.

 

[Paul Wozniak]

Let's not get crazy now. It sounds like they are only moving things up 30 measly minutes...

They are talking about it for 2010. I'll confess I didn't read the article.

 

[Diamond Jim]

I didn't have any problems with day games. There were two things that pre impted school work, the World Series and a space launch. As stated in Ken Burns Baseball "a whole generation of fans have not see a World Series game because they are played at night." I know for a fact I wouldn't have seen any, my old man had us in bed at 8pm sharp. It didn't matter if the world was coming to an end, it was going to end for me in bed.

 

[Skyhi]

Great news. I've been falling asleep before the end of WS games for year. I'm all for a few afternoon games so younger kids can watch.

 

[anders5189]

I didn't have any problems with day games. There were two things that pre impted school work, the World Series and a space launch. As stated in Ken Burns Baseball "a whole generation of fans have not see a World Series game because they are played at night." I know for a fact I wouldn't have seen any, my old man had us in bed at 8pm sharp. It didn't matter if the world was coming to an end, it was going to end for me in bed.

I've always sort of liked day baseball games in October because of the shadows that creep across the field, but nobody is going to schedule championship games in any sport to be played in the daytime. You might as well schedule them a 3 AM if you do that. I never understood why the WS was played in the day as long as it was. They started playing night games during the season in the 30's and 40's.