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How can Baseball regain a national following?
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:05 pm
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:05 pm
MLB is still very popular locally but national ratings have fallen over significantly over the past decade. What do you think are the reasons for that and what steps can MLB take to get better ratings and increased fan interest in games outside of their own teams.
27
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:10 pm to RyanL
Celebrities
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:15 pm to RyanL
Reduce the regular season.
Let the playoffs begin in August.
Let the playoffs begin in August.
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:18 pm to RyanL
I think a lot of things contributed to it, but in my mind nothing hurt as bad as 24/7 sports networks and highlight shows. It took away some of the mystery of other teams. Growing up I know I watched the World Series no matter who was playing cause it always had a team I hadn't been able to watch all season and had never played the Astros. Local news covered the Astros and that's about it as far as baseball goes. I didn't even know there WAS a team in Dallas until I was in Junior High. But that made the World Series special and must see TV to me.
Cross divisional play also hurt, it made what used to be a match up you'd never see just another meeting of 2 teams.
Regional sports networks also hurt. I used to have access to almost every Cubs and Braves game cause they were on WGN and TBS. It built a working knowledge of more teams/players. Now I can name almost every player on the Astros but I struggle to tell you a single player on probably 1/2 of the teams in the league.
I'm not sure the issue can be fixed. Baseball has just become a regional sport where fans care about their team and don't care about anyone else.
Cross divisional play also hurt, it made what used to be a match up you'd never see just another meeting of 2 teams.
Regional sports networks also hurt. I used to have access to almost every Cubs and Braves game cause they were on WGN and TBS. It built a working knowledge of more teams/players. Now I can name almost every player on the Astros but I struggle to tell you a single player on probably 1/2 of the teams in the league.
I'm not sure the issue can be fixed. Baseball has just become a regional sport where fans care about their team and don't care about anyone else.
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:19 pm to RyanL
quote:
What do you think are the reasons for that and what steps can MLB take to get better ratings and increased fan interest in games outside of their own teams.
Cut the total number of games from 162 to 80. Seriously, that's 90% of the reason for MLB ratings issues. If the NFL or NBA had 162 game schedule, their national TV ratings would be mediocre as well. Throw in the fact that their postseason overlaps with the start of the primetime fall TV schedule and it's easy to see why ratings are the way it is.
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:23 pm to RyanL
Allow the use of steroids/hgh
This post was edited on 4/30/16 at 10:24 pm
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:24 pm to Bench McElroy
The general public does not care about September regular season once footballs start flying around.
Are there really many national games, anyway? You have SNB, MNB, and a Fox game, right? Only diehards care about those games if their team isn't in them.
In the playoffs, they have to stop showing games on FS1. I don't think Turner networks help, either. They need to be on main networks. Also, MLB is basically screwed on playoff scheduling. Either you play everything at night and have games competing against each other or you have day games that people can't watch.
Are there really many national games, anyway? You have SNB, MNB, and a Fox game, right? Only diehards care about those games if their team isn't in them.
In the playoffs, they have to stop showing games on FS1. I don't think Turner networks help, either. They need to be on main networks. Also, MLB is basically screwed on playoff scheduling. Either you play everything at night and have games competing against each other or you have day games that people can't watch.
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:26 pm to RyanL
Only allow fielders to catch fly balls in their hats.
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:36 pm to RyanL
Make PEDs legal.
Posted on 4/30/16 at 10:46 pm to STEVED00
162 games is one of the reasons I love baseball.
I probably have watched 130+ Ranger games a year over the last 10-seasons and that's part of the reason I'm a season ticket holder.
Always something to do/watch on tv.
I probably have watched 130+ Ranger games a year over the last 10-seasons and that's part of the reason I'm a season ticket holder.
Always something to do/watch on tv.
Posted on 4/30/16 at 11:01 pm to RyanL
There are too many games for national games to have any pull v regional. They are also too easy to get. They don't need the national audience to succeed
Posted on 4/30/16 at 11:02 pm to McCaigBro69
quote:
162 games is one of the reasons I love baseball.
I probably have watched 130+ Ranger games a year over the last 10-seasons and that's part of the reason I'm a season ticket holder.
Always something to do/watch on tv.
And how many non-Rangers baseball games have you watched from start to finish? I watch pretty much every non weekday afternoon game that the Orioles play but I watch fewer than 10 non-Orioles games a year. There really isn't that many teams or players who interest me. I used to tune in to watch the Red Sox play whenever they were on national TV because of Manny Ramirez. He was such an exciting player to watch at the plate. Same thing with Barry Bonds, Gary Sheffield, Sammy Sosa, Griffey and a few others. There's not many players who casual fans would go out of their way to watch anymore.
Posted on 4/30/16 at 11:03 pm to RyanL
Make the Braves good again. America's Team
Posted on 4/30/16 at 11:06 pm to Bench McElroy
I have the MLB network so if I'm at home/not watching Texas that is what it's tuned to.
I can't put a number on that, but I have no problem watching other teams
I can't put a number on that, but I have no problem watching other teams
Posted on 5/1/16 at 12:27 am to RyanL
Listen to Bryce Harper
Posted on 5/1/16 at 12:30 am to RyanL
Market Bryce Harper, Yasiel Puig, etc
Posted on 5/1/16 at 12:42 am to Let Me Take A Selfie
MLB does a horrible job marketing their stars especially compared to the NBA. If Bryce Harper was the type of phenom in basketball that he is in baseball, he would be the biggest star in America
Posted on 5/1/16 at 12:55 am to hendersonshands
Chicks dig the long ball
Abolish football
Abolish football
Posted on 5/1/16 at 1:49 am to RyanL
quote:This is so massively overstated. It's still the 2nd most watched sport after football.
MLB is still very popular locally but national ratings have fallen over significantly over the past decade.
Posted on 5/1/16 at 1:50 am to hendersonshands
quote:He didn't even win the MVP last year and the Nationals didn't even make the playoffs. I'd say he's the baseball version of Paul George.
If Bryce Harper was the type of phenom in basketball that he is in baseball, he would be the biggest star in America
This post was edited on 5/1/16 at 1:52 am
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