Massive Attack Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 Canadian TV audience grows for women's World Cup soccer in U.S. http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/shownews.jsp?content=s092919A posted September 29 @ 17:41, EST TORONTO (CP) - Like the Canadian team itself, TV ratings in Canada for the women's World Cup are getting better as the tournament goes along. Saturday's Canada-Japan game attracted 292,000 viewers on tape delay and 18,000 on digital broadcast live. That was up from 217,000 live for the game last Tuesday against Argentina. Canada's opening game, a loss to Germany on Sept .19, drew 172,000 on tape delay and 20,000 on digital broadcast live. The Canadian women play China in quarter-final action Thursday in Portland, Ore. South of the border, the U.S.-North Korea game Sunday had a tough time drawing TV viewers as it went head-to-head with the NFL. The 3-0 victory in Columbus, Ohio, produced an overnight rating of 1.8. The game, which sent the United States to the quarter-finals, began at 3:45 p.m. EDT, facing competition from early NFL games that were ending and late afternoon games just beginning. Fox drew an average overnight of 14.5 for its three late afternoon games - Dallas at the New York Jets, Detroit at Denver and Atlanta at Carolina, the network said Monday. CBS had an 11.1 overnight for its six games - four starting in the early afternoon in the East and two in the late afternoon. Overnight ratings measure the 55 largest TV markets in the United States, covering nearly 70 per cent of the country. Each overnight rating point represents about 735,000 TV homes. Soccer is a tough sell at any time in the United States, but the women's World Cup is drawing especially fierce competition in late September, not only from the NFL but from the baseball pennant races. On Sunday, the NASCAR race from Talladega, Ala., compounded soccer's TV problems. The EA Sports 500 delivered a 4.7 overnight, the highest for any auto race against pro football. Still, the overnight for the U.S.-North Korea game was 38 per cent higher from the Americans' game against Sweden a week ago. "In today's reality those are pretty good numbers," ABC spokesman Mark Mandel said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbin Posted September 30, 2003 Share Posted September 30, 2003 I think it's nonsense to compare women's soccer ratings, no matter who's playing, with NFL ratings. It's like comparing the consumption of ketchup to the consumption of mango chutney in the US. Sure, they're both condiments, but one is on almost every table and the other appeals only to a small number. I wouldn't put chutney on my french fries but that doesn't mean it should be compared to ketchup. Okay, now the simile is getting a little strained, but you cats know wherefrom I am coming. On second thought, I might try some chutney on my french fries. And who wouldn't eat a chutney dog? Allez les Rouges, M@ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 As I have said in the othe rboard, SN's committment to soocer has to questioned when they're not even showing the game live because they're showing a playoff baseball game that is already available on another channel. But, maybe they are listening to our outrage. '>http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/ArticleNews/TPStory/LAC/20031001/STRUTH01/TPColumnists/ Women's soccer clash against China may bump baseball By WILLIAM HOUSTON Wednesday, October 1, 2003 - Page S3 E-mail this Article Print this Article Advertisement There's a chance that Canada's quarter-final game against China at the women's World Cup of soccer will be aired live tomorrow night across the country by Rogers Sportsnet. Sportsnet's original plan had been to carry the game, tape delayed by about 30 minutes, at 11 p.m. EDT after the Minnesota Twins-New York Yankees playoff game was over. The baseball game, however, will be carried on Fox Television, which is available to Canadian viewers on basic cable. The idea of Sportsnet also airing that game and tape-delaying the women's showdown with China, for which there is more interest in Canada than for baseball, doesn't make any sense. Sportsnet, however, says it needs approval from major league baseball to pre-empt the Twins-Yankees game. If it gets the green light, it will go live to the women's quarter-final at 10:30 p.m. In its bid to air the women's game live, Sportsnet might have looked at its ratings from last Saturday. A tape delay of Canada's 3-1 win over Japan drew more viewers than its live telecast of the Toronto Blue Jays' 5-4 win over Cleveland in which Roy Halladay won his 22nd game. The soccer game had an audience of 292,000; the Jays, 273,000. Even if Sportsnet is unable to drop the baseball game, subscribers to digital TV will be able to see the women's quarter-final live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loud Mouth Soup Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 red card It's been explained time after time why Sportsnet isn't showing the games live on you non-digital Sportsnet channel-Sportsnet DIDN'T have the rights to the WWC to start with. They picked up the WWC AFTER the initial one in China was cancelled and by that time were already dedicated to showing their fellow Rogers property (shock!), the Blue Jays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loud Mouth Soup Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 ...and the MLB playoffs, I should add. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amacpher Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 quote:Originally posted by red card Sportsnet's original plan had been to carry the game, tape delayed by about 30 minutes, at 11 p.m. EDT after the Minnesota Twins-New York Yankees playoff game was over. LOL ... 11pm? Yeah right! Since when does a playoff baseball game that starts at 8:00 finish anywhere near 11pm?? It'll be more like midnight when the soccer game hits the air (if they cannot change their schedule). Maximum 38 baseball games left. Let the countdown begin! BASEBALL SUCKS! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ref Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 Sportsnet aka Antisoccernet Over time I have written to Sportsnet in many occassions about broadcasting games of our National teams. Sometimes my letters have been strong and rude while other times have been polite and corteous. If there is one good thing I can say about this TV station is that they have always replied to my feedback. However, and here is where the problem lies, they always say that they have prior commitments and that they try their best to find space for broadcasting soccer. No matter how far in advance a soccer game is scheduled, they always have prior commitments. I am sure if I was to ask them about the 2006 W.C. they already have "prior" commitments to car racing, horse jumping, baseball and whatnot. The day that "soccer" become a prior commitment to Sportsnet and all games are shown live from anywhere in the world is when I will stop writting them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massive Attack Posted October 1, 2003 Author Share Posted October 1, 2003 The thing that sucks, is that Sportsnet only recently picked up the baseball playoffs. They had the WWC planned before they picked up the baseball games. This is garbage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amacpher Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 And TSN's schedule tonight is pure quality as well: - snooker - 90-minute SportsCenter (why ninety minutes??) - strongman competition (repeated from 4 hours earlier) Yikes! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbin Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 I don't know if it's fair to trash Sportsnet so broadly. I hate to always be defending them, but let's not forget that they've also been able to bring us the U20 qualifiers and the U19 WWC when soccer wasn't exactly a peak sales opportunity. Compare SN's coverage to the Canadian soccer content on CBC and TSN, too. I think communications to Sportsnet should be of the flavour, "Look, you guys are dong a great job, but you know what would be even greater?" If they had a hundred of those e-mails to wave in the faces of advertisers, they'd sell soccer a lot more easily than if they got a hundred "you suck" e-mails. And finally, a half hour time difference... meh. Allez les Rouges, M@ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
red card Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 SN got the u19 games for free. They totally misread the situation since number 1 announcer Dobson didn't bother showing up till the semis. And comparing to the long days with the CBC and even TSN is not really fair since the number of choices available to us has greatly expanded. I agree SN has increased the coverage of Canadian soccer but they still fall short because of showing games tape-delayed, poor production, irrating announcers and not showing some games. In the light of the fact that there are now 4 sports channels now, if the network is committed to a sport, the minimum expectations from me (as a consumer) is to show live at least games of the SENIOR NATIONAL TEAMS IN THE WORLD CUP. If they can't do it because of prior committments or their belief that another sport is more important to their network, STEP ASIDE and let SCORE or FSW take over or at least share the load. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amacpher Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 quote:Originally posted by mattbin And finally, a half hour time difference... meh. Again, its not half hour but more like 90 minutes delayed. The difference between the game being shown live at 10:30 or taped at midnight is huge if you have to wake up at 7:00am like most people do. It basically means the difference between watching it and not watching it. And then a couple weeks from now SN will point at the low ratings the game got and reduce their soccer coverage further. Yeah, no kidding the ratings are low when the game ends at 2:00am on a weeknight! I agree with "red card". If they're not up to the task of showing soccer fully, get lost! Don't tease people! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soccer Hack Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 Moot point now as per below announcement from SN web page. Sportsnet brings you World Cup quarter-finals! Be sure to tune in and watch the Canadian women's national team take on China! Sportsnet.ca - Rogers Sportsnet continues to follow the women's run to the World Cup finals. Rogers Sportsnet will no longer be broadcasting Game 2 of the Yankees-Twins series Thursday night. The Twins are currently leading the ALDS series against the Yankees 1-0 in games. In its place, Rogers Sportsnet will show the Women's World Cup quarter-final match ups. The first game, Germany vs. Russia, will be from 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm, followed by Sportsnet News from 9:30 pm - 10:30 pm. The second game, Canada vs. China, will follow starting at 10:30 pm - 12:30 am, followed by Sportsnet News from 12:30 - 1:00am. The Canadian women earned a berth in their first-ever knockout phase by defeating Japan 3-1 in group phase final action. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbin Posted October 1, 2003 Share Posted October 1, 2003 quote:Originally posted by amacpher Again, its not half hour but more like 90 minutes delayed. The difference between the game being shown live at 10:30 or taped at midnight is huge if you have to wake up at 7:00am like most people do. It basically means the difference between watching it and not watching it. And then a couple weeks from now SN will point at the low ratings the game got and reduce their soccer coverage further. Yeah, no kidding the ratings are low when the game ends at 2:00am on a weeknight! I agree with "red card". If they're not up to the task of showing soccer fully, get lost! Don't tease people! Ah, I thought it was on at 11, not 12. My mistake, an hour and a half is significant. I do have to get up at 7:00, but it looks like I'll be sneaking in at 10:00 again. Ah well. Again, though, tape delay sure beats no broadcast at all. I don't think it's a question of being "up to the task", I think the business has a way to go before soccer of any kind, and women's soccer especially, becomes something that a channel can commit to. We should probably be happy that it isn't _all_ strongman competitions on the sports channels. Sportsnet is a lot less blamable in this situation, IMO, than they were for not airing the Malta friendly (I think it was Malta)--after they talked about it all winter and then didn't show it in the end. This WWC thing is far more understandable. I'm not trying to minimize anyone's response to this, but we have to remember that these things are only business decisions, and unless the business decision proves to be unsound Sportsnet isn't going to change. Allez les Rouges, M@ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Massive Attack Posted October 1, 2003 Author Share Posted October 1, 2003 I think someone from Sportsnet must be on this board. This is excellent news. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Auger9 Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 Should we win, we'll be playing Sweden in the semis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattbin Posted October 2, 2003 Share Posted October 2, 2003 Can I just at this point state that my position stands--but the business has obviously swung. Great news, go Sportsnet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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