Monday, November 01, 2010

More evidence that baseball is broken and needs to be fixed

Major League Baseball's showcase event proved no match for the NFL's regular season in the TV ratings on Sunday night.

NBC's broadcast of the New Orleans Saints' win against the Pittsburgh Steelers drew a higher rating (11.8, meaning 11.8% of TV households) than Fox's telecast of the San Francisco Giants' win against the Texans Rangers in Game 4 of the World Series (which drew a 10.4).

A $99 million payroll team is playing a $55 million payroll team in the World Series. The Yankees, Red Sox, and Cubs pay $147 million or more. The lowest payrolls are the Pirates, Padres, and A's. And Texas; their payroll is fourth lowest.

NFL stadiums are full. Most baseball stadiums are near empty. I think it's because baseball is not competitive. If a sport is not competitive, it is not interesting. It's akin to watching C-SPAN all day, at least for me. Baseball can't sell tickets or advertising, so its TV revenues will continue to diminish against a superior entertainment product, with higher athleticism and the drama and tension that comes with better competition in the NFL.

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