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According to this story in Variety, ratings for the ALCS, especially Game 7, were strong for Fox and the network is hoping for good numbers for the World Series.
The matchup has caught the attention of advertisers, who shell out big bucks to reach young adults for DVR-proof programming like live sports. Fox reported Monday that it has sold out the first five games of the World Series at a record rate of $400,000 a spot.
"I've never seen a sales environment that's so hot for post-season baseball," said Ed Goren, president of Fox Sports, in a conference call with reporters. "Advertisers are lined up so deep to buy time that my sales guys are asking me if we could come up with a Game 8."
Nielsen estimates that an average aud of 19 million viewers watched the Boston Red Sox cap their rally in the best-of-seven series with an 11-2 victory on Sunday. That made it the most-watched program of the night -- besting "Desperate Housewives" on ABC and "Sunday Night Football" on NBC -- and will help Fox win the week's primetime ratings race among young adults and total viewers.
For the entire American League Championship Series, Fox averaged 11.6 million viewers -- 49% over last year (7.8 million for Detroit-Oakland). This makes it the most-watched ALCS since the boffo Red Sox-New York Yankees matchup in 2004, which also went seven games.
From Fox's perspective, one of the big advantages this year is that the first game will take place on Wednesday instead of Saturday, as in previous years, Goren said. Viewing levels are higher on Wednesday than Saturday, and "we'll get more of a sports-page buildup to the Series because baseball is not competing directly with weekend college football and the NFL," he said.
Tonight, Fox will show an episode of "House" and I'm sure it will be loaded with promos for the World Series. Perhaps something along the lines of John Farrell yelling at Terry Francona, "You're risking a pitcher's arm!" over and over and over and over and over.
I hope everybody watches Wednesday. Even if your father is the district attorney.
Four years running, and: nope, still funny.
that quote just doesn't sound right, it sounds more like a sales pitch or something I can't quite pin point.
Either you watched the 2003 playoffs or you missed it all together. If you were watching, you would easily know what I was talking about.
If not, you're just not one of the cool kids.
The rest of the story (which I forwarded to Bob's attention) discusses the impact of the dismal NLCS ratings. Goren mentions that TBS will do well next year, because TBS gets the ALCS in 2008 (it rotates in the contract), so they can charge on those ratings.
The Red Sox/Indians series saved the 2007 playoffs from going down as the most dull of all-time, at least from my seat. Hopefully the Rockies will surprise me and push the WS into at least a game 6.
As a reminder to Bronx Banters and Dodger Thoughters and others who may be interested, the A-Rod countdown begins when the last out is recorded in the World Series.
Especially A-Rod's as the series gets closer to its conclusion.
"Yes, Joe, it's quite a feat! An amazing pitching job by Josh Beckett despite Joe Torre losing his job."
"And now lets go to Fox's baseball insider Ken Rosenthal, Kenny, I did not see you at the pre-game meeting, where are you?"
"Joe, I am outside the Steinbrenner compound in Tampa, there was a report of white smoke coming out of a window, so we expect a announcement on the simultaneous meetings regarding Joe Torre's replacement and Alex Rodriquez's contract extension."
"This is Tim, Ken. Did you get a chance to speak to Scott Boras, who reportedly is representing both Don Mattingley and A-Rod during these negotiations?"
"No Tim, I did not get a chance as his motorcade blew by me here at the front gate."
"Okay, Ken, while keep us posted, we'll break in at anytime if you have an update or if you actually see proof of the existance of George Steinbrenner."
"We'll be right back to recap the 9th inning here at Coors, the Rockies just hit back to back to back to back to back home runs to tie the game, so the good news is that , we'll have another chance to talk to Kenny as this 7th game of the 2007 World Series goes on to extra-innings, here on Fox."
Rosenthal will forget to travel back to Boston and just sit in a camera well at Coors.
Of course, here in L.A., I have to DVR the game to see it in its entirety, because I can't fight traffic to get home from work soon enough to see it live. (And my wife doesn't let me hang out in sports bars [near my office].)
20 LOL!
Is Delaware in that time zone?
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