We have certainly seen the popularity of live sports telecasts over the past couple of weeks with the three major pro leagues offering an abundance of live telecasts. Most of the ratings reflect how an audience starved for sports has responded.
The coming week will put it to the test, as each weekday afternoon (in mid-August) offers both NBA and NHL Playoff telecasts along with more MLB regular season games competing.
For example, here is the TV schedule of NBA first round telecasts for the week ahead, with all times ET:
Monday, Aug. 17
1:30: Utah vs. Denver, ESPN
4:00: Brooklyn vs. Toronto, ESPN
6:30: Philadelphia vs. Boston, ESPN
9:00: Dallas vs. L.A.Clippers, ESPN
Tuesday, Aug. 18
1:30: Orlando vs. Milwaukee, TNT
4:00: Miami vs. Indiana, TNT
6:30: Oklahoma City vs. Houston, TNT
9:00: Play-In winner vs. L.A. Lakers, TNT
Wednesday, Aug. 19
1:30: Brooklyn vs. Toronto, NBA TV
4:00: Utah vs. Denver, TNT
6:30: Philadelphia vs. Boston, TNT
9:00: Dallas vs. L.A.Clippers, TNT
Thursday, Aug. 20
1:30: Miami vs. Indiana, ESPN
4:00: Orlando vs. Milwaukee, ESPN
6:30: Oklahoma City vs. Houston, ESPN
9:00: Play-In winner vs. L.A. Lakers, ESPN
Friday, Aug. 21
1:30: Toronto vs. Brooklyn, NBA TV
4:00: Denver vs. Utah, TNT
6:30: Boston vs. Philadelphia, TNT
9:00: L.A. Clippers vs. Dallas, TNT
Although times were not announced at press time, the NHL plans to continue to begin its daily playoff telecasts at 2 PM ET and also run into prime time.
ESPN also plans a pair of MLB regular season telecasts during upcoming weekday afternoons, going against these playoff games. Those are Tues. 8/18 with Giants vs. Dodgers (while an hour earlier MLB Network starts Rockies vs. Astros) and Thurs. 8/20 with White Sox vs. Tigers. The latter game means that ESPN will have both NBA and MLB live games at the same time on a Thursday afternoon.
The networks have a valid reason for this saturation, even though it seems that ratings are not a priority. Clearly the large amount of weekday telecasts will bring down overall ratings for the sport.
However, the networks are all required to air a specified number of live sports events over the course of a 12 month period in order to justify extra fees from cable and satellite providers. Of course, these fees are passed along to subscribers. If the number of live telecasts is not met, the networks would be required to refund millions of dollars. Saving that large amount takes priority over lost advertising revenue for ratings not as strong. As the same time, the prime time and weekend ratings remain stronger than ever due to feeding the hungry sports fans after nearly four months with nothing.
This is also the one, and probably only, time that MLB is allowing national networks to televise against each other so they can get all of their games in. We have numerous instances of MLB Network Showcase Games against Fox Sports 1 or ESPN telecasts, for example.
One example was this past Wednesday (8/12) when ESPN was airing the lengthy Arizona vs. Colorado telecast. The game was running into its scheduled start of the NBA telecast of Philly vs. Toronto. At 6:30 PM ET, ESPN actually switched the baseball game over to ESPN2 in order to begin its evening of NBA telecasts on ESPN.
Not only was that move a bit of a slap to MLB, but at that same time, FS1 was starting its K.C. vs. Cincinnati telecast AND MLB Network had the Oakland vs. L.A. Angels game already in progress.
CHICAGO: Saturday (8/15) brought us a truly bizarre programming decision from WGN 720. The flagship station of the White Sox also carries the Blackhawks, which have priority. On this day, the White Sox wound up scheduled with a doubleheader vs. the Cardinals due to a postponement from Friday. That left WGN with being able to air the first game of the White Sox vs. Cardinals, and having to farm the second game out to WMVP 1000 (which is not a sister station) because of the possibility of it running into its Blackhawks broadcast that evening.
That situation is unusual, but was understood because WGN does not own another radio station. Doing so left WGN with more than three hours between the end of its Game 1 broadcast and its Blackhawks programming. What did they air? Two hours of that period were spent airing its White Sox Weekly program. They expected fans to listen to recorded interviews and highlights from the week INSTEAD of listening to the team playing live on another station. Say what?
WMVP ESPN begins its new weekday schedule (on 8/17) with its first local show covering most of morning drive. The station will air ESPN Radio only until 7 AM. Now David Kaplan and Jonathan Hood will air from 7 to 10 AM. Kaplan moves up from his previous 9 AM to Noon spot. The station will air Mike Greenberg from ESPN from Noon to 7 to fulfill its network daytime requirement.
SAN DIEGO: The Mighty 1090 returns on Monday (8/17) after having been pulled off the air in April over a financial dispute. The station starts with local programming in afternoon drive, which will be Scott Kaplan with "Kaplan and Crew" from 3 to 7 PM. The remainder will be syndicated shows such as Rich Eisen, Tony Bruno, and Scott Ferrall.
CLEVELAND: The Browns have extended their partnership with WNCX 92.3/850 The Fan and with a new long term deal. When in season, there will be at least 20 hours of Browns "coverage" each week, including up to nine hours on game days.
COLUMBUS: 97.1 The Fan is also dumping ESPN Radio's new morning show and going local. Bobby Carpenter (former NFL and Buckeyes linebacker), Brandon Beam, and Anthony Schlegel will co-host the 6 to 9 AM morning show.
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