Blue Jays raising Sportsnet viewership to record levels

[dagger]

It's not just game ratings that are way up. They Jays are helping other Sportsnet programming to new highs.

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/sportsnet-delivers-historic-ratings-in-august-powered-by-record-blue-jays-audiences-523783331.html

TORONTO, Sept. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - Sportsnet, home of everything Blue Jays, continues its 16-month reign as Canada's #1 sports brand on TV, bolstered by the team's winningest month in franchise history. For August, Sportsnet delivered a network record 6.8 audience share and an average minute audience of 266,000 – 113% higher than its closest competitor.

Sportsnet was also Canada's highest-ranked specialty channel in August (three spots higher than its closest competitor) and the third most-watched of all Canadian networks (conventional or specialty).

Highlights from Sportsnet's audience growth in August is as follows:

How about 'dem Blue Jays?

Sportsnet's Blue Jays broadcasts in August delivered an average audience of 1.29 million, which represents an increase of 112% over the average audience of the same month in 2014 (609,000)
23 Blue Jays broadcasts in August surpassed the one million viewer mark, marking a total of 26 Blue Jays broadcasts to eclipse the one million viewer mark, season-to-date
Blue Jays Central, the pre-game show hosted by Jamie Campbell and Gregg Zaun, delivered an average audience of 422,000 in August, marking a 139% increase year-over-year
Jays in 30, the popular condensed-replay of Sportsnet's game broadcasts, attracted an average audience of 137,000 viewers in August, up 213% year-over-year
Season-to-date, Sportsnet is delivering an average audience of 793,000 for its Blue Jays broadcasts in 2015, up 36% over the average audience, season-to-date in 2014
MLB on Sportsnet

For the month of August, MLB coverage on Sportsnet (non-Blue Jays) is up 94% vs. same time last year, delivering an average audience of 189,000
Tim & Sid

In its second full month on the air, Tim & Sid have experienced an 18% increase (2+) and currently sit as the most-watched sports program in the country during the 6–7 p.m. ET timeslot
Sportsnet Central (Prime-Time Edition)

The prime-time edition of Sportsnet Central delivered an average audience of 278,000 in August – 191% higher than its closest competitor

[Raps in 4]

If only we had a TV deal like the Dodgers do. Everyone knows Rogers doesn't make money from more people watching their network.

[hsb]

It would be a blood bath trying to get the Blue Jays rights in an open market.

23 Blue Jays broadcasts in August surpassed the one million viewer mark, marking a total of 26 Blue Jays broadcasts to eclipse the one million viewer mark, season-to-date

Oh my...

[Rbk_3]

If Rogers is so concerned about profits, why don't they sell the rights to broadcast the games?

[Sherlock]

It's not just game ratings that are way up. They Jays are helping other Sportsnet programming to new highs.

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/sportsnet-delivers-historic-ratings-in-august-powered-by-record-blue-jays-audiences-523783331.html

TORONTO, Sept. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - Sportsnet, home of everything Blue Jays, continues its 16-month reign as Canada's #1 sports brand on TV, bolstered by the team's winningest month in franchise history. For August, Sportsnet delivered a network record 6.8 audience share and an average minute audience of 266,000 – 113% higher than its closest competitor.

Sportsnet was also Canada's highest-ranked specialty channel in August (three spots higher than its closest competitor) and the third most-watched of all Canadian networks (conventional or specialty).

Highlights from Sportsnet's audience growth in August is as follows:

How about 'dem Blue Jays?

Sportsnet's Blue Jays broadcasts in August delivered an average audience of 1.29 million, which represents an increase of 112% over the average audience of the same month in 2014 (609,000)
23 Blue Jays broadcasts in August surpassed the one million viewer mark, marking a total of 26 Blue Jays broadcasts to eclipse the one million viewer mark, season-to-date
Blue Jays Central, the pre-game show hosted by Jamie Campbell and Gregg Zaun, delivered an average audience of 422,000 in August, marking a 139% increase year-over-year
Jays in 30, the popular condensed-replay of Sportsnet's game broadcasts, attracted an average audience of 137,000 viewers in August, up 213% year-over-year
Season-to-date, Sportsnet is delivering an average audience of 793,000 for its Blue Jays broadcasts in 2015, up 36% over the average audience, season-to-date in 2014
MLB on Sportsnet

For the month of August, MLB coverage on Sportsnet (non-Blue Jays) is up 94% vs. same time last year, delivering an average audience of 189,000
Tim & Sid

In its second full month on the air, Tim & Sid have experienced an 18% increase (2+) and currently sit as the most-watched sports program in the country during the 6–7 p.m. ET timeslot
Sportsnet Central (Prime-Time Edition)

The prime-time edition of Sportsnet Central delivered an average audience of 278,000 in August – 191% higher than its closest competitor

As I read this, it really makes me think all of the excuses we throw around on the Raptors board for why Raptors' ratings are low are really all bull. If the Jays and Leafs can pull in 1MM+ viewers for their games, it really does tell you something significant when the Raptors aren't even able to crack 6-figures for many games.

[UneducatedFan86]

It's not just game ratings that are way up. They Jays are helping other Sportsnet programming to new highs.

http://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/sportsnet-delivers-historic-ratings-in-august-powered-by-record-blue-jays-audiences-523783331.html

TORONTO, Sept. 1, 2015 /CNW/ - Sportsnet, home of everything Blue Jays, continues its 16-month reign as Canada's #1 sports brand on TV, bolstered by the team's winningest month in franchise history. For August, Sportsnet delivered a network record 6.8 audience share and an average minute audience of 266,000 – 113% higher than its closest competitor.

Sportsnet was also Canada's highest-ranked specialty channel in August (three spots higher than its closest competitor) and the third most-watched of all Canadian networks (conventional or specialty).

Highlights from Sportsnet's audience growth in August is as follows:

How about 'dem Blue Jays?

Sportsnet's Blue Jays broadcasts in August delivered an average audience of 1.29 million, which represents an increase of 112% over the average audience of the same month in 2014 (609,000)
23 Blue Jays broadcasts in August surpassed the one million viewer mark, marking a total of 26 Blue Jays broadcasts to eclipse the one million viewer mark, season-to-date
Blue Jays Central, the pre-game show hosted by Jamie Campbell and Gregg Zaun, delivered an average audience of 422,000 in August, marking a 139% increase year-over-year
Jays in 30, the popular condensed-replay of Sportsnet's game broadcasts, attracted an average audience of 137,000 viewers in August, up 213% year-over-year
Season-to-date, Sportsnet is delivering an average audience of 793,000 for its Blue Jays broadcasts in 2015, up 36% over the average audience, season-to-date in 2014
MLB on Sportsnet

For the month of August, MLB coverage on Sportsnet (non-Blue Jays) is up 94% vs. same time last year, delivering an average audience of 189,000
Tim & Sid

In its second full month on the air, Tim & Sid have experienced an 18% increase (2+) and currently sit as the most-watched sports program in the country during the 6–7 p.m. ET timeslot
Sportsnet Central (Prime-Time Edition)

The prime-time edition of Sportsnet Central delivered an average audience of 278,000 in August – 191% higher than its closest competitor

As I read this, it really makes me think all of the excuses we throw around on the Raptors board for why Raptors' ratings are low are really all bull. If the Jays and Leafs can pull in 1MM+ viewers for their games, it really does tell you something significant when the Raptors aren't even able to crack 6-figures for many games.

Raptors tend to be shown on the "premium" channels (aka the ones you pay for). Leafs and Jays are always on readily accessible channels. The Jays for example, are shown on basically 4-5 different channels. The same for the Leafs. Now, with that said, I do think that Baseball and Hockey are still head and shoulders above Basketball in popularity, but the sports networks aren't doing it any favors either. Plus, a vast majority of Raptors' fans know to get around having to pay for these channels and don't do it.

[dagger]

It's also a fact that the Raptors and NBA are recent. By that, I mean until 1995, the NBA was a very niche product we got to watch maybe once a week, if that. There was no streaming video at that point, no League Pass products, etc. The all-sports channels were in their infancy. The market for basketball has to be developed over much longer. Baseball has much deeper roots. The Expos began in 1969, the Jays in 1977. As a teen, the first pro baseball game I ever saw was a Royals game at Delormier Downs. One of the fondest memories I have of my father, who died when I was 15, was going to Alouette football games with him. These experiences become deeply rooted and are transferred from generation to generation. I went to Expos games as a teen and into my twenties, and people of my current age have taken their children and even grandchildren to Expos and Jays games. Before the Expos, a lot of people around Quebec and New England were Yankees or Red Sox fans. In fact, even when the Expos were in Montreal, there was a strong residue of support for those teams in the region, if not in Montreal proper. So going to pro baseball, when it is going well, is an inter-generational experience. It's also a leisurely sport that goes with the prevailing weather for at least three months of the year, especially outdoors - or when domed stadia roofs are open. Again, it's a good father-son/father daughter thing, and you see an awful lot of that at a Jays game. Baseball's deep cultural significance for Americans - see Hollywood and all the movies and TV shows and series made about "America's pastime" - spills over into Canada. A large majority of people of all generations have seen movies like Field of Dreams.

So I don't buy some of the notion of Raptors fans knowing how to work the technology so they don't show up in ratings, or don't get the premium channels, etc. It's not that this isn't true to a degree, I just don't think it's a valid reason for lower ratings. My view is that the NBA ratings will change over time, with the team's relevance, and as the teens and twenty somethings of today grow up and keep watching while their children either play or watch the sport in earnest, the viewership for basketball will grow.

[Kurtz]

If Rogers is so concerned about profits, why don't they sell the rights to broadcast the games?

Well, I'll give you one reason. As long as Rogers gets to sell the local tv rights to itself for a fraction of their market price, they can make the books show that the Jays are not generating a profit, and thus don't have to pay into MLB revenue sharing program. By my calculations, this saves Rogers at least 10 mil/year, and likely quite a bit more going forward, based on the more than doubled tv ratings.

[Section_306]

If only we had a TV deal like the Dodgers do. Everyone knows Rogers doesn't make money from more people watching their network.

Not true, advertisement CPM is through the rough right now.

[Raps in 4]

If only we had a TV deal like the Dodgers do. Everyone knows Rogers doesn't make money from more people watching their network.

Not true, advertisement CPM is through the rough right now.

Nah bro, Rogers makes no money off the Jays. They'll never be able to spend like Dodgers or Yankees because of that.

[0 - 100]

MLB/CRTC should force Rogers to pay market rate for Jays TV content, it's not right the the owner is sand bagging their own team.

Those audience numbers are staggering and will only keep growing.

[0 - 100]

If only we had a TV deal like the Dodgers do. Everyone knows Rogers doesn't make money from more people watching their network.

Not true, advertisement CPM is through the rough right now.

Nah bro, Rogers makes no money off the Jays. They'll never be able to spend like Dodgers or Yankees because of that.

Rogers should be top 3 payroll in the league, they kill earnings compared to other owners.

[Skin Blues]

MLB/CRTC should force Rogers to pay market rate for Jays TV content, it's not right the the owner is sand bagging their own team.

Those audience numbers are staggering and will only keep growing.

They're not sand bagging their own team. They're suppressing revenue to avoid taxes and get a bigger piece of the MLB revenue sharing pie. If anything this gives them more incentive to spend money on the roster because they get a better return on investment.

[Kurtz]

MLB/CRTC should force Rogers to pay market rate for Jays TV content, it's not right the the owner is sand bagging their own team.

Those audience numbers are staggering and will only keep growing.

They're not sand bagging their own team. They're suppressing revenue to avoid taxes and get a bigger piece of the MLB revenue sharing pie. If anything this gives them more incentive to spend money on the roster because they get a better return on investment.

I agree with everything but the bolded part. They're essentially just transferring revenue from the Jays unit to TV unit. So they still pay the same tax on said revenue, they're just saving millions by not paying into revenue sharing.

Also, I don't think they actually get a cut of revenue sharing, since they're designated as one of the big market cities by MLB, but it does save them 10+ mil not having to pay much, if anything, into the revenue sharing fund.

[0 - 100]

MLB/CRTC should force Rogers to pay market rate for Jays TV content, it's not right the the owner is sand bagging their own team.

Those audience numbers are staggering and will only keep growing.

They're not sand bagging their own team. They're suppressing revenue to avoid taxes and get a bigger piece of the MLB revenue sharing pie. If anything this gives them more incentive to spend money on the roster because they get a better return on investment.

Sure they are. TV deals are huge across the MLB and Rogers are paying them chump change. The jays should be acting like the Yankees and Dodgers because they are that big market team and they deserve that big TV deal especially with the audience numbers we've seen since the AS break.

[cdel00]

Um the Jays roll up to the media unit.
TV channels, Radio stations, magazines, jays, mlse share are all the same reporting unit financially.
And they combine for a small part of revenues, and tiny part of profit/loss when compared to the other units.

It's like taking money from chequing to deposit in chequing.......

Lol

http://www.rogersmedia.com/about-us/

[Kurtz]

Um the Jays roll up to the media unit.
TV channels, Radio stations, magazines, jays, mlse share are all the same reporting unit financially.
And they combine for a small part of revenues, and tiny part of profit/loss when compared to the other units.

It's like taking money from chequing to deposit in chequing.......

Lol

When MLB looks to collect the profit sharing cheques, they don't look at Rogers media Income statement, they look only at the Jays Income statement. By diverting revenue from the Jays to the TV division, Rogers is able to avoid having to give up $10+ mil annually to MLB via revenue sharing.

[whysoserious]

If only we had a TV deal like the Dodgers do. Everyone knows Rogers doesn't make money from more people watching their network.

Not true, advertisement CPM is through the rough right now.

Nah bro, Rogers makes no money off the Jays. They'll never be able to spend like Dodgers or Yankees because of that.

Rogers is making money off advertising though, they just don't pay a significant amount in to the Jays in terms of a TV deal like the Dodgers would earn. It's really just a numbers game for Rogers, they pay little to the Blue Jays (moving money from their books to the Blue Jays which is their own property) but then make and keep bigger profits off the advertising.

The Dodgers just get a huge windfall year after year to add to payroll or pocket. Rogers could spend the money if it wants, it just chooses not to until now.

[cdel00]

Um the Jays roll up to the media unit.
TV channels, Radio stations, magazines, jays, mlse share are all the same reporting unit financially.
And they combine for a small part of revenues, and tiny part of profit/loss when compared to the other units.

It's like taking money from chequing to deposit in chequing.......

Lol

When MLB looks to collect the profit sharing cheques, they don't look at Rogers media Income statement, they look only at the Jays Income statement. By diverting revenue from the Jays to the TV division, Rogers is able to avoid having to give up $10+ mil annually to MLB via revenue sharing.

Now that's just smart business

Why pay more? They learned well from Turner and the Braves lol

[cdel00]

Not true, advertisement CPM is through the rough right now.

Nah bro, Rogers makes no money off the Jays. They'll never be able to spend like Dodgers or Yankees because of that.

Rogers is making money off advertising though, they just don't pay a significant amount in to the Jays in terms of a TV deal like the Dodgers would earn. It's really just a numbers game for Rogers, they pay little to the Blue Jays (moving money from their books to the Blue Jays which is their own property) but then make and keep bigger profits off the advertising.

The Dodgers just get a huge windfall year after year to add to payroll or pocket. Rogers could spend the money if it wants, it just chooses not to until now.

Actually media conglomerates like the buy a package deal.
Buy radio, TV, magazine ads and we'll throw in an add during a Jays broadcast.
It allows for distributed revenue income and the more channels available to advertise the more attractive the ad package is because the market gets the message.

If the audience supports the product because of its quality and that allows for more revenue across the media unit as a whole then of course it's good business sense to invest in the payroll