Posted September 20, 200519 yr Column: Marlins reeling in viewers By Charles Elmore Palm Beach Post Staff Writer Tuesday, September 20, 2005 The Florida Marlins are packing 'em in ? on the couch, at least. TV ratings are flying out of the park despite having the lowest average home attendance in the National League. Last week, FSN Florida reaped its highest Marlins rating since 2003. The 7.5 rating against the Astros on Sept. 12 finished second only to ABC's Monday Night Football in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market. Pax, which also is called the i Network, saw its Miami station record an 8.1 rating with the Marlins the following night. That beat every other network show except Fox's House. Pax officials said they have not had a chance to research their all-time high for a Marlins rating. "Listen, there's never a weather problem on the sofa," said P.J. Loyello, the club's vice president in charge of broadcasting. "Watching TV or listening to the radio, it doesn't make a difference if it's raining or not." He sees reasons for optimism. In addition to perky TV numbers, radio ratings are up this year over last season in both English and Spanish, he says. Attendance is increasing slowly, but in his view, it's a good long-term sign that fans are watching and listening. Unlike the NFL, which has fewer games and can threaten a blackout if tickets do not sell out, baseball features no crying and no blackouts for home games. West Palm Beach ratings have not always packed the same punch, though Pax's West Palm Beach station recorded a 4.4 rating last Tuesday, just below what was believed to be a season high of 4.5 July 30 against the Nationals. FSN does not formally track the West Palm Beach market, though competitors said its Sept. 12 broadcast peaked at a 2.2 rating. Fox's West Palm Beach affiliate recorded a 2.8 rating Saturday, "pretty good for a Saturday afternoon game," as WFLX-29 officials saw it. "I'm certainly not one to speak on the psychology behind South Florida fans and sports," said Leslie Monreal, the West Palm Beach-based director of PR for Pax/i. "That's something people ask about every team here. It's often times hard to get fans in the stadium or arena, but they like following the team on TV." Link
September 20, 200519 yr What this says is... "build a roofed stadium in a convenient part of town and they will come."
September 20, 200519 yr I guess people watching is the first step. Next is to get them into the seats
September 20, 200519 yr This is actually extremely important to note. Marlins fans are there, the problem is as anyone from the area obviously knows, is the location of the stadium along with its rooflessness. A new park will lure fans in, fans that cant make the trek to joe robbie that often
September 20, 200519 yr This is actually extremely important to note. Marlins fans are there, the problem is as anyone from the area obviously knows, is the location of the stadium along with its rooflessness. A new park will lure fans in, fans that cant make the trek to joe robbie that often 954623[/snapback] Exactly. I love the Marlins and wanted to go to a ton of games this past summer. I lived in So. Miami this summer and didn't go to a number of games because of 1) distance and 2) the chance of rain. I worked in downtown (and will work in downtown after I graduate) and often wanted to go to games, but I would get off work at like 6:30 or 7 and would have gotten there really late - not to mention getting home really late. If the stadium would have been in the Orange Bowl I would have gone to at least 15 games this summer. Instead, I only went to about 7.
September 20, 200519 yr Author If the stadium were a place where fans could escape the heat on an August Sunday afternoon instead of baking in it, you could bet you'd see 30-35K fans there consistently.
September 20, 200519 yr Couldnt agree more with the previous poster, i went to saturdays game and the heat was unbearable the stadium listed the air temp at 96 factor in 28k people, and humidity and a bright sun sitting for 3 hrs at the game was not a pleasant experience or a cheap one i dropped over 20 bucks on water and still felt dehydrated and got a wicked sun burn .....we need a dome in the worst way !!!
September 20, 200519 yr Been there...done that... It can get pretty exhausting during the summer, we need a roof. No two ways about it!
September 20, 200519 yr And before someone idiotically comments on how the dolphins sell out. There are several factors that make it different. 1. theres no rain delays in football, 2. theres only 8 home games so making the trek and sacrificing yourself 8 times is not the same as 81 times. 3. Blackouts occur if theres low attendance 4. Except september it isnt as hot during football season
September 20, 200519 yr Last week, FSN Florida reaped its highest Marlins rating since 2003. The 7.5 rating against the Astros on Sept. 12 finished second only to ABC's Monday Night Football in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale market. What's casually overlooked is that Sept. 12 was a Monday night, the Dolphins played the day before. Even with the home-town Marlins in the thick of a playoff chase, the non-Dolphin related Monday night football still outrates the Fish. :plain
September 20, 200519 yr And before someone idiotically comments on how the dolphins sell out. There are several factors that make it different. 1. theres no rain delays in football, 2. theres only 8 home games so making the trek and sacrificing yourself 8 times is not the same as 81 times. 3. Blackouts occur if theres low attendance 4. Except september it isnt as hot during football season 954680[/snapback] Haven't been to many Dolphins games have you? It's in the high-80s to mid 90s all the way through November and then it's in the mid-80s unless it's a night game. All the other arguments are valid, but to say the Fins games aren't hot, you're crazy. This is coming from someone that had season tickets for 7 years.
September 20, 200519 yr And before someone idiotically comments on how the dolphins sell out. There are several factors that make it different. 1. theres no rain delays in football, 2. theres only 8 home games so making the trek and sacrificing yourself 8 times is not the same as 81 times. 3. Blackouts occur if theres low attendance 4. Except september it isnt as hot during football season 954680[/snapback] Haven't been to many Dolphins games have you? It's in the high-80s to mid 90s all the way through November and then it's in the mid-80s unless it's a night game. All the other arguments are valid, but to say the Fins games aren't hot, you're crazy. This is coming from someone that had season tickets for 7 years. 954734[/snapback] Its hotter in june, july, august than in octobver, november, december. Not to say it isnt hot, but not as hot.
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