Posted on 12/31/2020 4:53:26 PM PST by dynachrome
The year of the coronavirus was a major disaster for professional sports as every league suffered ratings declines, and lost billions in revenue in 2020.
TV viewership was not off by just a little, either. It was off an average of 50 percent over last year’s numbers. Even though many Americans were stuck at home as their jobs and cities shut down, TV viewership for sports still cratered.
According to Front Office Sports, one of golf’s big games, the U.S. Open, lost 56 percent of its viewers over 2019. Basketball suffered greatly, as well. The NBA finals were down 49 percent over last year. Tennis’ Open also cratered, losing 45 percent over 2019’s games. But the worst of all was Hockey’s Stanley Cup. The NHL’s big game lost a whopping sixty percent over the 2019 championship series.
Thus far the NFL is also cratering, being down at least seven percent over last year. It has been so consistently bad this year that advertisers are starting to rise up to demand concessions for their high advertising spending since viewership has been falling each week.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Done with CF, I don’t even care what happened to the Gators last night.
Frankly, I don’t fault any of the players who sat out. What’s the point? Stupid Bowl Games are now like the NIT, nobody really cares.
They realigned the league and will only play within the divisions. All the Canadian teams are in the same division.
The NFL and NBA will never ever get one penny from my household after this year.
Pro sports (including big college which is effectively pro) is at leadt half soap opera and story line. Pro rasslin’ realized this early on and went with it. Broadcasting also got on board with the sideline babes asking “how does this feel for you emotionally” and the frequent reaction shots to the moms in the stands, the profile pieces of the visits to the sick kids or the Christmas turkey giveaways. Basically it’s at least half about the narrative as it is x’s and o’s, maybe mote.
Now all of a sudden they change the narrative to BLM and the like.
And guess what? The audience doesn’t like THAT narrative. So they stay away in droves. It’s like the hit movie where the sequel stinks on ice and nobody goes to see it.
They’re in the story telling business but they haven’t figured that out any more than they’ve figured out the this sequel is a giant stinker.
Kap is a high yellow retard raised by White people.
The responsible one was that Power 99 broad that whispered in his ear.
Sports just aren’t interesting IF you can’t be there. With no audience there is a suspicion that things just aren’t on the up and up. It’s just another TV show.
I think they just need more kneeling, and more cardboard cutouts of “fans” in the seats.
NFL only down 7%?
Not enough.
I haven’t watched a game this year despite being a 50-year Chiefs fan.
They have gone all super-woke over the summer.
F off.
Surprised that the Stanley Cup playoffs suffered the most, considering how competitive the matches were and how little kowtowing to BLM they did.
The 2021 NHL season starts in two weeks, and I’ll be watching.
I thought the same thing. They must have left off a zero.
I think you are on to something. I watched the Stanley Cup tournament this year and thoroughly enjoyed it, but the experience just wasn't the same without fans in the house, even cheering against my team.
Leisure Suit Larry?
How many employees in the private sector haven’t been hurt?
On the other hand, government employees have done quite well. They are the ones running the response and depending on “science”.
“Mitch will get em’ a good tax break...”
I was thinking that Congress will bail them out. Not/s
Early in this COVID mess when ESPN was scrounging for any sports to show, they had a replay of a Super Bowl back in the twenties, so late 1980s or early 1990s. Although it was low resolution it was much better coverage without nearly so many replays, camera angles or mindless stats to display (and no referee reviews). And that was for a pretty lopsided game. They stayed on the field unless it was a really good play needing a replay.
Best news I’ve heard.
The sports business can continue to lose money.
I will never watch another game for the rest of my life.
Every single professional league blew a great opportunity.
They could have said that during this hard time for Americans, they are going to do their best to entertain people and help get their minds off of their problems.
They will stay out of politics, polarization and controversy of any kind.
Sports televisions packages that they charge for they could have made available to all for free.
They could have made a statement that they realize they are not essential, that they are entertainment, but they are going to do what they can to help people out.
Americans would have never forgotten it. Their ratings would have soared.
They were going to lose money no matter what, but they would have made it back many times over in the years to come.
But, they couldn’t do that, because they just think way too damn much of themselves.
The golden age of professional sports in this country has passed. The younger generations are not interested, and I can no longer support people of such low character in any way.
I enjoyed watching golf this year. No gallery shouting “In the hole!” on every shot.
Can you imagine how happy liberal sports fan would be if their favorite players would ask them...
“WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT SIR”!!! ...
One glimmer of good news to end 2020 on.
Also hollywood took it hard in the rear this year. One last tasty topping there. :)
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