FS1 progress

[jesmu84]

Dilfer is one of the better analists, IMO, Schefter is so-so and Lewis is terrible. I just think the mix is better on ESPN.

Will be interested to see what they do for baseball talk. Long way to go to equal MLB network or even ESPN..

I actually was mistaken. Didn't mean to put Schefter. Meant to include Schlereth on that list. Cannot stand that guy.

[jesmu84]

FSL has replaced Sportscenter for me. I can't stand a show that spends more time covering Lebron James in a year than it does all of the NHL.

And I'm a Miami Heat fan. And I don't like hockey. But that breakdown is ridiculous.

However, I still go to espn.com for all my sports info.

funny you should mention that..

http://www.barstoolsports.com/chicago/super-page/anyone-know-where-i-can-find-some-lebron-highlights/

also, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/19/bob-ley-lebron-james-twitter-romo-espn_n_4818254.html

[melissasmooth]

NASCAR, College Football, NFL, UFC.... what's the common thread?  The very foundation of their business model depends upon the blind loyalty and/or ignorance of undereducated populations throughout the country.  Can't blame Fox Sports for going down the path of capitalism; you go to any trailer park, and you'll have a heck of time finding a home without a dish installed or a upper-tier digital cable package.

Cable ratings are meaningless... you just need to have exclusive access to the right program or lineup that will be so in demand that the cable provider will have no choice but to add you to the lineup - then you collect your subscriber fees from everyone.  Undereducated people are bread-and-butter for cable channels... these are the people who lack the critical thinking & cost-benefit skills that would typically preclude a consumer from paying for a channel (or package) just so they can watch one or two programs all year on it.

That's funny. I love NASCAR fans!  My dad and I go to Charlotte and Bristol races every year. Go Kyle Busch!

[brandx]

I actually was mistaken. Didn't mean to put Schefter. Meant to include Schlereth on that list. Cannot stand that guy.

Yeah - definitely agree on Schlereth.

When I say I prefer ESPN, I'm not saying there isn't a lot of garbage there too.

But overall, I don't think there is any comparison when taken as a whole. There is nothing innovative at FS1, but hopefully it will come over the next couple years.

There's only so much you can do on the MLB, NBA, & NFL talk shows, so it really comes down to the quality of the people and I just feel that ESPN is light years ahead right now.

[Tugg Speedman]

I think an awful lot of stereotyping going on with this one.  The demographics for NASCAR are better than you think, lots of disposable income especially when you adjust it for where fans live.  Just because NASCAR fans tend to be in the south, they over index vs the general population on income and their income goes a lot farther there than NYC, Madison, San Fran, Chicago or Los Angeles. 

College football demos are through the roof, as are NFL and UFC. 


Here's a fun test for some of you

Identify the correct sports fan with the correct column based on HH income.  Sports are MLS, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, NFL, and MLB (these may or may not be in the correct order   ).

answers please

[WarriorFan]

FS1 is a nice alternative, but they need to spend some money to draw in some more viewers.
- in game announcers need to have done their research and not sound like they missed all 11 coffees they normally drink.  Channel surfers will be drawn in by excitement, and most of these announcers hardly have a pulse
- pre-game/ half time with Austin Crosher is mind-numbing.  Sometimes I miss the start of either half because I forget to switch back from more interesting programming
- Leverage BEAST to improve quality - better game venues, better officiating, better profiles of teams and coaches... not 3rd grade level "3 things to know about Davante Gardner" .  (If I was Villanova AD, I would absolutely NOT have wanted that MU game off campus)
- Better planning so they don't have to start the 2nd game on channel 3211 which 0.00000067% of the viewing universe subscribes to.  Games at 2:30 intervals rather than 2:00?  Duh, it's not that hard!

[GGGG]

The biggest thing FoxSports can do is win the Big Ten rights when they come due in a couple of years.  No other major conference comes due for awhile after that, and I can see Fox breaking the bank for those.

[Atticus]

The biggest thing FoxSports can do is win the Big Ten rights when they come due in a couple of years.  No other major conference comes due for awhile after that, and I can see Fox breaking the bank for those.

If they bid for the big10, I hope the matchups are at least entertaining. I find that a lot of fs1's games are crappy. I watch MU and then switch over to espn immediately after. I'm not interested in Washington state vs Oregon state. Brutal.

If the BE weren't on fs1, I would never watch it. Ever.

[brandx]

- pre-game/ half time with Austin Crosher is mind-numbing.  Sometimes I miss the start of either half because I forget to switch back from more interesting programming

If there is a male equivalent to a Stepford wife, Austin is it. Mind-numbing is the perfect term for him.

[GGGG]

If they bid for the big10, I hope the matchups are at least entertaining. I find that a lot of fs1's games are crappy. I watch MU and then switch over to espn immediately after. I'm not interested in Washington state vs Oregon state. Brutal.

If the BE weren't on fs1, I would never watch it. Ever.

If FS gets the B10, they could really fill up their college football schedules in the fall, and put together really good slates of basketball games in the spring.  The original Big Monday could return!

[muwarrior69]

Doesn't Fox have a 49% share of the BTN? Would make for the perfect marriage. ....and the folks on the west coast would probably rather watch Oregon vs Washington than say Ohio State vs. Nebraska.

[GGGG]

Doesn't Fox have a 49% share of the BTN? Would make for the perfect marriage. ....and the folks on the west coast would probably rather watch Oregon vs Washington than say Ohio State vs. Nebraska.

Fox also owns the rights to the Big Ten Championship Game.

[bradley center bat]

EA joining Gus and Raft!!
FOX Sports 1 puts the full-court press on college basketball, presenting live coverage of the BIG EAST and Pac-12 men's basketball tournaments next week. Home to the BIG EAST all season long, FOX Sports 1 has the entire BIG EAST Tournament from tip-off on Wednesday, March 12, until the champion is crowned on Saturday, March 15. America's new sports network also has three nights of Pac-12 Tournament action, including Saturday's championship game. FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF is on site at Madison Square Garden for full pregame, halftime and postgame highlights and analysis.



FOX Sports' lead college basketball broadcast team of play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson and analyst Bill Raftery bring their unique brand of exciting calls to seven of the BIG EAST Tournament's nine games, while Erin Andrews reports the latest news from behind the benches. Johnson, Raftery and Andrews call the prime-time contests each night, while Justin Kutcher and Tarik Turner have Thursday's afternoon matchups all live from Madison Square Garden in the heart of New York City.



Across the country in Las Vegas, play-by-play announcer Aaron Goldsmith, analyst Sean Elliott and reporter Molly McGrath call three Pac-12 Tournament contests live from the MGM Grand Garden beginning with the fourth quarterfinal on Thursday, Mach 13 (11:30 PM ET). Pac-12 coverage continues with the second semifinal on Friday, March 14 (11:30 PM ET) and concludes with the championship game on Saturday, March 15 (6:00 PM ET).



In addition, FOX Sports 1 airs the semifinals and finals of the Big 12 and BIG EAST women's basketball tournaments. Semifinals of the Big 12 women's tournament tip off Sunday, March 9, at 3:00 and 5:00 PM ET, with the championship game set for Monday, March 10, at 9:00 PM ET. Ron Thulin and Brenda VanLengen have the call live from Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City. FOX Sports 1's coverage of the BIG EAST women's tournament begins Monday, March 10 with semifinal action at 4:00 and 6:30 PM ET. The championship game gets underway at 9:00 PM ET on Tuesday, March 11 with Tiffany Greene and LaChina Robinson live from Allstate Arena in Chicago.



FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF host Rob Stone and analysts Austin Croshere and Turner are on site at Madison Square Garden, from Tuesday through Saturday, March 11-15, to break down all the action on and off the court. The crew also checks in with FOX Sports 1's signature nightly news, highlights and opinion show, FOX SPORTS LIVE, for regular updates beginning Tuesday, March 11. Villanova head coach Jay Wright joins Stone, Croshere and Turner for the pregame show on Wednesday, March 12 (6:30 PM) before the BIG EAST Tournament tips off.



Throughout its tournament coverage next week, FOX COLLEGE HOOPS TIP-OFF presents exclusive behind-the-scenes access to one of the top teams in the country. CREIGHTON ALL-ACCESS is a series of backstage features chronicling the Bluejays' journey during their first BIG EAST Tournament, with one feature running each night of the tournament. Additional stories airing during the week include PLAYING IN THE GARDEN, voiced by Brooklyn Nine-Nine's Andre Braugher, and a conversation between legendary Georgetown head coach John Thompson and his son, FOX Sports 1 college basketball analyst Ronny Thompson.

[ChicosBailBonds]

http://billniemeyer.tv/2009/05/10/todays-cable-tv-revenue-split-and-why-over-the-top-likely-cant-be-ad-supported-only/
Chicos probably has some better numbers, but one industry estimate is that over half of revenues come from subscriber fees, not from advertising revenue.

For ESPN, 60% comes from subscription fees.

Both are important numbers, but for someone like your ESPN example the carriage (subscription) fees are more important.  Don't forget the television ad dollars are linked as well.  Digital ad revenue is still peanuts in the grand scheme of things.   For other channels, the ad revenue can be higher than the subscription fees.

[bradley center bat]

FSL has replaced Sportscenter for me. I can't stand a show that spends more time covering Lebron James in a year than it does all of the NHL.

And I'm a Miami Heat fan. And I don't like hockey. But that breakdown is ridiculous.

However, I still go to espn.com for all my sports info.

cbssportline is better for college hoops!

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

cbssportline is better for college hoops!

Truth

[bradley center bat]

FS1 is a nice alternative, but they need to spend some money to draw in some more viewers.
- in game announcers need to have done their research and not sound like they missed all 11 coffees they normally drink.  Channel surfers will be drawn in by excitement, and most of these announcers hardly have a pulse
- pre-game/ half time with Austin Crosher is mind-numbing.  Sometimes I miss the start of either half because I forget to switch back from more interesting programming
- Leverage BEAST to improve quality - better game venues, better officiating, better profiles of teams and coaches... not 3rd grade level "3 things to know about Davante Gardner" .  (If I was Villanova AD, I would absolutely NOT have wanted that MU game off campus)
- Better planning so they don't have to start the 2nd game on channel 3211 which 0.00000067% of the viewing universe subscribes to.  Games at 2:30 intervals rather than 2:00?  Duh, it's not that hard!

MU at Nova had over 15,000 with their students on break. Why do you want that at campus that seats 6,500?
I don't need 30 minutes between games. 14 minutes is more than fine. just flip on FS2.
I'm sure they spent money on some guys. Raft cost a pretty penny!!

[Tommy Brice for Coach]

Truth

But the reality is that most people go to ESPN.com as their one stop sports website. It has been hard to break the habit of going there to check scores. Though, the fact that BE scores are buried for non top 25 games has helped me stop...

[Atticus]

MU at Nova had over 15,000 with their students on break. Why do you want that at campus that seats 6,500?
I don't need 30 minutes between games. 14 minutes is more than fine. just flip on FS2.
I'm sure they spent money on some guys. Raft cost a pretty penny!!

maybe there were over 15k tickets sold, but the upper deck was mostly empty.

I doubt Raf is an expensive fs1 employee. ESPN didnt renew his contract and let him walk.

[sailwi]

Aren't most of the announcers in essence contractors, I see Rafferty is still doing games on CBS and when the tournament starts a bunch that do games on ESPN will be on CBS/TNT.

[source?]

But the reality is that most people go to ESPN.com as their one stop sports website. It has been hard to break the habit of going there to check scores. Though, the fact that BE scores are buried for non top 25 games has helped me stop...

I used foxsports.com as my primary sports website for 8 years, way before they picked up the Big East or even talked about starting FS1. Then, right before basketball season, they changed the whole website. I can't stand it there now. Especially the scoreboard thing they have. Still watch mainly FS1 for my sports, but I've been using ESPN for my web info.

[Coleman]

http://billniemeyer.tv/2009/05/10/todays-cable-tv-revenue-split-and-why-over-the-top-likely-cant-be-ad-supported-only/
Chicos probably has some better numbers, but one industry estimate is that over half of revenues come from subscriber fees, not from advertising revenue.

For ESPN, 60% comes from subscription fees.

Right, but that's a little different than saying "ratings are meaningless."

Plus, what do you think drives subscription fees?

[The Love House]

I found a similar chart for Fox Sports revenue projections in 2013. I think we were all forgetting about their biggest cash cow...

Click the image below to enlarge.

[bradley center bat]

maybe there were over 15k tickets sold, but the upper deck was mostly empty.

All attendance are tickets sold, but that arena holds almost 22,000. The upper deck was empty behind the baskets. Most of the seating is in the lower bowl.

[Benny B]

Right, but that's a little different than saying "ratings are meaningless."

FS1 doesn't need daily ratings right now, ratings & advertising revenue isn't going to keep them in business and get them off the ground; what will get them off the ground is subscription fees.  Ergo, they simply need to achieve a certain threshold of demand that will allow them 1) favorable placement in cable/sat packages, and 2) the ability to negotiate a higher per subscriber fee.  Once they have solidified their position in cable/sat lineups, they will hit a point of diminishing returns/revenues on the subscriber fee side, at which time, they can focus more on the ratings/advertising side.

Sure, there's a correlation, but ratings per se are meaningless right now because the goal is achieved through different means.  If ratings come along with it, gravy.

Plus, what do you think drives subscription fees?

Demand drives subscription fees, plain and simple, and in this case, demand ≠ ratings.  Demand comes from people whose cable/sat decision is influenced by the availability of a particular channel even if they might not watch a material portion of that channel's programming.

Take AMC for instance... there are people out there who tune into AMC only to watch the new episodes of Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Walking Dead, whatever.  Now take away those shows, and AMC's daily ratings suck royally because a significant portion of their audience only tunes in 13 times a year.  That's 13 hours, or less than two-tenths of 1% of their entire programming year, that they score big ratings - a mere blip on average daily ratings numbers if you don't have anything else to draw millions of eyeballs every day.  But if, for example, DirecTV eliminated AMC from their lineup, you would have hundreds of thousands of households, perhaps millions, switching to cable (or vice versa) simply based on their "need" to have AMC.

That's what drives subscription fees... having that one program, event, or series - even if it only airs 13 times a year - that is going to cause consumers to change their mind if you take the channel away from them, not whatever programming you use to fill the other 8,747 hours of the year.