There may have been only a few people who bothered to read all the way through the comments on my post about Toronto fans at the MLS All-Star Game. One major point of contention was whether or not very many people were actually watching the exhibition match (the implication being that it didn't matter how the fans behaved because few saw it).
My argument all along wasn't that it was a huge amount, but that compared to most Major League Soccer games and the ratings they generally pull, the All-Star Game was a showcase and no doubt watched by many. Even if the respect the league players gain or lose can't be measured, the people watching can be, or at least a rough estimate.
Turns out, quite a lot of people were watching (once again, it's relative to MLS standards). The ratings increase is especially notable because it was a weekday broadcast, when ratings are typically lower for sports.
From the NY Times:
The ratings for the All-Star Game broadcast Thursday by ESPN and Telefutura were the highest in league history. ESPN had a rating of 0.47 and reached 453,000 households, and Spanish-language Telefutura had a rating of 0.37, reaching 389,000 households. The total was a 124 percent increase over last year, according to The Sports Business Daily.
Great, you posted numbers from the US. You argued that it was watched by people around the world. So if not even 1 million households watch the game in the US, I doubt the numbers are that much better worldwide. Good to hear that the ratings were up though.
ReplyDeleteAs I said, the "not many were watching" theory continues to have adherents.
ReplyDeleteSorry AC, but for a country that has over 300 million people, having roughly 800,000 viewers isn't a lot.
ReplyDeleteIf a fan acts like an idiot, but a lot of people aren't watching, does it really matter?
ReplyDeleteI feel that people are less likely to be watching soccer matches by their lonesome than say a sitcom. It's safe to assume that 800,000 TVs is over a million people.
ReplyDelete"Master, does unwitnessed fan boorishness, like a stone cast into a deserted pond, make no ripple?"
ReplyDelete"Ah, Grasshopper, the question is who is to blame for the ripples, the pond, the stone, or the hand that cast it?"
I continue to think, AC, that all those viewers will make the proper distinction between MLS's on-the-field product and bad FTC fan behavior.
And thanks for the flashback to Kwai Chang Caine...
I seriously used to covet a flute like the one on that show.
ReplyDeleteTo support AC's claim, from the olympic teams blog:
ReplyDelete"This morning before breakfast, we were all surprised to find that the MLS game between FC Dallas and the LA Galaxy was being shown live - in English no less. A few days ago we were able to catch replays of the MLS All-Star Game from Toronto, which Sacha Kljestan and Robbie Rogers would have started in if they weren't here.
Lots of love for Major League Soccer here in Hong Kong!"