Ugly Betty?
by: Paul
News was recently announced that Major League Baseball has plans of building an office in China. MLB hopes that this office will help promote the sport within the countries populous of 1.3 billion. Baseball, already popular in Japan and South Korea, has little followers in the world's largest country. The two most popular sports in China, based on viewership, are basketball and soccer. Other popular sports include table tennis, badminton, martial arts, and pool. Baseball is a relative new-comer to the athletics stage in China. China's professional baseball league began in 2002, and has gained few fans.
However, in 2008, the Olympics will be held in Beijing. With baseball and softball already erased from the Olympic roster in London 2012, baseball will have seemingly a final chance to prove it can succeed in an international fan base.
With the recent efforts to broaden the global reach of baseball through projects like the World Baseball Classic and the office in China, one should question whether or not Bud Selig is focusing his attention on the right markets.
Mr. Selig should turn his attention to the domestic market. The 2006 World Series, featuring the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals, had an average television rating of 10.1 and a share of 17. Ony 17% of Americans with their televisions on were tuned in to the Series. On October 27, the night of game five, CSI rated higher than the game, and Ugly Betty was close behind.
Ugly Betty.
For that week, game five was eleventh in ratings. Though a record number of patrons filled seats in stadiums, very few people watch the sport on television. Compared to the Super Bowl XL's rating/share of 41.6/62, it is easy to declare football as the new national pasttime. Even the 2006 Daytona 500 drew more audience with 11.3/23 rating/share. Baseball is slowly declining in a world of shorter attention spans, violence, and speed. The sport can be saved, but only if Bud Selig turns his attention to the domestic market.
News was recently announced that Major League Baseball has plans of building an office in China. MLB hopes that this office will help promote the sport within the countries populous of 1.3 billion. Baseball, already popular in Japan and South Korea, has little followers in the world's largest country. The two most popular sports in China, based on viewership, are basketball and soccer. Other popular sports include table tennis, badminton, martial arts, and pool. Baseball is a relative new-comer to the athletics stage in China. China's professional baseball league began in 2002, and has gained few fans.
However, in 2008, the Olympics will be held in Beijing. With baseball and softball already erased from the Olympic roster in London 2012, baseball will have seemingly a final chance to prove it can succeed in an international fan base.
With the recent efforts to broaden the global reach of baseball through projects like the World Baseball Classic and the office in China, one should question whether or not Bud Selig is focusing his attention on the right markets.
Mr. Selig should turn his attention to the domestic market. The 2006 World Series, featuring the Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Cardinals, had an average television rating of 10.1 and a share of 17. Ony 17% of Americans with their televisions on were tuned in to the Series. On October 27, the night of game five, CSI rated higher than the game, and Ugly Betty was close behind.
Ugly Betty.
For that week, game five was eleventh in ratings. Though a record number of patrons filled seats in stadiums, very few people watch the sport on television. Compared to the Super Bowl XL's rating/share of 41.6/62, it is easy to declare football as the new national pasttime. Even the 2006 Daytona 500 drew more audience with 11.3/23 rating/share. Baseball is slowly declining in a world of shorter attention spans, violence, and speed. The sport can be saved, but only if Bud Selig turns his attention to the domestic market.
posted by sportzdudes at 2:41 PM
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