Loading ...
We’ve mentioned this before, but the Reds are doing very well in the TV and radio ratings this year. According to a story in the latest Sports Business Journal (free for now, but it may go into a pay archive soon), the Reds rank fourth in the MLB with a 6.2 average rating on FSN-Ohio. This means that on the average night, 6.2% of households in the FSN-Ohio viewing area are watching the Reds. That’s a 49.4% increase over last year. The Reds trail only the Cardinals, Twins, and Phillies.
Now, because the FSN-Ohio viewing area is small, that only adds up to 59,897 households, which ranks somewhere near 20th in raw numbers. But you can hardly blame the Reds for that.
On the radio front, the Reds are 10th in raw numbers, with an average of 116,000 people tuning in every night. That list pretty much tracks market size, with the Reds, Cards, and Twins serving as small-market upstarts. When it comes to the main target demographics, men age 25-54, the Reds rank first in all of baseball.
This won’t have any real effect this season, but should help the Reds earn more the next time TV and radio rights come up for negotiation. In the short term, it can be taken as a sign that Cincinnati may actually still be the baseball town it’s always been hyped to be.
Are there any indications that the Reds viewing and listening areas could increase in size? The radio network is pathetic especially in central Ohio.
I wish WLW would turn up the wattage again. I used to pick up the games in West Lafayette, IN when I was at Purdue (9 yrs ago). Now, I am somewhat in the area and can barely pick it up.
Those numbers of raw households would be larger if they would extend into the Indy area and further into Indiana. I am lucky, if I was one county over I would pick up the Cardinals FSN, even if we are closer to Cincy than St Louis.
@BJ Ruble: Yep. I use to be able to pick up WLW here in central NC. Plus other Reds affialites broadcasting in VA. In the mid 80′s a local independent TV Channel(either 45 or 48. I can’t remember) was also a reds affiliate.
The media numbers are good. But Cincy is hardly a Baseball town anymore . The Brewers draw 35,000 a night in the same relative market size. Even if you believe in the “Bump in attendance the following year” theory, the Reds are not even close . I guess eveybody is watching/ listening rather than going. A real baseball town’s fans would also be in the stands supporting their team. Where are they ? Waiting for the next bobble head night or perhaps the Bengals first exhibition game?
[...] have my opinions on the matter, but I was interested in your thoughts. Reds fans are already watching on television and listening on radio. How much prolonged winning is it going to take before the Reds start getting crowds like the [...]