Wednesday, March 08, 2006
ESPN...AARRGGHHHH!!!
George writes:
I don’t want to turn our blog into one that is obsessed with ESPN, but I can’t let this pass without comment. As everyone knows, the World Baseball Classic is starting this week and ESPN has committed programming time for it. Unfortunately, many of the games are running at the same time as the mid-week Champions League matches. So, given ESPN’s commitment to soccer with their exclusive coverage of the World Cup this summer, one would think that they would make an effort to make sure that these games are still shown somewhere.
But if you thought this, you would be dead wrong. They have decided to show them on tape delay airing them at 12:30 AM EST, a full ten hours after their original start time. Now to me, this is ridiculous. ESPN has several outlets where they could air these games live. We’re not talking prime-time programming here, this is afternoon TV! Why couldn’t they just show these games live on ESPN Classic? I’m sure that it would pull at least the same or better ratings than what is scheduled to be shown. If anyone thinks that the Arsenal-Real Madrid match would not get comparable ratings as an episode of Classic Wide World of Sports and Sports Century would, they’re nuts. Plus, it would show that ESPN is really committed to soccer and hopefully, continue to spread the word of the beautiful game. This would have to help their ratings this summer.
Champions League nights are very special, especially on the back half of a match-up. The tension, drama and possibility of extra time or penalty kicks are too much to pass up. So unless you subscribe to Setanta Sports, you are shut out of watching CL matches which is a shame.
I don’t want to turn our blog into one that is obsessed with ESPN, but I can’t let this pass without comment. As everyone knows, the World Baseball Classic is starting this week and ESPN has committed programming time for it. Unfortunately, many of the games are running at the same time as the mid-week Champions League matches. So, given ESPN’s commitment to soccer with their exclusive coverage of the World Cup this summer, one would think that they would make an effort to make sure that these games are still shown somewhere.
But if you thought this, you would be dead wrong. They have decided to show them on tape delay airing them at 12:30 AM EST, a full ten hours after their original start time. Now to me, this is ridiculous. ESPN has several outlets where they could air these games live. We’re not talking prime-time programming here, this is afternoon TV! Why couldn’t they just show these games live on ESPN Classic? I’m sure that it would pull at least the same or better ratings than what is scheduled to be shown. If anyone thinks that the Arsenal-Real Madrid match would not get comparable ratings as an episode of Classic Wide World of Sports and Sports Century would, they’re nuts. Plus, it would show that ESPN is really committed to soccer and hopefully, continue to spread the word of the beautiful game. This would have to help their ratings this summer.
Champions League nights are very special, especially on the back half of a match-up. The tension, drama and possibility of extra time or penalty kicks are too much to pass up. So unless you subscribe to Setanta Sports, you are shut out of watching CL matches which is a shame.
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