[mythtv-users] The Heidi Game: Why TV stays on the sports program

[Phil Bridges]

On Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 5:15 PM, Nick Rout <nick.rout at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Thu, Nov 3, 2011 at 10:03 AM, Phil Bridges <gravityhammer at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 4:59 PM, Nick Rout <nick.rout at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On Thu, Nov 3, 2011 at 8:48 AM, Phil Bridges <gravityhammer at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> On Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 3:37 PM, Brian J. Murrell <brian at interlinx.bc.ca> wrote:
>>>>> On Wed, 2011-11-02 at 14:53 -0400, Phil Bridges wrote:
>>>>>> "CBS enjoyed a 9.1 rating from 7:00-7:30 (New England at Pittsburgh),
>>>>>> and 60 Minutes (airing 30 minutes late) averaged a 4.2 rating"
>>>>>
>>>>> An unfair comparison for a number of reasons.  The first is that it's
>>>>> not considering how many people didn't watch 60 Minutes when they found
>>>>> out it was not on at 7PM when they expected it to be and just watched
>>>>> their second choice show at that time and additionally chose not to
>>>>> switch away from that program in mid-showing to catch 60 minutes late?
>>>>>
>>>>> The second problem is that you need to add the non-overlapping share
>>>>> rating from all of 60 Minutes, The Amazing Race, The Good Wife and
>>>>> whatever runs after that on a night where those shows are not running
>>>>> late (for the same reason as above).
>>>>>
>>>>> The reason you need to add the non-overlapping share ratings of all of
>>>>> those programs is that all of those programs represent the viewers who
>>>>> are being inconvenienced by the overrun.
>>>>>
>>>>> CBS simply needs to stop trying to have their cake and eat it too.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I guess you can try to explain to CBS how the football game wasn't
>>>> twice as popular as 60 Minutes.
>>>>
>>>> Don't get me wrong - I hate having to adjust my recordings on Sunday
>>>> to run an extra hour, but I also realize that worrying about won't get
>>>> me anywhere, and ranting on a DVR mailing list won't get me anywhere.
>>>>
>>>> BTW, this past week, 60 Minutes had 18,558,000 viewers.  Last season,
>>>> 60 Minutes averaged 13.36 million viewers per week.  I dare say 60
>>>> minutes may regularly get more viewers when it follows football, which
>>>> typically means it's delayed.
>>>
>>> The interesting thing when looking at this whole debate from an
>>> outsiders point of view is that I live in a Rugby, not Gridiron
>>> playing nation.
>>>
>>> Until comparitively recently rugby was strictly amateur. When it went
>>> pro, it was largely funded by TV rights bidding, with Murdoch/Sky
>>> being the major funder. Individual teams have corporate sponsorship,
>>> but most of the money goes from TV companies to the Rugby Union and
>>> then trickles down to various teams.
>>>
>>> That being the case, the TV companies rule the game, when they are
>>> played (to maximise global audience), where they are played (stadiums
>>> with good TV facilities) and the length of the games.
>>>
>>> Most games other than competition semi finals and finals have a set
>>> time limit. If the game is a draw, the teams share the available
>>> points. A game will never go over time to the extent that American
>>> Football seems to.
>>>
>>> If a player is injured, he is quickly assessed. If he can play on he
>>> does, if he is badly injured, he goes off and a substitute goes on. If
>>> he is in between he may be blood binned (ie goes off with a substitute
>>> coming on for 10 minutes until he is patched up). Yes the clock stops
>>> for some of these things, but the delays are not long.
>>>
>>> There are no "time outs" - there are limited substitutions available
>>> for tactcal (as opposed to injury) reasons.
>>>
>>> The game keeps going, because that's the nature of the game and the
>>> way TV companies want it.
>>>
>>> So stop mucking about, play the game and get it finished!
>>
>>
>> But how do you sell beer? :D
>
> Half time you see a lot of people returning to their seats with enough
> beer for the next 40 minutes.
>
> personally i push pause and go to the fridge.

I was thinking about the thirsty people watching at home.  How are
they going to know what sort of cheap rice-brewed swill they should
buy? ;)