What to Watch: Spurs Watched More Than NBA Finals Teams
Jerry Garcia - Express-News
Guess what? Besides being No. 1 in the hearts of San Antonians, the Spurs are drawing larger local TV viewers than last season’s NBA Finals teams Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. Of all the home markets, no team in the league had higher local television ratings than than the Spurs through Nov. 20, according to Nielsen research.
As of Nov. 20, the Spurs are averaging a 6.6 local household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research. Those early-season games have been spread over both broadcast (KENS and KMYS) and cable outlets (ESPN, NBA TV and Fox Sports Net Southwest).
The rating is the estimated percentage of the universe of TV households (or other specified group) tuned to a program in the average minute.
Nielsen's 2008-09 audience estimates places San Antonio TV as the nation's 37th largest designated market area in the U.S. with a universe of 818,560 viewers.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are the second most-watched team with a 6.2 rating and the Portland Trail Blazers are third with a 5.0 rating. The above-mentioned Lakers are fifth with a 4.2 rating and the Celtics rank eighth with a 3.4 rating.
Here’s the top 10 list of the highest-rated teams in their local markets.
1. San Antonio Spurs, 6.6 (local HH rating)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers, 6.2
3. Portland Trail Blazers, 5.0
4. Utah Jazz, 4.8
5. Los Angeles Lakers, 4.2
6. Detroit Pistons, 4.1
7. Phoenix Suns, 4.0
8. Boston Celtics, 3.4
9. Houston Rockets, 3.2g
10. Chicago Bulls, 2.9
The biggest gain in viewers actually goes to New Orleans. Even though the Hornets play in a smaller market than the Spurs do — New Orleans is ranked No. 53 with 602, 740 viewers — viewership for Hornets games has risen 163 percent compared to last season. Cleveland had the second-highest viewership increase with a 109 percent rise and Atlanta was third with a 97 percent increase.
Here’s the list of the top 10 teams with the largest rise in viewership in 2008-09 vs. the 2007-08 season, through Nov. 20.
1. New Orleans, 163 percent (compared to a year ago)
2. Cleveland, 109 percent.
3. Atlanta, 97 percent.
4. Portland, 44 percent.
5. Orlando, 26 percent.
6. New York, 17 percent.
7. Los Angeles, 14 percent.
8. Washington, 12 percent.
9. Philadelphia, 10 percent.
10. Memphis, 10 percent.
I give credit to Sean Elliott and Bill Land making just about any game entertaining ... plus Spurs fans actually watch Spurs games and that's why a good number of them really know their team.
A lot of other bandwagon fan bases don't even watch their supposed favorite team ... and it shows.
Then again, there isn't much else to do in San Antonio than to watch the Spurs.
/buddyhollybait
And that's why those of us with League Pass are so ticked. We don't get Spurs call enough. I love it when I get Sean and Bill. It makes any game better for me.
We've had 6 in a row just now with our opponent's call, only 1 game so far this season with Spurs call. For those of us budgeting to afford LP to follow our team (whatever that team is), we should get our team's call half the time. It would be fair to do home call for every game, we'd get our fair share.
/rant
like the Celtics being number 8.
I think it's more interesting to watch guys like Hill and Mason get big minutes and opportunities than watching Tony and Manu, I already know what they can do...
Is our viewership up from last year?
While its no consolation, that really sucks. I often wonder how lucky I am (at least in this regard) to have been born in SA and had the ability to watch spurs games any time, with our loveable cast of homer commentatorsAnd that's why those of us with League Pass are so ticked. We don't get Spurs call enough. I love it when I get Sean and Bill. It makes any game better for me.
We've had 6 in a row just now with our opponent's call, only 1 game so far this season with Spurs call. For those of us budgeting to afford LP to follow our team (whatever that team is), we should get our team's call half the time. It would be fair to do home call for every game, we'd get our fair share.
/rant
It does, but I usually try not to about LP. I know there are lots of people that can't get it or can't afford it. I know I'm lucky, I get to see every Spurs game. If the only problem is the call, I really have nothing to complain about. It just seems that there could be a system where it's always the home team's call, it sounds fair to me.
I think we should get to pick a favorite team and watch that home regional channel ... this is bull
That sucksAnd that's why those of us with League Pass are so ticked. We don't get Spurs call enough. I love it when I get Sean and Bill. It makes any game better for me.
We've had 6 in a row just now with our opponent's call, only 1 game so far this season with Spurs call. For those of us budgeting to afford LP to follow our team (whatever that team is), we should get our team's call half the time. It would be fair to do home call for every game, we'd get our fair share.
/rant
You pay League Pass, so you should decide if you want the home or the road announcers.
yesterday I saw the game on internet and they had the Spurs feed. I had a lot of fun with Sean and Bill
The 6.6 rating is a percentage of overall TV viewership in the market, correct? (In other words a 6.6 rating in San Antonio vs. a 6.6 rating in New York would have very different total viewership numbers.)
Yep. A 6.6 in SA means roughly 55k viewers. A 6.6 in NY means something like 1 million viewers.
, I love Bill and Sean, but I was at Red Robins so I could only read the sub les. I got to read Bill's patented "whoa mama!!!", but I'd rather have heard him.
I totally agree. I am already on a pretty tight budget and I have to spread my League Pass out into three payments just to afford it. Fans that commit themselves on this sort of level should at least get the luxury of hearing their home announcers and not having to endure stuff like the Jazz announcers complaining that the 3pt line is too close.
yep, cause even though the Missions are good, most of us dont follow them. I dont follow the Rampage at all. I follow the Spurs and Silver Stars (wish all their games were on TV and Elliott did those as well).I give credit to Sean Elliott and Bill Land making just about any game entertaining ... plus Spurs fans actually watch Spurs games and that's why a good number of them really know their team.
A lot of other bandwagon fan bases don't even watch their supposed favorite team ... and it shows.
Then again, there isn't much else to do in San Antonio than to watch the Spurs.
/buddyhollybait
if we had a MLB team i would definitely follow them.....but we dont, so I have been an Astros fan for nearly all of my life....I was a Cubs fan first, since WGN showed all of their games and I would watch them everyday during the summer when I was a kid. Then I discovered the Astros and remembered them from the Bad News Bears movie and instantly became a fan.
i am a lifelong Cowboys fan, so i dont know about us having an NFL team....but if we did, AFC I hope, i would root for them, as long as they didnt have some lame ass name like Thunder. Give me Toros (I definitely like this name), Gunslingers (I want the royal blue and kelly green colors, but tweak the logo just a bit to make it NFL worthy), Outlaws, Armadillos (this is for one of the best football movies ever, Necessary Roughness), Chupacabras (just kidding, but man it would be fun watching the broadcasters try and say it, especially Madden), Venom (metallic red scorpion, looks neon green in the dark, on a metallic black helmet).
As far as hockey goes...I am a Pittsburgh Penguins fan...I would love for them to be in SA, but I would hate to move them from Pittsburgh. But they arent covered much down here.....unless I go to a sports bar everytime they played and that would get expensive to watch....
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