Tag: Major League Baseball

Ratings Takeaways

April 2024 MLB Flagship Scoreboard

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

imGenerally speaking, Major League Baseball radio flagships enjoyed a solid first at bat in Nielsen Audio’s 2024 rating season (March 28 – April 24).

To put things in perspective, the baseball year officially started March 20 when the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres played two games in South Korea; the other 28 teams played their first game March 28.

Listed below are each MLB team’s main flagship.

Only one station per team appears – there are no simulcast partners and/or internet streams.

In addition, flagships of the Yankees and Mets are listed only in New York (not Long Island and Middlesex), while key stations of the Giants and A’s appear in San Francisco (not San Jose).

There was a (6+) March 2024 – April 2024 uptick in approximately four of every five applicable flagship cases (81%); 15% dipped; and 4% were flat.

Representative March 2024 – April 2024 (6+) gains were +0.92, while typical declines were -0.27.

Heftiest increases (+2.0 each) were logged by news/talk WLW, Cincinnati (Reds) and news/talk WTAM, Cleveland (Guardians).

Flagships of the Angels (KESN); White Sox (WMVP); and Brewers (WTMJ) did not appear (DNA) in the March 2024 or April 2024 survey periods.

News/talk WLW, Cincinnati (Reds) 11.3 – 13.3, +2.0, #1 – #1

News/talk WTAM, Cleveland (Guardians) 5.4 – 7.4, +2.0, #9 – #4

Sports talk WXYT-FM, Detroit (Tigers) 7.5 – 9.2, +1.7, #2 – #1

Sports talk KCSP, Kansas City (Royals) 1.8 – 3.4, +1.6, #17 – #10

News/talk KMOX, St. Louis (Cardinals) 3.0 – 4.5, +1.5, #14 – #10

Sports talk WCNN, Atlanta (Braves), 2.5 – 3.8, +1.3, #17 – #10

Sports talk WIP, Philadelphia (Phillies), 5.5 – 6.7, +1.2, #6 – #4

Sports talk KIRO-AM, Seattle (Mariners) 2.7 – 3.8, +1.1, #17 – #10

Sports talk KNBR, San Francisco (Giants), 3.0 – 3.9, +.9, #10 – #6

Sports talk WEEI-FM, Boston (Red Sox), 3.0 – 3.9, +.9, #13 – #10

Sports talk KLAC, Los Angeles (Dodgers), .8 – 1.6, +.8, #32 – #27

Sports talk KRLD-FM, Dallas (Texas Rangers), 1.7 – 2.3, +.6, #24 – #20

Sports talk KBME, Houston (Astros), .5 – 1.1, +.6, #27 – #23

Sports talk KWFN, San Diego (Padres) 3.4 – 4.0, +.6, #14 – #10

News/talk KOA, Denver (Colorado Rockies) 2.4 – 3.0, +.6, #17 – #15

Sports talk WFAN FM & AM, New York (Yankees), 1.9 – 2.3, +.4, #15 -#13

Sports talk WSCR, Chicago (Cubs), 2.9 – 3.3, +.4, #11 – #10

Sports talk WDAE, Tampa (Rays) 1.9 – 2.3, +.4, #17 – #16

Sports talk KMVP-FM, Phoenix (Arizona Diamondbacks) 2.6 – 2.9, +.3, #14 – #10

News/talk WCCO, Minneapolis (Minnesota Twins) 4.1 – 4.4, +.3, #11 – #10

Sports talk WJFK-FM, Washington, DC (Nationals), 2.4 – 2.5, +.1, #17 – #17

Business News KNEW, San Francisco (Oakland A’s), .3 – .3, Flat, #30 – #30

Sports talk WINZ, Miami (Marlins) .4 – .3, -.1, #31 – #31

News WCBS-AM, New York (Mets), 2.0 – 1.8, -.2, #14 – #19

News/talk WBAL, Baltimore (Orioles) 3.7 – 3.3, -.4, #10 – #10

Sports talk KDKA-FM, Pittsburgh (Pirates) 8.4 – 8.0, -.4, #2 – #2

Sports talk KESN, Los Angeles (Angels), DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA

Sports talk WMVP, Chicago (White Sox), DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA

News talk WTMJ, Milwaukee (Brewers), DNA – DNA, DNA – DNA

Sports talk CJCL, Toronto (Blue Jays), Canadian, Not Applicable

Mike.Kinosian@gmail.com

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

Beasley Media Group Boston announces their newly minted, multi-year partnership with the Boston Athletic Association, the non-profit that organizes the Boston Marathon. This year both sports talk WBZ-FM “98.5 The Sports Hub” and WKLB “Country 102.5” will broadcast coverage of the race.

Audacy expands its relationship with Amy Poehler’s Paper Kite Productions with the launch of “Million Dollar Advice,” a weekly work and career advice podcast under the Audacy Podcasts and Paper Kite Podcasts banners hosted by Kim Lessing and Kate Arend.

SiriusXM subscribers will have access to the full 2024 Major League Baseball with live play-by-play calls of every game, as well as 24/7 news, talk and expert analysis on the exclusive MLB Network Radio channel.

Industry News

TALKERS News Notes

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

As reported by Erich Richter in the New York Post, ESPN and SiriusXM sports media personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo admits to losing somewhere between $50,000 and $100,000 in a five-leg parlay on NFL football last weekend. Russo and fellow ESPN personalities Molly Qerim, Marcus Spears, and Stephen A. Smith on “First Take” on November 29. Read the Post piece here.

SiriusXM and Major League Baseball announce today a five-year extension of their broadcasting agreement. SiriusXM has teamed up with MLB to deliver games to fans around the country since 2005 and will continue to air live play-by-play of every regular season and postseason MLB game, as well as select spring training and Spanish-language game broadcasts, through the 2028 season. SiriusXM will also continue to produce the exclusive MLB Network Radio channel.

Industry Views

Pending Business: Shorter and Faster is Better

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

By Steve Lapa
Lapcom Communications Corp
President

Looks like Major League Baseball is about to show the radio business how to score the winning run. Major League Baseball decided it was time to reverse the aging fan base, declining gameday gates, and shorten three-plus-hours of in-game boredom.

Despite the downhome storytellers doing play-by-play on radio and innovations of TV coverage, the game was getting tedious, and it was time for Major League Baseball to change or slowly but surely face the fate of the dinosaur.

Sound familiar? Yes, there are some baseball innovations that entertained people like the infamous mascots of yesteryear, but MLB is about the hallowed Hall of Fame heritage of pinstripes, red socks, and Dodger blue. Change means risk and in baseball swinging for the fences is a 1 in 18 shot.

Getting a little too close for comfort? Fans and sponsors needed a new spark to ignite baseball fever, so MLB responded with a pitch clock to speed up the game and bigger bases to bring back one of the most exciting plays in sports. Guess what? Games are being played faster, gameday attendance is up 8%, TV viewership is up 14% and according to the Insider, social media views are up 67% as under-35 demographics are up 14%. Let us start connecting the dots to our business.

— News/talk radio relies on a 55+ audience. Nothing wrong with the “money demo.” But talk radio needs to look ahead to what happens AFTER the election cycle.

— Most daily talk shows are three hours long. So were most MLB games… until this year. Shorter became better as attendance and viewership shot up. Wake up radio programmers, hosts, managers! Do we have the courage and budget to program and sell shorter, faster moving programs? Radio is so stuck in an outdated model; the low growth is about to make another appearance in bankruptcy court.

— Fans got excited and social media exploded. Last time I checked, Savannah, Georgia was Nielsen radio market #145. No news/talk radio station in the top 100 U.S. radio markets has as many Facebook followers as the Savannah Bananas baseball team.

— Fans and sponsors needed a new spark. What has your radio station offered lately that is new, exciting and lights the fuse for sponsors and listeners?

Recently, a 21-year-old baseball star stole two bases then decided to steal home and the fans went crazy. Through the years we have seen the play. But every time it happens the fans in the stands are on their feet, cheering, high fiving, and re-living every detail of the excitement. Baseball is back, bigger and better than ever. All of us can learn from today’s changes in America’s Pastime.

Steve Lapa is the president of Lapcom Communications Corp. based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. Lapcom is a media sales, marketing, and development consultancy. Contact Steve Lapa via email at: Steve@Lapcomventures.com.

Industry News

White Sox Pitcher Threatens Audacy’s “670 The Score”

By TALKERS | by TALKERS

In a story being reported by numerous sources, including by FOX News here, Chicago White Sox pitcher Mike Clevinger – who is being investigated by Major League Baseball after allegations of domestic abuse – is threatening legal action against Audacy’s sports talk WSCR, Chicago “670 The Score” after his accuser appeared on the “Parkins & Spiegel” show. Olivia Finestead is the mother of Clevinger’s 10-month-old who went on the radio show to discuss the allegations against Clevinger, a move he called “really trashy of them. That was some lowlife material right there.” He was also quoted saying, “My lawyers are paying attention. My lawyers are getting in contact with them, and they probably already sent a cease-and-desist for defamation. So [they] just got themselves involved in this, too, so good for them.”