MLB season

[retire the banner]

With CWS coming to a close, it’s almost officially slow time of the year in sports until football.

I thought briefly about MLB and realized MLB still has nearly FIVE more months of potential baseball. It’s a big reason why it’s dying. If the World Series goes 7 games it’ll happen on November 2nd.

To be fair, NBA has this issue as well.

 

[FormerBully]

With CWS coming to a close, it’s almost officially slow time of the year in sports until football.

I thought briefly about MLB and realized MLB still has nearly FIVE more months of potential baseball. It’s a big reason why it’s dying. If the World Series goes 7 games it’ll happen on November 2nd.

To be fair, NBA has this issue as well.

I have always thought the MLB should move the playoffs and World Series to August. It would make July interesting with teams fighting for a spot. No other sports league to go against in July and August. No one cares about anything else when the NFL and College Football kick-off.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I have always thought the MLB should move the playoffs and World Series to August. It would make July interesting with teams fighting for a spot. No other sports league to go against in July and August. No one cares about anything else when the NFL and College Football kick-off.

100% agree. Golf finally got this memo.

But it takes a month to do the baseball postseason. If that starts in early August, you're talking about shrinking the season by like 60 games. I honestly think that's fine. The stats aspect of MLB flew out the window with the Roid Era. May as well just revamp the whole thing. Could pay the players less too.

The only thing I can think of as to why they don't do this, is probably something to do with revenue. They like the ticket sales from a bunch of games maybe, because the TV product doesn't do that well? I really have no idea. And we all know how crappy they do the TV deal with blackouts, etc. I figure there has to be some logic there.

But just this math right here tells a story, college regular season vs. pro regular season:

Football, 12 vs. 17, pro is 42% longer;
Basketball, 30 vs. 82, pro is 173% longer;
Baseball, 55 vs. 162, pro is 195% longer.

Maybe that math isn't perfect, but you can see the point there.

 

[bulldawgs231]

MLB is not dying. It’s a much better product than college baseball.

 

[Arnept]

Dog days of summer.

 

[FormerBully]

100% agree. Golf finally got this memo.

But it takes a month to do the baseball postseason. If that starts in early August, you're talking about shrinking the season by like 60 games. I honestly think that's fine. The stats aspect of MLB flew out the window with the Roid Era. May as well just revamp the whole thing. Could pay the players less too.

The only thing I can think of as to why they don't do this, is probably something to do with revenue. They like the ticket sales from a bunch of games maybe, because the TV product doesn't do that well? I really have no idea. And we all know how crappy they do the TV deal with blackouts, etc. I figure there has to be some logic there.

But just this math right here tells a story, college regular season vs. pro regular season:

Football, 12 vs. 17, pro is 42% longer;
Basketball, 30 vs. 82, pro is 173% longer;
Baseball, 55 vs. 162, pro is 195% longer.

Maybe that math isn't perfect, but you can see the point there.

I think I read somewhere tickets has a lot to do with it. I honestly wish the MLB and NBA had better access to games. Hard to find Braves and Pelicans in my market with YoutubeTV.

 

[dorndawg]

As an in-person product, MLB is in fact growing.

MLB Attendance Spikes Over the Weekend, Reaches Heights Not Seen Since 2008

The 45 MLB games between June 14 and June 16 drew nearly 1.7 million fans, further demonstrating baseball's resurgence in the public eye.

www.si.com

 

[OG Goat Holder]

As an in-person product, MLB is in fact growing.

MLB Attendance Spikes Over the Weekend, Reaches Heights Not Seen Since 2008

The 45 MLB games between June 14 and June 16 drew nearly 1.7 million fans, further demonstrating baseball's resurgence in the public eye.

www.si.com

I am thinking that MLB knows this, and has basically said the hell with investing big money in the TV product.

 

[dorndawg]

I am thinking that MLB knows this, and has basically said the hell with investing big money in the TV product.

Other than the handful of teams with national fanbases, this is my guess as well. The NFL knows we're gonna watch Seahawks at Vikings, but nobody outside those markets is gonna care about a regular season mariners/Twins game.

 

[DawgInThe256]

Definitely more of a local sport than national

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I think I read somewhere tickets has a lot to do with it. I honestly wish the MLB and NBA had better access to games. Hard to find Braves and Pelicans in my market with YoutubeTV.

The NBA and MLB have the dumbest, most archaic blackout rules. It’s absolutely killing their TV ratings. You should be able to pay for the ability to watch the team you want with no strings attached.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

The NBA and MLB have the dumbest, most archaic blackout rules. It’s absolutely killing their TV ratings. You should be able to pay for the ability to watch the team you want with no strings attached.

I would like to know the logic behind it. I’m guessing enough people are paying enough somewhere to make this a good deal for them, at least short term.

Long term not good for the game.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

I would like to know the logic behind it. I’m guessing enough people are paying enough somewhere to make this a good deal for them, at least short term.

Long term not good for the game.

It’s based off of old rules used by cable and satellite TV and their broadcasting partners. It’s an incredibly dated model. Certain regions have “home teams” and that’s who you get and some of those regions are bizarre.

In North Mississippi based on MLBs tv home team map we are able to watch Braves, Cardinals, AND Reds games. I have no idea how we get Reds games.

 

[retire the banner]

I don’t see MLB or NBA shortening the season - too much money involved. I heard on a Russillo podcast recently the NFL, MLB, & NBA will continue to enhance and lengthen the product until the consumer pushes back or becomes disinterested, and they won’t course correct until it hurts their pocketbook. I think we are a ways away from any of this happening.

 

[retire the banner]

MLB is not dying. It’s a much better product than college baseball.

World Series Television Ratings (1968-2024) | Baseball Almanac

World Series television ratings from 1968-2024, research by Baseball Almanac.

www.baseball-almanac.com

I’m not so sure. World Series ratings have declined from 35million viewers in early 90s to less than 10 million last season. As others have mentioned, it’s becoming more of a regional product.

 

[Dawgg]

I have always thought the MLB should move the playoffs and World Series to August. It would make July interesting with teams fighting for a spot. No other sports league to go against in July and August. No one cares about anything else when the NFL and College Football kick-off.

I get the logic, but the Playoffs and World Series in August would be miserable for fans of teams with outdoor stadiums.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I get the logic, but the Playoffs and World Series in August would be miserable for fans of teams with outdoor stadiums.

Don’t teams play in August now? And not only that, they could play all the games at night.

Are we really THIS adverse to weather? Getting silly. I mean I understand an 11 am football game in September.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

It’s based off of old rules used by cable and satellite TV and their broadcasting partners. It’s an incredibly dated model. Certain regions have “home teams” and that’s who you get and some of those regions are bizarre.

In North Mississippi based on MLBs tv home team map we are able to watch Braves, Cardinals, AND Reds games. I have no idea how we get Reds games.

They have to keep rolling that out for a reason. Maybe they know that if they ever went ala carte their revenue would plummet further.

 

[HuntDawg]

World Series Television Ratings (1968-2024) | Baseball Almanac

World Series television ratings from 1968-2024, research by Baseball Almanac.

www.baseball-almanac.com

I’m not so sure. World Series ratings have declined from 35million viewers in early 90s to less than 10 million last season. As others have mentioned, it’s becoming more of a regional product.

Tv is dying everywhere. Nothing gets ratings anymore minus football.

mlb attendance is fine. Definitely not a regional product. It’s played across the country, watched, and supported. Perhaps in places like Mississippi where there is no mlb teams.. and with a few grumpy old men…. You are seeing a dip but that’s it…But baseball itself is fine and will be.

 

[retire the banner]

Tv is dying everywhere. Nothing gets ratings anymore minus football.

mlb attendance is fine. Definitely not a regional product. It’s played across the country, watched, and supported. Perhaps in places like Mississippi where there is no mlb teams.. and with a few grumpy old men…. You are seeing a dip but that’s it…But baseball itself is fine and will be.

Mailbag: Is Baseball Dying?

Pretty much, though I still like baseball

www.houseofstrauss.com

To me, this is a good synopsis of MLB. It’s fine for now, but there are obvious concerns

 

[OG Goat Holder]

Mailbag: Is Baseball Dying?

Pretty much, though I still like baseball

www.houseofstrauss.com

To me, this is a good synopsis of MLB. It’s fine for now, but there are obvious concerns

That’s a good article, and sums up all the things I see as well.

 

[ZombieKissinger]

Tickets don’t have to be sold out either. There’s a demand curve for attendance probably driven by per capita income, local population, winning percentage, marketing/stadium, competing events. The teams are going to want to identify more specific demand curves by cohorts and have seat pricing based on that, while incorporating time of day, weather, day of week, seat experience.

If you add some inputs based on your population characteristics and insert that demand equation into total revenue = attendance x price, you can take the derivative to get marginal revue in terms of price. You can set marginal revenue to 0 and solve for price to get an ideal ticket price. If you stick that price back into the original equation and the attendance exceeds capacity, it makes sense to sell out at the highest price you can get and still fill the stadium. If attendance doesn’t exceed capacity, you charge that price and don’t sell out.

So some teams are likely incentivized to not sell out, though the better you can identify those demand curves for different cohorts and tailor price to them, the more teams will try to sell out

 

[retire the banner]

An interesting personal MLB & NBA observation:

I lived the majority of my life in North MS/Memphis area. A lot of people were NBA / Grizzlies fans. MLB too (Cardinals & Braves). But the generation I grew up with began to watch less MLB (as did I)

I moved to Jackson metro last year and essentially no one I’ve met has interest in the NBA, but young & old alike seem to enjoy MLB.

I watched a ton of Red Sox games growing up but once I got out of college my interest decreased. Now, middle aged with kids I don’t watch many Sox games, but I do enjoy postseason. Will I buy NESN and watch a bunch of games when my kids get older and I have “more time” ? Maybe

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Don’t teams play in August now? And not only that, they could play all the games at night.

Are we really THIS adverse to weather? Getting silly. I mean I understand an 11 am football game in September.

I thought it was initially in September. Mr. September. Not Mr. November.

Television changed another sport. Surprise!

 

[NukeDogg]

Other than the handful of teams with national fanbases, this is my guess as well. The NFL knows we're gonna watch Seahawks at Vikings, but nobody outside those markets is gonna care about a regular season mariners/Twins game.

It says a lot that Thursday night football can outdraw a World Series game on the same night...NFL is king

 

[SanfordRJones]

Y'all wanting to shorten the season are 17ing crazy. I want 365 games a year. More baseball, not less.

 

[DesotoCountyDawg]

Shortening the season wouldn’t change anyone’s interest either way. It might actually piss off the loyal fans and purists.

 

[DAWGSANDSAINTS]

I get the logic, but the Playoffs and World Series in August would be miserable for fans of teams with outdoor stadiums.

They play a whole month of games in August- including day games and have for 100 plus years.

 

[Dawgg]

Don’t teams play in August now? And not only that, they could play all the games at night.

Are we really THIS adverse to weather? Getting silly. I mean I understand an 11 am football game in September.

They play a whole month of games in August- including day games and have for 100 plus years.

Yes, they play in August, but not for the biggest event of the year. The sun doesn't set until after 8 p.m. in August in most places.
Let's use St. Louis as an example. Outdoor stadium with an average August temperature of about 90 degrees.
You simply can't put 2-4 of the biggest games of the season in that kind of environment. In October, the average temperature is about 70 degrees and the sun will set about an hour earlier.

You have to see that the World Series is more important than a regular season game.

Same reason the Super Bowl is always in a warm weather location or a dome, because even though plenty of teams play outdoor games in late winter in cold weather locations, nobody expects the biggest game of the year to be at Lambeau in February.

 

[Perd Hapley]

But just this math right here tells a story, college regular season vs. pro regular season:

Football, 12 vs. 17, pro is 42% longer;
Basketball, 30 vs. 82, pro is 173% longer;
Baseball, 55 vs. 162, pro is 195% longer.

Maybe that math isn't perfect, but you can see the point there.

The real story of this is that the density of games is just so much higher in baseball and basketball. In football, the pro season is longer, but it’s still just the one game per week. Just as easy for the common fan to digest what happened one week, and get ready for the next one.

College basketball is 2 games per week, NBA is 3-4 games per week….almost double.

College baseball is 3-4 games per week with 5 also happening on occasion, MLB you have 5 as the minimum with 6 being common and playing all 7 days not being unheard of.

MLB and NBA just have a sensory overload problem for most casual fans, at least in the regular season. That’s especially true in these tech influenced 21st century times….where there are so many other distractions. Americans’ attention spans are getting lower all the time….asking someone to tune in and emotionally invest themselves that often is just an exercise in futility.

 

[Boom Boom]

The real story of this is that the density of games is just so much higher in baseball and basketball. In football, the pro season is longer, but it’s still just the one game per week. Just as easy for the common fan to digest what happened one week, and get ready for the next one.

College basketball is 2 games per week, NBA is 3-4 games per week….almost double.

College baseball is 3-4 games per week with 5 also happening on occasion, MLB you have 5 as the minimum with 6 being common and playing all 7 days not being unheard of.

MLB and NBA just have a sensory overload problem for most casual fans, at least in the regular season. That’s especially true in these tech influenced 21st century times….where there are so many other distractions. Americans’ attention spans are getting lower all the time….asking someone to tune in and emotionally invest themselves that often is just an exercise in futility.

MLB has finally started recognizing that. They've streamlined the game significantly with the pitch clock, and the ap offers condensed games and highlights of games. Both of those could stand to be improved. The regional system is still holding them back.

 

[Dawgbite]

Baseball is a marathon where football is a sprint. A sprint is just more exciting. After these Olympics many people on here will know who won the 100 meters sprint but I bet not a single person will know who won the 5000 meters without looking it up.

 

[Boom Boom]

They have to keep rolling that out for a reason. Maybe they know that if they ever went ala carte their revenue would plummet further.

It became vogue around the turn of the century for teams (teams sell their TV rights, not the league) to sell the TV rights in looong contracts, like 25 years. They are based on the regional system with blackouts set by the league, which itself was based on the cable monopoly system, and they are now massively overvalued. If the league drops the blackouts, the contracts would have to be renegotiated, and teams would lose a lot of money.

It's basically two contracts between 3 parties. The team sells the rights to a network, the network has a separate contract with the cable/satellite providers. There's no way to change the system without screwing up the value to one of those parties. If the network starts streaming games, the cable provider is being screwed of the customers they relied on having to buy their bloated packages to get the game, for which reason their contract prohibits it. The regional system was set up to provide maximum incentive for customers to sign up for cable packages.

I guess you'd have to have the cable providers streaming games in a way that they aren't losing value. Hopefully as the old system finally dies, they can work that out.