FOX and the shift to Saturday Night Baseball
by Flashfire
on May 10, 2008 3:36 PM PDT
It used to be A's fans could count on Saturday and Sunday home games starting at 1:05 PM every time. Sometimes there'd be a 6:05 start because of fireworks after the game, but other than that the weekend day games were automatic.
Those days appear to be over.
After 1:05 starts against Cleveland and Kansas City in May, the game against Texas began at 6:05. The next five - Boston, LA Angels, Florida, San Francisco and LA Angels again - also start at 6:05.
In all, of their 13 Saturday home dates this season, 8 are at 6:05 and just 5 at 1:05, including the last two of the season. Guess what? Not a single one of those afternoon starts will be shown locally.
Why is this happening?
Well, there is one fireworks show on June 7 and another on August 30, but that only accounts for a quarter of the evening starts.
Other teams have begun playing more night games on Saturdays and I really first noticed it the most when the Padres opened Petco Park not too long ago now. If you look at the rest of their Saturday schedule this season, the only times they have an afternoon game are twice in August and both of those are scheduled as FOX's game of the week.
This leads me into my biggest belief for the overabundance of Saturday night games: FOX's exclusive rights to 1 PM baseball. When the A's are at home and I'm stuck watching an Angels or Dodgers game on FOX or, God forbid, yet another Yankees or Red Sox game, I'm not happy. But what is a team going to do to get more of their games on TV while FOX force feeds us what they want? Switch to the night game, which FOX has no control over.
I don't think it has much at all to do with trying to encourage more families or fans in general to come out to the park, especially when the weather in Oakland is very comfortable throughout the summer. At least the A's start their games an hour earlier. San Diego's are all 7:05 starts, just like any other night game during the week.
To note, the Giants are facing a similar situation. From here on out, they have seven home Saturdays at 6:05, 3 at 1:05 (none on TV) and one FOX game at 12:55. So again, to maximize viewers and the ads being paid for by their sponsors, what would normally be a nice afternoon at the park turns into a night game instead.
Thanks for nothing, FOX.
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I love it....
Would rather have a Saturday night game over a Saturday day game any day, either for watching or going to. Gotta say I hope it continues.
Bring back Hammer.
by OaktownPower on May 10, 2008 3:53 PM PDT 0 recs
Agreed.
"Hasn’t the foggiest inclination toward winning ‘tall. Hates to win. Likes to be buggered."
by Jennifer on
May 10, 2008 4:01 PM PDT
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Why is that?
I love day games, myself. I think we have enough night games during the week but at least the A’s still do the 12:35 start mid-week most of the time. I know we already have day games on Sundays but traditionally the weekends have been the times where you can go out to the game, spend a few hours there, then head back home and do whatever else you like – including a family dinner.
I guess with a night game you can do all of your chores or other business first, then be done in time for the game, but I have always preferred spending an afternoon at the ballpark instead of a night.
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by Flashfire on
May 10, 2008 4:07 PM PDT
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Me too
The less time I spend in the sun, the better.
The candy and the baseball all night long :)
by Englishmajor on
May 10, 2008 10:35 PM PDT
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Baseball was not created for vampires
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by Flashfire on
May 10, 2008 10:52 PM PDT
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Not that I have a personal stake in this as an NRAF
but I love day games, and don’t like night games nearly as much—especially at the Coliseum, which has some of the best daytime weather in the East Bay, but is usually pretty cold at night.
Night games also involve way more drunken assholes, especially against the Eastern teams.
I think you’re probably right about Fox and the tv schedule, but I also imagine that owners are trying to capture some kind of demographic they think is available on Sat night that isn’t during the day. Of maybe they’ve decided that they sell more beer at night or something.
"And Julio Franco is batting right-handed!" -- Wayne Hagin, A's radio play-by-play, mid-80s
by Nick on May 10, 2008 5:03 PM PDT 0 recs
I prefer day baseball, also, and...
...I believe you are correct in you conclusion that it is driven by Fox’ daytime exclusive.
Some read stats. Others actually watch the game.
by UncleLeo on May 10, 2008 5:42 PM PDT 0 recs
I'm not so sure...
The Fox afternoon exclusiveness doesn’t apply to local and regional channels showing their teams’ games at the same time. If KICU or CSN Bay Area wanted to show the A’s while Fox was showing their game of the week, they could, but looking at the schedule, they’re not. The only ones they would affect would be NRAFs like me who rely on MLB Extra Innings—that’s where the Fox exclusiveness takes affect.
Now if KICU and CSN Bay Area are influenced by Fox in this way, or if the A’s are influenced by Fox in scheduling their game times—that would be a question for the team and the broadcasters. But I don’t think Fox can tell them they can’t show the A’s during their game of the week.
"[Moneyball] is huge [in Japan], I guess, so I'm like a David Hasselhoff type or something..." -- Billy Beane
by FormerHuntsvilleStar on May 11, 2008 7:30 AM PDT 0 recs
They do apply, and you need look no further than...
...the three Giants home 1:05 starts that aren’t being televised. As we all know, the Giants are on TV all the time. Even midweek afternoon day games are often on TV. The only reason that could apply is FOX’s exclusive agreement with MLB for that time slot on Saturdays. Otherwise, you can be guaranteed CSN would be showing that Giants game.
FOX isn’t telling anyone they can’t broadcast against them at 1 PM on Saturdays. MLB is. That’s also why you are blacked out on Extra Innings at that time.
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by Flashfire on
May 11, 2008 9:55 AM PDT
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But then look at July 19
A’s at Yankees…to be televised by CSN Bay Area and Yes Network…at 1:05 p.m. ET/10:05 a.m. PT. Bay Area and New York will get to see that game, but not Extra Innings folks.
"[Moneyball] is huge [in Japan], I guess, so I'm like a David Hasselhoff type or something..." -- Billy Beane
by FormerHuntsvilleStar on
May 11, 2008 5:51 PM PDT
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I believe that's a different story
The 12:55 FOX start corresponds to 3:55 on the East Coast, so their 1:05 is our 10:05 and not in that window FOX claims.
Actually, looking over their Saturday home schedule the rest of the season, the Yankees have a pair of 1:05 local starts left in May, both on YES. Two more in June, same situation. At the end of the month they have a FOX game in Shea which does start at 3:55. Their home game against Boston on July 5 is a FOX game, also at 3:55. Then there’s that A’s game two weeks later. In August, there’s one FOX game at 3:55 and two YES games at 1:05, then in September one on YES at 1:05 and their last is TBD for the time.
How about Boston? Same pattern for them. Every home FOX game is 3:55 PM Eastern and they have a game out in Anaheim that’s the same, so 12:55 locally. However, their non-FOX games are all at night.
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by Flashfire on
May 11, 2008 6:10 PM PDT
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In a round-about way FOX is telling...
...as they made sure to have specific language put in the contract. In addition to being an accomplice, MLB is the enforcer.
Some read stats. Others actually watch the game.
by UncleLeo on May 11, 2008 10:31 AM PDT 0 recs
True
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by Flashfire on
May 11, 2008 10:52 AM PDT
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Fox Can Shift Their Exclusivity Window
Since FOX does not have the privilege to foist two games onto local viewers, sometimes they choose a 10:00 AM PDT game, allowing a local team to televise a 1:00 PM contest. I remember an A’s-Giants game getting onto TV that way a year or two back, most likely because Fox chose to show Mets-Yankees (or perhaps Cubs-Cardinals) in the 10:00 AM slot.
by muscatel on May 11, 2008 10:01 PM PDT 0 recs
I love night games in Summer.
The day games get too warm for me. Day games are ok in cool weather, though.
by IM4Oakgal on May 11, 2008 10:09 PM PDT 0 recs
I like day games
But since I am an out of market extra innings watcher this works much better for me. Sat. Day games black me out.
"I can't wait for tommorrow, cause I get so much cooler every day" - shirt worn by Swish
by Bigtoe on May 11, 2008 11:13 PM PDT 0 recs
FOX controls Saturday day games....
And since MLB is in business to fleece as many as possible, they are slowly moving to a schedule that allows for the FOX contract but also allows them to generate revenue by televising evening games on Saturday evenings. Good business practice. It keeps the “game of the week” as a staple feature but doesn’t hinder the other 28 teams.
I much prefer night games. A little bout of skin cancer drives that preference. Besides, families often have youth sports activities on Saturday, which keeps them away from the park. It’s easier as a family to go to an evening game and eat at the park and then go home.
"You may glory in a team triumphant, but you fall in love with a team in defeat."--The Boys of Summer
by alox on May 12, 2008 10:13 AM PDT 0 recs
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