Yet another "thin ice" article about ESPN ratings

[sunjoy]

Another report on the decline of TV ratings for figure skating (http://marketplace.publicradio.org/shows/2007/02/01/PM200702015.html). This one, by public radio's "Marketplace" makes a good point missed by others that 30-45 year old women may well have more spending power than the young male audience that ESPN seems to want to court.You know Kai, I've got to sit down with a Madison Avenue guru and say, you know, come on. Don't tell me that women my age after working, you know, all these years, don't have more disposable income and don't have more power in the retail marketplace than, as you say, a post-college 24-year-old boy. I just don't believe it.

A couple of descrepancies and a couple of comments though:
(1) "Skate America" is a sporting competition and is one of the International Skating Union Grand Prix events. Marketplace's correspondant was wrong in categorizing Skate America with made for TV shows like "skate with the stars".

(2) Yes, an Olympic Games happens every two years, but the Winter Olympics still only happens once every four years. Figure skating, ice hockey, skiiing, speed skating and the other high-profile winter sports are quite distinct from summer olympic sports, and it's hard to imagine "oversaturation" due to staggering the Games. If anything, *not* having two Olympic Games in the same year may help "desaturate" the market for skating.

(3) Many reports on the decline of ratings for skating neglect to make a comparison with other established sports. Is the X-games and other non-sporting television eating market share from, say, the NHL as well? Or is it only Figure Skating that's in decline? Torino LFS ratings down 50% from Salt Lake? Is that international ratings or just in the US I wonder? Because the hometown draw and Michelle Kwan would both have figured highly in the SLC ratings within North America I'd guess.

(4) Mr. Ryssdal confesses with a bit of regret that though he is a sports fan he missed watching the USFSA nationals, and he also mentions Kimmie Meisner's win. What's left out is the intensely competitive showdown in the Men's skate between Johnny Weir and Evan Lysachek. It was sports drama at it's best, with both competitors attempting moves they had never landed before in competition: one succeeded beyond expectations, and the other, having lost, was seen weeping due to the intensity and emotionality of the moment.

It's quite regretable that such athletic skill and drama doesn't get the marketing it deserves.

[Isk8NYC]

Part of the problem is with the networks themselves. (I'm only speaking of the US broadcast networks)

Advertising isn't really being done as much for Skating. There's some in the week leading up to the competition, but it's usually during a program that our typical skating viewer may not watch. NFL football, for example.

They show competitions where the results have been known for days or even weeks. We've been really careful to protect our posts against spoilers, but some people don't care anymore - they want to see the results right away. Gee, wonder why no one goes out of their way to watch these broadcasts?

Only recently have they begun showing "Classic" skating. Before, it was put into the can and snippets were occasionally shown, but nothing more than that was ever seen again. That spurred fans into recording and saving programs to watch over and over.

The reality of watching anything on TV involves record-and-watch later. Some people watch the broadcast AND record the program. Others (like me) just record it and watch when they have time later.

Television needs to figure out their demographic, how to reach those people, and entice more viewers to watch.


Or, as my DH says, everyone attending a show/comp should get a foam crowbar at the door as a souvenier. LOL

[manleywoman]

Only recently have they begun showing "Classic" skating.

And the "classics" they've been showing haven't been older than 1988, and even that was for only an hour. they are mostly from the late 1990s.

[Virtualsk8r]

The future of figure skating for the videophile audiences - is definitely going the way of YouTube. Where else can you see programs from skaters that never make it on the AmNets? Grant it, the quality is horrible, but at least I can see skaters that never make it on the TV programs and from competitions that never seem to be broadcast in North America.

Some day, someone will target the figure skating audience and advertisers - and start a FigureSkatingTube, with high def pictures and no Dick Button commentaries to irritate you (or Rod Black for those Canadians!)

Here in Canada, CTV & TSN show some of the Canadian championships live ( last group of seniors usually) and highlights or programs of some of the other senior skaters ........rarely, if ever any Junior performances except during a pre-taped 'Junior ' hour broadcast much later in March, and then only the medal performances. But at least we can see almost live stuff on the day it happens.

I tried to see the US Mens competition, but it was only available on ESPN which I don't get. At least ABC had the women's event - or some of it.

[flippet]

The reality of watching anything on TV involves record-and-watch later. Some people watch the broadcast AND record the program. Others (like me) just record it and watch when they have time later.

Television needs to figure out their demographic, how to reach those people, and entice more viewers to watch.

All of television is having this problem. As a fan of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, we've been talking about this issue quite a bit. Studio 60's "regular" ratings aren't fantastic. But they jump 18% (I believe? I may have that number a bit wrong) when you factor in the people who DVR the show and watch over the next 7 days. When the episode is released on iTunes, it stays in the top 10 downloads for around four days.

All that means that a lot more people are watching and enjoying the show than the old-fashioned Nielsen numbers would indicate.

Now, advertisers assume that those who DVR are skipping commercials. I don't know where the research stands on the actuality of that. (I just know that when I watch a taped program, sometimes I skip over, and sometimes I forget and watch the ads anyway.)

I wonder what steps, if any, are being taken to see how skating fans *actually* watch their skating, and how to adjust the numbers and expectations to that.

Advertising isn't really being done as much for Skating. There's some in the week leading up to the competition, but it's usually during a program that our typical skating viewer may not watch. NFL football, for example.

This is something that really frosts me. I did not see a single advertisement for Nationals. NOT ONE. If I didn't come here, I wouldn't have known the competition was even occurring. As it stands, whatever ABC broadcast (did they?), I never saw. And I don't get ESPN....it may seem as if the world all has cable, but it simply isn't true.

And you're right--they show the ads as if skating fans are "sport" fans. I haven't found that to necessarily be true. I know that I don't watch anything BUT skating. If I catch a football game, it's completely by accident. It's clear that they don't really understand their audience.

Which is also why the 'sports updates' that we get during skating broadcasts annoy me so much. I'm a SKATING fan. I don't give a rip what the latest basketball, golf, or football scores are. Don't interrupt or shortchange my programming to give me that (after all, they don't interrupt those sports to give me skating updates, do they???). *Especially* don't do your little musical beep OVER THE COMPETITOR'S MUSIC!!! That one should be a no-brainer.

Also, because it's so difficult to even find skating on television anymore, I just wait for it to turn up on YouTube. (Note to tv and ad execs--if I could EASILY FIND the skating on TV, this wouldn't be the case. I would watch on tv like I always have.)

[Isk8NYC]

Very well stated, flippet. (As always. ;) ) I'm in agreement with you on all points.

About the score updates for other sports - it's just an annoyance and the chime is distracting. I always expect it mean that the competitor's program is halfway over.

ESPN is one of the worst channels to broadcast skating. First of all because of the subscription costs. Secondly, their demographics are completely different from those of figure skating audiences. Finally, you can't even FIND skating on their website easily; it's so far below their radar. HOpefully, since they're the contract holder, they'll make an effort to reach the audience.

I love HeatherW's site for skating on television. I wonder if there's a way to set up an RSS feed (geek speak) to get updates of her page (or TVGuide/DirectTV/Cable) via email?

[loveskating]

Well, now that you mention it, I think if skating were on at a regular time, a lot more people would watch it. There is no reason this cannot be done from month x to month y.

I mean, once it was always live, so each even had to be advertised; but now ABC/ESPN has run it taped, so why not have a very regular time slot for it?

But I think this is organizational -- unless the overall cold war, war like approach changes skating will continue to turn off long time fans and not reach new audiences.

[Tennisany1]

Well, now that you mention it, I think if skating were on at a regular time, a lot more people would watch it. There is no reason this cannot be done from month x to month y.

I mean, once it was always live, so each even had to be advertised; but now ABC/ESPN has run it taped, so why not have a very regular time slot for it?

But I think this is organizational -- unless the overall cold war, war like approach changes skating will continue to turn off long time fans and not reach new audiences.

Regularly scheduled skating is a great idea! Yes, it would be better live, but that's not likely to happen anytime soon, so why not do some research and pick a slot when skating fans would watch.

Anyone have an address or email we could send this suggestion to?

[singerskates]

It's weird because here in Canada the Canadian Championships actually beat out hockey in the ratings!

Here's the link, Figure skating tops hockey in television ratings (http://www.skatecanada.ca/en/news_views/press_room/news_releases/2007/feb1_2.cfm).

But our attendance at the competition site was way down this year. I'm saying it was the increase in cost, city's over scheduling of events and the weather that all play a factor in why 2007 Canadians site attendance was down.

I'd say that Canada stayed home to watch this year.

[DreamSkates]

I hadn't thought about it, but there weren't any ads on ABC prior to Nationals in this region, either. And I agree about the showdown in the men's competition - that could have been played up to the hilt. I know the ladies competition is usually the most popular, but many of us also enjoy the men and watch them just as closely. I think they made (or tried to) something of a rivalry between Kimmie and Emily - of course there is a rivalry, they as well as others wanted to win the gold medal. I think the bigger rivalry was between Evan and Johnny. Maybe ABC/ESPN are just not keeping up with people's current interest. Michelle Kwan is not competing so therefore there's not as much interest? (please note the question mark at the end of that statement). If you are a skating fan, there is still excitiment to be had in skating without MK.