You got to know the rules...

[Bad Zebra]

Originally Posted by jdw3018

If anything, the value per minute of sports programming should be up relative to overall programming, as people are much more likely to watch sports live as opposed to other programming.

It's hard to make a case for higher value of ANY programming if advertisers know that commercials are not being seen. That's what "zapping" the commercials is doing...makes no difference if it's live sports or sitcoms or news programming for that matter.

Your point is valid about more eyeballs being drawn to sports...but that doesn't help me if I'm trying to sell Chevy trucks and people are whipping past my message. Product placement will increase as you described, but tests show that they're no where near as effective as 30 second commercials.

Bottom line...watch the commercials...they're the reason the network is able to broadcast the game.

(off my soapbox now...back to your regularly scheduled thread)

[jdw3018]

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

It's hard to make a case for higher value of ANY programming if advertisers know that commercials are not being seen. That's what "zapping" the commercials is doing...makes no difference if it's live sports or sitcoms or news programming for that matter.

Your point is valid about more eyeballs being drawn to sports...but that doesn't help me if I'm trying to sell Chevy trucks and people are whipping past my message. Product placement will increase as you described, but tests show that they're no where near as effective as 30 second commercials.

Bottom line...watch the commercials...they're the reason the network is able to broadcast the game.

(off my soapbox now...back to your regularly scheduled thread)

I don't know where we got so off-topic , but while I agree with your points overall, TV isn't going away...and if the "zapping" of commercials happens at a higher rate in sitcoms than in sports (which it does), then the value (to advertisers) of sports is going to be greater relative to the value of sitcoms.

That doesn't mean the overall value of television advertising isn't going to decrease - it probably is - but we shouldn't worry about zapping the commercials. It's a fact of life now and they aren't going to stop showing sports...in fact, I'll argue there will be a higher frequency of live television because it's less likely to be zapped.

This is fun...

[Scrapper1]

Originally Posted by Bad Zebra

Bottom line...watch the commercials...they're the reason the network is able to broadcast the game.

Maybe not watching the commercials will simply lower the amount the network is willing to pay for the games. I doubt the NCAA tournament (or the NFL, or MLB, or even the NHL) will disappear from TV, even if they get paid less for the rights.

I heard that Monday Night Football was a continuous money-loser for ABC in terms of what they could sell the ad time for. But it was incredibly valuable in promoting the rest of the network's programming and building an audience for other ABC shows, and that's what made it worth the rights fees. Is that anywhere close to being true?