It seems as if Blues fans, at least in terms of television ownership, are tired of the team’s big story. You know, big expectations, big hype, big regular season — then a big bust in the playoffs.
According to Nielsen, which measures TV viewership, Blues ratings on local carrier Fox Sports Midwest are down a whopping 25 percent this season over the same stage last year. FSM has televised all but seven of their contests, with the others being shown on NBCSN.
And NBCSN’s ratings in St. Louis for its Blues games have followed the local lead, as Nielsen says they’ve dropped just under 25 percent.
Losing a quarter of the audience is a massive decline, something that if it happened for a network program or local TV newscasts would lead to major upheaval. But in the Blues’ case it’s not the quality of the telecasts or those on the air that is the problem. And it’s not the product that is being shown, either. The Blues are among the best in the West — again. But it’s the track record of the team, with three consecutive first-round playoff exits following much regular-season success, that could be a key factor.
Fans, at least from a TV viewership standpoint, seem to be saying what the NHL’s critics blare — the regular season is too long, with not enough meaning in the grand picture. Add the fact the team doesn’t score much and it’s that recipe that probably has created the big dip.
An eventual fall in viewership for the Blues seemed inevitable, given the recent run of success. FSM had experienced a rating increase for six consecutive years, culminating with Nielsen saying an average of 4.9 percent of homes in the market with a TV turned in last season. FSM’s figure heading into Thursday’s contest, for which the rating is not yet available, was 3.5.
Despite the drop, FSM reports that the Blues are drawing the fourth-best ratings among U.S.-based NHL teams for their local telecasts, are the top-rated cable program in St. Louis most of the time and that ratings are up for the last month. Also pointed out is that their contest Sunday, at Tampa, outrated the NBA All-Star Game later that night by 36 percent.
To read more visit STL Today where this article was originally published
Jason Barrett is the Founder and CEO of Barrett Media. The company launched in September 2015 and has provided consulting services to America’s top audio and video brands, while simultaneously covering the media industry at BarrettMedia.com, becoming a daily destination for media professionals. Prior to Barrett Media, Jason built and programmed 95.7 The Game in San Francisco, and 101 ESPN in St. Louis. He was also the first sports programmer for SportsTalk 950 in Philadelphia, which later became 97.5 The Fanatic. Barrett also led 590 The Fan KFNS in St. Louis, and ESPN 1340/1390 in Poughkeepsie, NY, and worked on-air and behind the scenes at 101.5 WPDH, WTBQ 1110AM, and WPYX 106.5. He also spent two years at ESPN Radio in Bristol, CT producing ‘The Dan Patrick Show’ and ‘GameNight’. JB can be reached on Twitter @SportsRadioPD or by email at Jason@BarrettMedia.com.
