As the Philadelphia Phillies continue another postseason run with World Series aspirations, more consumers are listening to the team’s radio broadcasts than ever before. According to a report from Inside Radio, Nielsen Media Research divulged that shares for the first game of the team’s Wild Card Series against the Miami Marlins generated a 46.3 share in the men 25-54 demographic. The first hour of the broadcast generated a 51.5 share, while a 50.0-share was recorded in the second hour, both frames during which the Phillies posted key offensive output to get on the board.
The next day, the Phillies completed the two-game sweep of the Marlins and garnered a 41.1 share in the same demographic. In this game, however, the Phillies offense shined in the sixth inning when a four-run effort effectively placed the game out of reach. As a result, the second hour of the broadcast produced the highest share of the night at 45.8, while the first hour came in at 38.2. These over-the-air listening numbers, however, do not encompass the total breadth of the audience for WIP-FM, and more information can be ascertained by viewing the out-of-home consumption.
Nielsen data outlines that over half of listening within the Wild Card Series took place in the home, perhaps indicative of the preferential nature for regional broadcasters from fans. Scott Franzke made an iconic call during last year’s NLCS when Bryce Harper hit a clutch home run that ended up putting the Phillies into the World Series. Throughout this postseason, he has been joined by television play-by-play announcer Tom McCarthy and radio color commentator Larry Anderson.
In an interview with Inside Radio, Nielsen’s senior vice president and sales director, John Snyder, referred to the in-home shares as “stunning” and believed that the numbers were indicative of people turning down the national television broadcast and aligning the images to the audio being disseminated over the air. In viewing the localization of the medium firsthand, it is evident that the medium still has a significant impact during the most critical games of the year.
“Some people forget about the passion associated with radio,” Snyder said. “This brings it home, where people are going through the hassle of syncing it up to hear the local call of the game.”
