Baseball scored a rare ratings victory over the NFL boosted by a thrilling World Series. Could it mean a challenge to football’s TV dominance? Don’t bet on itEarly last Thursday morning, as the champagne flew in the Chicago Cubs clubhouse, Fox put to bed a rollicking World Series that smashed all expectations of what modern baseball can do on television with a 25.2 rating for Game 7. Later that night, on the NFL Network, the Atlanta Falcons clobbered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and drew a once-unfathomable 3.2 rating, a 35% drop from the same Thursday night game last year. While in other years, the Falcons and Bucs game might have been written off as an anomaly, it was yet another...
Major League Soccer is no match for the top European leagues but playing in the States doesn’t mean you will fail at international levelWhen Giampiero Ventura decided to exclude Sebastian Giovinco from Italy’s squad for the upcoming matches against Liechtenstein and Germany, it barely registered as a surprise. Ventura, who became the Azzurris’ new manager in June after Antonio Conte left for Chelsea, echoed his predecessor’s sentiments by declaring that Giovinco’s decision to play in MLS hurt his chances of being selected. “I have done everything to help him but the reality is that he plays in a league that doesn’t count for much,” said the 68-year-old. “And the number of goals he scores is less important because with the...
The breakthrough star of football season is a punter who is breaking stereotypes while giving the increasingly stolid NFL a much-needed injection of funThe breakout star of this football season may very well be a punter. If that sounds like some sort of backhanded compliment of a 2016 NFL season that has seen poor reviews and declining ratings, maybe it is. But it’s not intentional because, well ... have you seen Marquette King punt? The guy has legitimately made punting fun. Punting. Fun. We could be on the verge of seeing a punter’s jersey on the backs of NFL fans without a single one being purchased ironically.The Oakland punter’s breakthrough into mainstream awareness came on Sunday in a nationally televised...
There has been plenty of attention on the NFL’s struggles to attract viewers this year. But figures are down for a European upstart tooOn Sunday, Arsenal and Tottenham played out a draw in a North London derby that could prove to have serious repercussions for the Premier League title race. But American fans had to get up early or find means to record the match and watch it in a spoiler-proofed room. Kickoff, after all, was at noon in London – 7am in New York and 4am in Los Angeles. Ideally for American fans, the match would have aired live on the NBC Sports Network early Saturday or Sunday afternoon in the United States, but the NBC Sports Network has...
The Indianapolis Colts QB has had an up and down year but against the Green Bay Packers he showed why he is still a prized assetTake two quarterbacks. QB1 throws for 281 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. QB2 throws for 297 yards, three scores and one pick. You can figure out what happens by the setup: the second QB trailed by as many as 18 points, and never got a chance to drive for the winning score in a 31-26 loss.Andrew Luck was that first quarterback. Aaron Rodgers was the second. Both teams continued to struggle in their Week 9 game, but the Colts held on to beat the Packers after building a big lead. Related: Pittsburgh Steelers kicker...