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Facebook MLB Viewership Lower Than Expected

Jason Barrett

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Facebook’s exclusive Major League Baseball broadcasts have been met with a number of unhappy fans who would prefer to watch the game on traditional television. Their first stream of Mets – Phillies during Major League Baseball’s opening week was met with endless complaints of annoying graphics and glitches during the stream. Critics have calmed in the subsequent Facebook broadcasts, but viewership is still lower than expected.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer Facebook’s MLB broadcasts have averaged between 65,000 and 85,000 concurrent viewers through their first three streams of the season. The Philadelphia Inquirer also reported the Royals and Blue Jays garnered 6.8 million global views, which is measured as a viewer who checks into the game for at least three seconds.

As Awful Announcing notes, a divisional game presented exclusively as a national broadcast should attract several hundred thousand viewers, not 65,000. However, national games are never broadcast on a Wednesday afternoon, making it harder to judge what Facebook’s number should be. Last season, in terms of national MLB broadcasts, FOX averaged 2.05 million viewers during their regular season broadcasts and 448,000 for FS1 telecasts.

A linear network would garner an audience larger than Facebook’s 65,000 – 80,000, but a midday telecast during the week would certainly fall short of their weekend numbers. One of Facebook’s selling points is the ability for someone at work to watch the game when they don’t have access to a television. Since Facebook holds exclusive rights, there are no blackout restrictions.

6.8 million global views, even if only for three seconds, appears impressive and shows there’s a larger audience available for Facebook and Major League Baseball to tap into. It’s difficult to judge how many of those views were made with intent, similar to the amount of people that channel surf, scrolling through FOX to get to another network. People will click something they see on Facebook without knowing what it is or having any intention of staying on the page.

6.8 million global views also does not mean 6.8 million different viewers, between my phone and desktop, I clicked in and out of the Mets – Phillies game at least a dozen times during the course of the three hour stream.

Facebook will broadcast a total of 25 games this year, costing them a little more than $1 million per game, totaling between $30 and $35 million for the season. Although Amazon’s Thursday Night Football streaming deal is not exclusive, they spent $4.5 million per game last season and averaged 310,000 viewers. With those numbers, both Amazon and Facebook have spent approximately $14 per viewer.

Both partnerships include other aspects and perks, its value does not come down to only viewership, but $14 per viewer is significantly more than any television network pays for their broadcast rights fees.

Brandon Contes is a freelance writer for BSM. He can be found on Twitter @BrandonContes. To reach him by email click here.

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Erin Andrews Reveals Infertility Journey in Emotional ‘Today Show’ Interview

FOX reporter Erin Andrews sat down with ‘The Today Show’s’ Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

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Erin Andrews

FOX reporter Erin Andrews shared her story of infertility and surrogacy with NBC’s Today Show. Last summer, Andrews and her husband welcomed a baby boy via surrogate after trying for a decade to get pregnant via IVF, during which she was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2016. Today, she sat down with Kristen Welker to discuss her journey, how Welker’s own journey inspired her, and more.

Andrews says Welker’s announcement on the Today Show made her think a baby could be possible. “I remember Kristin Welker’s announcement on your show,” Andrews said last year, “and I actually watched that the morning Mac was born, because that just hit me.”

When they finally sat down, Welker asked Andrews why her journey resonated with the sports reporter so much:

“Because I see myself in you. Kristen, the video of you moderating debates after you’re waiting on bad news or maybe you just received it, that’s me. I can tell you every stand-up I’ve done at a football game where I’ve gotten the news that it didn’t work. I’d be talking about Tom Brady going for this record and my record is that I still was failing…I would have chest pains every time I was waiting for the call if it worked, and I knew it wouldn’t work.

Erin Andrews on ‘Today’

Andrews knew surrogacy was the only path to having a child. Although her family’s first attempt failed, her second attempt was a success, and she got to hear her child’s heartbeat for the very first time. The pair discuss the complex emotions that come with surrogacy, saying that bonds with their child could be affected because they didn’t carry their child. However, Welker assured Andrews that those feelings go away once you can talk to your child.

Once her son was born in June, who Andrews called, “a miracle,” she then talks about her child glowingly, talking about how he is just like mom — vocal. “He’s all me,” she says.

Andrews supports Baby Quest, a non-profit that grants money to families in need of IVF or surrogacy to have a baby but don’t have the funds to pursue these expensive treatments. Both Andrews and Welker acknowledged how difficult and unattainable their journies are for some families — and Andrews even used the NFL’s “My Cleats, My Cause” initiative to raise awareness for her cause.

“People don’t need to feel embarrassed that they have a surrogate or are looking for other help,” Andrews said.

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Curt Menefee and Joel Klatt to be Lead Fox Sports UFL Broadcast Team

Curt Menefee, Joel Klatt, and Brock Huard will make up the first XFL on FOX announce team, while Kevin Kugler, Devin Gardner, and Jake Butt are the #2 team.

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FOX is ready for the United Football League (UFL) season and recently announced its broadcast lineup for the upcoming season. Curt Menefee returns to the booth alongside Joel Klatt to make up the primary UFL commentary team. Joining Menefee and Klatt from the sidelines will be former NFL and University of Washington QB Brock Huard.

Menefee and Klatt will call the season-opening matchup between the defending two-time USFL Champion Birmingham Stallions and the reigning XFL Champion Arlington Renegades on Saturday, Mar. 30 at 1 p.m. ET. The second team of Kevin Kugler and former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner will call the second game of the day when the St. Louis Battlehawks take on the Michigan Panthers at 4:00 p.m. ET on FOX. Former Denver Broncos tight end Jake Butt will man the sidelines for that game.

Former NFL and USC QB Mark Sanchez was also mentioned in the FOX news release but details of his involvement were not made clear.

The UFL season kicks off on FOX this weekend and continues over on ESPN. Both networks will split coverage of the league all season long.

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CBS Sports Host James Brown To Receive Lifetime Achievement Award at Sports Emmys

“I am incredibly humbled by this award. I know full well that it’s not as much about me as it is about all the people with whom…I worked over all these years.”

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James Brown
Courtesy: Mary Kouw, CBS

Longtime CBS Sports host James Brown will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 45th Sports Emmys. The awards show announced the news via its X account last night:

Brown is a three-time Sports Emmy winner for his work on CBS’ The NFL Today and previously FOX’s The NFL On FOX, and HBO’s Inside the NFL. Brown’s career spans more than 30 years and includes numerous accolades such as the Pete Rozelle Award from the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Uncommon Award from Tony Dungy.

He was named “Best Studio Host of the Decade” by Sports Illustrated in 2010 and was honored with the 2009 Dick Schaap Memorial Award for Media Excellence. In 1998 he was awarded the Golden Mic Award by the Black Broadcasters Alliance. Brown was elected into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2021.

“I am incredibly humbled by this award,” Brown said via the Sports Emmys. “I know full well that it’s not as much about me as it is about all the people with whom and for whom I worked over all these years. Thank God for the blessing!”

Sports media came together to honor Brown’s achievement:

Brown and other award recipients will be honored at the Sports Emmys award ceremony in May.

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