Even though it once again provided most of the year’s most-watched programs, sports television viewership was down across the board during 2020 because of COVID-19 disruptions and other social and economic factors associated with the tumultuous year.
But there were a few signs of hope in the year’s final week, even if the leagues and networks had to play a little footsie to accentuate the positive.
ESPN, for example, recorded a 16 percent audience boost over the last six weeks of the NFL season for its “Monday Night Football” telecasts, improving to 12.9 million viewers for games in late November and December from 11.1 million for games from mid-September through mid-November.
The Bills-Patriots finale Monday night averaged 14.47 million on ESPN and ABC, and it’s a fair point that the two December simulcasts with ABC contributed to the late-season increase. Still, it’s a hopeful sign at the end of a difficult year. For the full season, the live audience for Monday night games was 11.8 million, down from 12.1 million.
The NBA, meanwhile, recorded its most-watched opening week since 2012. To be fair, however, it should be noted that this year’s openings occurred on Christmas week rather than in late October, when the NBA is sharing air space with the World Series.
The opening national games on TNT, ESPN and ABC averaged 3.4 million viewers, up from two million for the October 2019 opening games. The prime time Mavericks-Lakers game on ABC and ESPN averaged seven million viewers. The Lakers-Clippers game in prime time last year on Christmas Day, however, averaged 8.76 million, so there’s still some relative slippage here.
That being said, Sportico reported that the NFL this year delivered 33 of the 50 largest audiences on television in 2020, including 14 of the top 20.
LSU’s College Football Playoff championship win was the only other sports program in the top 50, which included 11 programs of presidential debates or political conventions and just one entertainment show, an episode of “The Masked Singer,” and assorted awards programs.
Learning the ropes
I’m a couple of weeks too late for Christmas gift lists, but a good way to start the year for aspiring broadcasters is to seek out “Sportscasting 101: The Road to Play by Play,” the latest book by former Astros announcer Bill Brown.
Brown said he began planning the book last January and intended to put it off until January 2021, but circumstances intervened.
“The pandemic hit, and I thought, ‘Why not start it now when nobody has anything to do?’” he said. “Everyone was available for interviews, and it was great. It was a nice summer project.”
Brown said he wanted to aim the book toward high school students interested in broadcasting and for general fans who were interested in the experiences of play by play voices for college and pro teams. About 80 percent of the interview subjects, he said, are based in Texas.
To best fit his target audience, Brown worked with Samantha Berry, a journalism teacher at Bridgeland High School, who helped with organization and page design.
“The first chapters are basic instructional material,” he said. “It’s not a textbook, but it is a view that can be used in addition to a classroom setting.”
One of the most significant lessons that Brown gleaned from announcers like Bill Schoening, who calls Spurs games, and Rangers announcer and Ford C. Frick Award recipient Eric Nadel is adaptability.
“Eric went to Brown, which had no journalism school, rather than a place like Syracuse, where there’s so much competition and you have to wait until you’re a junior or senior to get on the air,” Brown said.
Schoening went to Temple University but, stymied by the long line of aspiring broadcasters already there, opted for a local broadcasting school that taught the basics of working in all aspects of radio.
Brown said one of the book’s primary lessons, accordingly, is, “There needs to be a Plan B” for aspiring broadcasters.
“Sportscasting 101” is available at Amazon.
Four DVRs, no waiting
• Bill Worrell’s benediction on the Rockets’ New Year’s Eve win wearing their Columbia blue “H-Town” uniforms: “When you talk about H-Town, that could very (well) mean (James) Harden-Town.” …
• Greg Gumbel and Rich Gannon have the Texans’ season finale Sunday afternoon on KHOU (Channel 11) against the Titans. …
• ESPN’s “Backstory” series, hosted by Don Van Natta, at 7:30 p.m. Sunday features “The Tale of Te’o” about Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, who was the apparent subject of a “catfishing” scam in 2013 involving an apparently fictitious girlfriend. …
• After years as a weekend staple, the Heisman Trophy will be presented at 6 p.m. Tuesday on ESPN. … The ESPN Plus annual rate for new subscribers is increasing from $49.99 to $59.99. Also, UFC pay per view cards will cost $69.99, a five-buck increase.
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On TV/Radio: 2020's final week offers hope for tumbling TV sports ratings - Houston Chronicle
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