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sweeps stunt: Baseball
Series could put it just behind NBC in 18-49s
By Kevin Downey
When the month-long November sweeps kick off next Thursday, expect the usual programming stunts among the networks to build audiences for their local affiliates to set ad rates by, including specials and box office hits.
But in an important way this November sweeps will be like none in history, and this one difference could well greatly affect the outcome.
It is not a stunt.
It is the World Series, which begins tomorrow in Phoenix on Fox.
With NBC comfortably ahead in the key 18-49 demographic, it is expected to remain ahead through sweeps, which run from Nov. 1 through Nov. 28.
But Fox, powered by the Series, could easily bounce from fourth place into second, right behind NBC and ahead of CBS and ABC.
It could well do so if the Series goes into game five, which would spill it into the sweeps period.
But even it the Series ends at game four, it will still serve as a powerful platform for promoting Fox's new fall shows, which roll out through sweeps, and those shows themselves stand to become audience draws as a result.
The series, between the New York Yankees and the Arizona Diamondbacks, is expected to be a hot one in its own right, based on the strong viewership numbers for the playoffs.
There are also some emotional factors at work.
"This year is special because of the tragedies that unfolded in New York," says Don Hinchey, director of creative services at the Bonham Group, a sports-business consulting firm based in Denver.
"They have become part of the fabric of people’s imagination and have translated into people following the Yankees."
Whatever the ratings, the match-off will surely beat last year's record-low subway series between the Mets and the Yankees, which drew an average of 18.1 million viewers for its five games and only a 12.4 household rating.
This year’s series may also benefit from interest in the Diamondbacks.
"They’ve managed to make the World Series four years after making the league," says Hinchey.
"That’s a tremendous accomplishment and gives them the opportunity to showcase their organization and the progress they’ve made virtually overnight. It’s a definite plus because people will get caught up in that."
Fox’s ratings are expected to improve its rank and hurt its competitors whether or not the World Series ends up airing within the November sweeps.
If there is a game five, the series will compete directly with NBC’s top-rated Thursday lineup. And it will go up against CBS’s "Survivor: Africa" as well.
With only four Thursdays in the sweeps to boost ratings, both networks could be hurt by a smaller-than-normal audience on that one night.
Should there be a game seven, it could further hurt CBS, which is airing the Emmys that Sunday.
But even if the games don’t fall into the sweeps, Fox will capitalize on the promotional platform that the World Series audience provides.
The network will premiere six returning series and four new shows during the sweeps, several of which will be promoted to an audience that might not otherwise know about them.
Among the new shows is "24," which many media buyers think will be one of the year’s biggest hits.
Fox could use the help.
The network has delayed most of its fall season this month for Major League playoffs, and only a few of the games were highly rated.
While the November sweeps do not include ratings from weeks prior to Nov. 1, Fox only has a 3.4, adult 18-49 rating, this season. That’s down 23 percent from last year.
NBC is No. 1 with a 5.2, ABC has a 4.1, and CBS has a 3.9. UPN has a 2.4 and the WB has a 1.7.
Each of the networks has a number of sweeps stunts to help drive up ratings.
In addition to baseball and "24," Fox will air "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace."
The network will air the ninth season premiere of the "X-Files" and the second season debut of "Temptation Island," along with a number of other new shows and specials.
Among ABC’s biggest programs are the movies, "Saving Private Ryan" and "Mission: Impossible." And it will premiere the newsmagazine, "America 24/7."
CBS’s sweeps programs include the "53rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards," which were postponed twice. The network will also air a 50th anniversary special about "I Love Lucy," "Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Special," and the Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, "In Love & War."
In addition to having a long list of special guest stars on its regular programs, NBC will air the special, "Jennifer Lopez in Concert."
"Frasier" will have its 200th episode and Michael Jordan will return to the NBA with the Washington Wizards.
The WB and UPN had not released sweeps schedules as of last night.
But UPN will have a musical special of "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer," and a special episode of the Food Network series, "Iron Chef USA."
October 26, 2001 © 2001 Media Life
-Kevin Downey is a staff writer for Media Life.
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