MLSE Worried About TV Ratings for Leafs

[Swarez]

So do people under 20 even watch at all? I was talking to my cousin who is university aged and he played his entire life and from Oakville and he told me non of his friends watch at all this season, they all flipped over to the Raptors as they actually care, and have a direction.

Anyone else get this from younger people?

 

[nsleaf]

So do people under 20 even watch at all? I was talking to my cousin who is university aged and he played his entire life and from Oakville and he told me non of his friends watch at all this season, they all flipped over to the Raptors as they actually care, and have a direction.

Anyone else get this from younger people?

Not surprised, younger fans do not have as much invested in being a Leaf fan like the older long suffering fans(myself included) have. I imagine they find it a lot easier to move on then the old geezers.

 

[paulhiggins]

Rogers (and Bell) should also look at their products and business practices other than specifically Leaf Hockey. I cancelled Rogers cable TV for several reasons:

-high prices
-constant nickel and diming price increases
-no opportunity to pay only for the channels I needed
-lack of quality programming (ie. with real TV actors rather than cheap reality TV average Joes)
-with the Leafs being so pathetic and no players I could identify with (I like hard-working, tough players who never quit and stand up for one another) losing the Leafs as part of the package was not a problem.

So Rogers, you get what you deserve!

 

[Budsfan]

Not surprised, younger fans do not have as much invested in being a Leaf fan like the older long suffering fans(myself included) have. I imagine they find it a lot easier to move on then the old geezers.

I too am an old geezer but we used to play sports in our spare time but this seems to be the new playing out door sport.

The Evolution Of Gaming Is Changing Faster Then Ever

Kids with iPadsThen the evolution of gaming took another big step and brought about the "device age". Where every kid, even in Elementary school is seen wielding a cell phone and often times a tablet or smart phone.

Now kids can download 20 games or apps, play them for a few days and maybe even challenge a friend online. But there is no connection between them or the game.

Angry GamerNext week they will be playing a different game with a different friend and most likely have totally forgotten about the game they played last week.

We used to be ecstatic when we got two new board games and a Nintendo game for Christmas or a Birthday. Now you can download 15 games in 5 minutes.

 

[Clark4Ever]

I would tune in to watch a hard working team with exciting young prospects as part of a rebuild, even if it meant struggling in the standings for a couple of years. I have no interest in watching a team that is perpetually mired in a state of mediocrity.

I think many others share my sentiments, and I hope MLSE realizes that. Let Shanahan do what needs to be done.

 

[Erdinger]

I think this is definitely a case of the chickens coming home to roost for this greedhead organization. The old arrogant "we sell out every game at exorbitant prices so we don't need to win" attitude doesn't work anymore in a much expanded media world where the real money is made now.

 

[tinfoilcup]

I was a fan of TML for 34 years but I've seen enough. Franchise is a joke from the top with moronic management to the bottom with players who have quit on the fans. I suddenly realized during the all-star break that there's this thing called the internet and I have choices. I can choose to watch something else and I've decided that it will be Montreal. I suggest you all get off this crazy train too. You have a choice.

 

[seanlinden]

I would tune in to watch a hard working team with exciting young prospects as part of a rebuild, even if it meant struggling in the standings for a couple of years. I have no interest in watching a team that is perpetually mired in a state of mediocrity.

I think many others share my sentiments, and I hope MLSE realizes that. Let Shanahan do what needs to be done.

You might. Heck, all of hfboards might.

The reality is, hfboards is a very small portion of the populace that the Leafs draw from, and I for one am encouraged to see that populace responding in noticable numbers to the lack of on-ice success.

Heck, I was at the Phoenix game last night... maybe you can blame the weather, but there were A LOT more empty seats than usual.

 

[ACC1224]

You might. Heck, all of hfboards might.

The reality is, hfboards is a very small portion of the populace that the Leafs draw from, and I for one am encouraged to see that populace responding in noticable numbers to the lack of on-ice success.

Heck, I was at the Phoenix game last night... maybe you can blame the weather, but there were A LOT more empty seats than usual.

Listed the rest of my Tickets on Stub Hub this afternoon, no more games for me.

 

[seanlinden]

Listed the rest of my Tickets on Stub Hub this afternoon, no more games for me.

Interesting.

Goes to supporting the assertion that the most important people obviously don't support losing like the consensus on hfboards.

While I haven't taken such a large step, I will say that I was reluctant to go last night, to say the very least.

 

[ACC1224]

Interesting.

Goes to supporting the assertion that the most important people obviously don't support losing like the consensus on hfboards.

While I haven't taken such a large step, I will say that I was reluctant to go last night, to say the very least.

It's not like I'm taking a stand. Just don't find it good entertainment value right now. Tickets plus $20 for Parking, $80 - $100 dinner, $20 - $50 at the ACC, it's not worth it.

The fact that Stub Hub pays me in US Dollars doesn't hurt either.

 

[Porn*]

great... mlse should worry. maybe it'll force them to invest in a good team... make moves , one way or another

 

[Ratboy]

Rogers and Bell have had their duopoly for too long. Let them feel the heat.

Rogers assumes that it can improve upon Hockey Night in Canada just because they're.. rogers. Well, I hope they take the ratings and shove it up their ass.

Thanks for ruining a Saturday night tradition you ego maniacs.

 

[wetcardboard]

Good. Hopefully the scalpers have trouble selling tickets like in Edmonton too. Screw MLSE.

 

[Gary Batman]

With Australian Open pretty much done, time to cancel my Bell TV too. Hockey coverage is just pathetic, and that is the only reason I pay for TV (besides, I have gamecenter subscription which I can start using now). I wanted to hang on until Cricket World Cup, but they are charging $180 for a 5 week tournament.

Not getting a penny from me, Rogers.

Shove your pathetic excuse of pricing, and your pathetically managed hockey team up your backside.

 

[Space Coyote]

With Australian Open pretty much done, time to cancel my Bell TV too. Hockey coverage is just pathetic, and that is the only reason I pay for TV (besides, I have gamecenter subscription which I can start using now). I wanted to hang on until Cricket World Cup, but they are charging $180 for a 5 week tournament.

Not getting a penny from me, Rogers.

Shove your pathetic excuse of pricing, and your pathetically managed hockey team up your backside.

Wow! that's heap. Why not watch it online?

 

[naturalnumbas]

I think this is pretty interesting.

The Leafs are the strongest team in the league (among strongest in the world) in revenue/profits/fans, but ownership is in a pickle. They are owned by two companies who bought this thing depending on growth, they don't have forever, they need to grow it. Not stay the same, certainly not shrink.. and at the same time they are invested heavily in the NHL ratings game.

Should be obvious that the success of the Leafs is correlated with NHL ratings.. so they've kinda doubled down on the success of this franchise.. which, if you've been watching for the past decade or more, you'd have to scratch your head about. Retrospectively it seems bizarre from a risk management standpoint, granted I don't have access to the numbers they did but hard to argue it was a smart move right now.

Now the question is how to fix it? Will the media (which bell and rogers also own a decent chunk of) even allow a rebuild? There seems to be nothing that sells as well as an article tearing apart a losing leaf team. Brian Burke said this market would not tolerate a rebuild, what if he was right? How do you develop players with a camera constantly in their face asking why they suck?

Seems like these might be the first signs that the market is done with mediocrity, which Bell/Rogers can't buy their way out of due to the salary cap, and maybe can't address with a proper rebuild since: A - it may be beyond the scope of their investment (look at how long it is taking for Edmonton), B - it might cripple NHL rating growth to continue having a terrible Leaf team.

McDavid save them.

 

[Daisy Jane]

I don't have teevee either. (though I can not tell a lie. I have never missed an Olympic games since 1992, and I'm not going to start next year. ) I will have to find some kind of cable package that will allow me to get my Olympic on.

 

[Mess]

MLSE might actually be catching a unexpected silver lining ratings boost soon.

The more the Leafs fall the closer they get to McDavid and that might actually bring more fans back to tune in to follow that to see how the Leafs are doing in the draft lottery derby.

 

[ShaneFalco]

No identity, no heart, far too many passengers, a fragile and sub-par core - no reason to watch right now for me.
I've seen this movie too many times

 

[Wendel17]

I think this is pretty interesting.

The Leafs are the strongest team in the league (among strongest in the world) in revenue/profits/fans, but ownership is in a pickle. They are owned by two companies who bought this thing depending on growth, they don't have forever, they need to grow it. Not stay the same, certainly not shrink.. and at the same time they are invested heavily in the NHL ratings game.

Should be obvious that the success of the Leafs is correlated with NHL ratings.. so they've kinda doubled down on the success of this franchise.. which, if you've been watching for the past decade or more, you'd have to scratch your head about. Retrospectively it seems bizarre from a risk management standpoint, granted I don't have access to the numbers they did but hard to argue it was a smart move right now.

Now the question is how to fix it? Will the media (which bell and rogers also own a decent chunk of) even allow a rebuild? There seems to be nothing that sells as well as an article tearing apart a losing leaf team. Brian Burke said this market would not tolerate a rebuild, what if he was right? How do you develop players with a camera constantly in their face asking why they suck?

Seems like these might be the first signs that the market is done with mediocrity, which Bell/Rogers can't buy their way out of due to the salary cap, and maybe can't address with a proper rebuild since: A - it may be beyond the scope of their investment (look at how long it is taking for Edmonton), B - it might cripple NHL rating growth to continue having a terrible Leaf team.

McDavid save them.

It's not about growth so much as about having content for their channels. There were rumours the teachers were going to expend Leafs TV and position it like the YES network that the Yankees own. This would mean most Leaf games would not be on TSN and Sportsnet. Buying the Leafs was more about protecting their content. They don't give a crap if the team wins or loses. They don't pay a dime for TV rights as they own the team now, so they can't exactly complain about lost ad revenue from lower viewership. Even if they were not part owners do you think either of them would walk away from broadcasting the team's games because they are so bad? Not a chance.

 

[Gary Batman]

Wow! that's heap. Why not watch it online?

Yeap. Online streams it is.

They are televising sports in 4K resolution in India of all places for probably 5% of the price; and these clowns want $180.

 

[Pyrophorus]

MLSE might actually be catching a unexpected silver lining ratings boost soon.

The more the Leafs fall the closer they get to McDavid and that might actually bring more fans back to tune in to follow that to see how the Leafs are doing in the draft lottery derby.

This is how I feel.

Plus I just saw an article from the Globe and Mail, that hockey viewing is down all across the country

 

[Steve]

This is how I feel.

Plus I just saw an article from the Globe and Mail, that hockey viewing is down all across the country

I don't want to rag on them, but sportsnet is awful. Boring and too per-meditated, like someone who tries to hard.

They should take some of that $5B and invest in Duthie, MacKenzie and the rest of the TSN team

 

[Diatomic]

So do people under 20 even watch at all? I was talking to my cousin who is university aged and he played his entire life and from Oakville and he told me non of his friends watch at all this season, they all flipped over to the Raptors as they actually care, and have a direction.

Anyone else get this from younger people?

I'm 20 and have watched the leafs religiously since I was 16 but its ridiculous now, same **** every year. Haven't watched a full game for over a month now, probably won't till the seasons over.