Commissioner Rob Manfred took a judicious approach to allowing fans into stadiums in 2020, and it’s hard to argue that it wasn’t the right strategy. MLB didn’t allow fans into stadiums until the Championship Series, and even then they limited entries. With rigorous testing and strict protocols, MLB went 54 days without a positive test before Justin Turner tested positive for COVID-19 during game six of the World Series. The NFL, in their struggle to contain the virus, is proving the significance of MLB’s achievement in that regard.
There’s a new plan for next season, however. Commissioner Manfred believes that the lack of live baseball diminished interest in the sport and affected revenues beyond the obvious loss of ticket sales. Specifically, MLB estimates that 40% of their overall revenue ties directly to the presence of fans at live games, per the Athletic’s Evan Drellich. Even in a limited capacity, fans at ballgames in 2021 could help keep audience engaged throughout the season and into its endgame: the playoffs.
Drellich provides some Nielson ratings to quantify the drop in postseason viewership. Both the Championship Series and the World Series saw ~30% drop in viewership from the previous season.
Of course, there are many challenges ahead for Commissioner Manfred and MLB. Cases of coronavirus are at an all-time high, and though the winter has long been projected to be particularly rough, the current rate of infection in places that Wisconsin is worse than expected. Whether the nation can get control of the situation before March and April remains very much unclear. Manfred does note that the allowance of fan attendance can only move forward with approval from local health officials.
They will have the experience of the 2020 season to help them along, of course. The couple of breakouts early in the season helped MLB to narrow their focus to containing the spread of the virus while simply allowing for changes to the schedule. Regional play also helped contain outbreaks for MLB, though it’s unclear right now if a similar approach would be taken over a full season – or even if MLB plans on having a “full” 162-game season in 2021.
I know it’s not everyone’s favorite person or opinion, but DAMM does this make me excited for next year.
The article was factually incorrect, regardless of one’s opinion regarding fans in/out of the parks. Zencka wrote fans attended the CSs which isn’t true. They only were allowed to attend in Arlington, not LA, due to local restrictions. If Covid keeps raging, it doesn’t matter what Manfred/owners “want” regarding fan attendance, it’ll be state-by-state health experts who decide.
This is so true SFGphan. Of course MLB is planning now for fans in the seats 5 months from now. It would be irresponsible for them to not be planning in that direction.
So what Manfred is really saying is that the current MLB thinking is that if local jurisdictions allow fans, MLB is planning on letting them in.
Man the owners and players keep showing how out of touch they are. New rules and people losing their life while millionaires and billionaires expect sympathy from the middle class. If they all went bankrupt the world would be a better place. The fact they all knew about Astros scandal and did nothing speaks volumes. The players could’ve sat out until Altuve,Bregman and the other criminals got banned for life but they didn’t. They could’ve tried ending their careers by the ball accidentally slips like the time Joe Torre ordered the hit by Clemens on Piazza or how proud he was of Utley on Tejada…..
“MLB didn’t allow fans into stadiums until the Championship Series”
That is true. They sold tickets to fans for the ALCS
wont be any where full capaicty either like 20%
obviously lack of fan attendance affected sales and interest in the game, but let’s not pretend the stupid rules changes weren’t the most significant reason in loss of interest
And let’s not forget the ugliness of that new Texas baseball stadium. It looks like a gray dingy warehouse inside and out. Such a shame they are not playing at the old stadium, as the ballpark in Arlington was beautiful and had a lot of charm. When I watch baseball on tv I like when the stadium and field looks like baseball.
From the outside it looks like a retrofitted Sports Authority or a non-denominational church that skimped on the steeple. Inside it’s reminiscent of the horrid Tropicana Field with the dingy lighting — and that’s being nice. I had great memories of visiting the Ballpark in Arlington, but get off my lawn!
It reminds me of the then-new Comiskey Park. At least the White Sox had the excuse of being the first wave in the rush of retro ballparks.
New Comiskey was the last of “Ashtray Stadiums” to be erected. They could have had the design for Camden Yards, but they were too cheap to have it. New Comiskey didn’t really become “retro” until they remodeled it over the course of a decade.
The rules changes may have bothered you, but for most of us, it was the entire pandemic thing combined with stuff like only having 2 months of the season and nobody cheering that reduced interest.
I think it’s clear that the competition between all the major sports was the reason. The MLB pennant race has never had to go up against NBA or NHL playoffs for viewership at the same time.
That’s your opinion. I gained more interest with the change to the rules. Sure the dinosaurs were upset, who cares.
Fans will be able to watch in Buffalo!
Yup
I did not watch the World Series on TV for one reason: Joe Buck. I enjoyed the Rays radio announcers on my computer, which is in a room with no tv. I don’t remember their names, but one of them had a great call: Heeeee – struck him out!
Joe Buck has a marvelous voice, but I’ve always had the feeling he hates my Detroit Tigers (even when they were good). He always seemed to accentuate the negatives and ignore the positives. Just sit there and call the game without editorializing!
Love, I’m not defending him. I dislike his work too, but he kinda makes all fans feel like he’s against their team.
If Joe Buck makes you feel like he hates your team that means he’s doing his job as a non-biased announcer. Meaning after watching 162 (or 60) team broadcasted games any objective views from an announcer about your team will seem egregious. Not a Joe Buck apologizer, personally i think he’s mediocre overall (which isn’t an insult there could be alot worse than him) but he can probably care less about your Detroit Tigers or any other random MLB team
Thanks, Randall Flagg.
Sounds like that announcer ripped off Bob Uecker, whose #2 trademark (after get up, get outta here) is to stretch and emphasize the ‘heeeee’ before ‘struck him out’.
Of course, one could do worse than borrow from ol Uek.
The only one worse than Joe Buck is John Smoltz. I watched the series with a heavy thumb on the mute button.
Then they show a shot of bleach blonde Joe Buck like he just caught Brad Pitt in Seven Years in Tibet on TNT and you turn the radio on.
so right Smoltz is tough to take. SHUT UP For 5 seconds, please.
End of the season I wanted McCarver back.
When saying Buck is the worst announcer, please do not forget Jon Miller is around. I cannot listen to his drivel for any longer than 5 minutes.
I thought I was the only person that can’t listen to a game announced by Joe Buck. If he is announcing, I just turn it off and glance at a gamecast.
Joe Buck has been got better over the years since he started showing some emotion. The people who act like he is Satan with a microphone are too picky.
Satan with a microphone would at least be interesting. Joe Buck is more like Gerald Ford with a microphone. Put his droning in the booth with the aimless babbler John Smoltz and it’s mute button city.
Imagine those 2 coked up.
Most games aren’t sellouts anyway, or even close. A lazy, pre-pandemic mid July Tuesday night game between two second division clubs wasn’t likely to pack in the bleachers.
Exactly. In CA outdoor dining is already open as long as tables are six feet apart. Wouldn’t be hard to enjoy most weeknights at the ballpark that way.
Our strip clubs are open, which seems safer?
It is time for MLB to wake up and face their issues, Manfred did a bad job with the alternate schedule #1. Second they do a bad job marketing their game and players. Three, the owners and Manfred should be like good umpires which means they are doing their best when you don’t have to think about them. Four, the social issues that came to the forefront really put a bad taste in many americians mouth which causes them to not watch any sports. Manfred main job this winter is to make a plan B for players and owners if Co-vid strikes in the spring. Lastly having Tampa in the world series and others like the Marlins really hurts viewing too! If Manfred doesn’t address these problems, they will continue to see a drop in attendance and viewing.
so what do you suggest for the last part, rig the playoffs so that larger market teams always get to the WS? thats a good way to alienate the entire viewerbase of every small market team in the country.
Most important point is to “make a plan B.” We will have a vaccine, probably multiple vaccines, but the issue is timing. A good executive makes contingency plans in case things don’t work out as hoped.
Let’s learn more about the plans for the universal DH
It’s here for good.
Seemed like they announced no dh, and now want to go back on it. Hopefully it is here to stay
This is why the Rays winning the WS would’ve been bad for baseball. No one wants to see a team full of interchangeable unknowns.
Yes, everyone hates the underdog.
That’s your opinion and a poor one at that.
You don’t think Astros-Dodgers would’ve done better numbers, especially with their history?
Honestly, no. You’re talking trying to appeal to the average fan and I don’t think the average fan gives one iota about the Astros, trash cans or even know who Jose Altuve is. You’re talking about Greinke and who else going up against the Dodgers rotation who would have wiped the floor with them in 4. It would NOT have been competitive, it would NOT have been as long of a series, and all to bank on Bregman, Altuve, Brantley, Greinke getting national ratings.
Let’s just leave in the ballfield and let them determine the fate of the game, without impedance for or by TV cameras.
I don’t know any average fans, do you?
Astros sign stealing scandal was national news. It’s one of the few baseball topics something like First Take on ESPN will discuss. Astros in the WS would’ve done better numbers than the nameless Rays, I’m certain
Why would I not be surprised that this is Rob Manfred? Nice ambiguous user name. lol
Nice job you did there rebutting my argument
I think you’re giving more relevance to the Astros than they’ve earned. I’m not really sure a World Series loss is really the punishment they deserve, so to think that much of the nation cares enough about old news, let alone to tune in to see it play out is a massive Grand Canyon-size leap. Outside of you, some MLBTR commenters and Joe Kelly becoming a meme – no one is giving the Astros time a day. Quit letting them live in your mind rent-free. Like after they lost in the ALCS, forget about them and move on to a better team that earned their shot with one of the lowest budgets in MLB and a history-making performance from a rookie (Arozarena). No, I don’t think HOU/LAD would have done better numbers to dumb down the game even more than it already has been.
Competitive or having an under .500 team in the World Series has nothing to do with ratings. The Dodgers being the last stand from an Astros title would have got much better ratings. Not Kevin Cash predictably burning out his bullpen and treating Blake Snell like a child.
You’re living in a baseball bubble, my friend. No one cared about Tampa enough to tune in, partially because they didn’t have any well known players. They’re exciting to you but you’re a hardcore fan.
Please teach me Fred in what the masses want. Quit dumbing down the product and thinking that people will tune in.
Question. Did the tv ratings drop because there were too many teams in the playoffs? I started watching when the teams were playing for the league championship. Wasn’t interested in team 15 playing team 16.
There’s a lot of theories into that drop, but remember it was a condensed schedule which meant non-ideal start times (noon and 3pm start times for much of ATL/MIA games) to limit overlaps and increase viewership. The other problem – though this exists in year’s past – is broadcast scheduling was so sporadic and nearly impossible even for the most avid fans to keep up with. With so many people dropping cable even when they didn’t lose their job, broadcasting on FS1 & TBS for a majority of the games (MLB Network for a limited few) became confusing and frustrating for the regional fans, in addition to some of the older fans that would need to be tech-savvy to search out the channels and add MLB Network if they wanted to watch the exclusive games. Plus, remember that they were competing for viewership against some of the NBA Finals, NFL/NCAA football restarting and the National Debates, not including everything else on TV.
I understand it was a miracle they even pulled this off, but there are A LOT of factors as to why it fell 30%.
Its not lack of attendance that effected interest. It’s was the political garbage that most teams participated in. Sports are a place of escape, not indoctrination. It’s not that hard to understand.
Counting down to this comment thread being closed…
MLB is faced with a total brain-buster. Assuming they are able to open the stadiums in April to one-quarterer or some other limited capacity, as in this postseason, who gets in? What are they going to do with season ticket holders?
While this is going on, does anyone want to discuss where the top FAs will go? Trades?
Manfred needs to tell us what plan B is going to be!
The game was dead long before no fans were in attendance. 3-4 hour games is killing it. Every pitch a batter stepping out and adjusting every piece of equipment before getting back in. The pitcher taking 15 seconds to go thru the signs after the batter gets in. Manfred has lost most of the under 30 crowd. He has no clue on how to run a league.
And here we are discussing a dead game.
Strange take.
The problem, as I see it, are the games are too long for casual fans (and that’s almost everyone who aren’t committed fans to the teams that make it to the playoffs) to want to watch it for more than a couple of innings. Outside of shortening playoff games to 7 innings, I have no idea how to get games down to about 2.5 hours in length.
Make ALL games 7 innings.
At this juncture, MLB should be planning on a full season of baseball, with fans, at both the MLB and MiLB level. Much easier to plan that way and back off later if needed than to try to cobble it together later. Just make sure you have some back up plans because the way things are going right now, those plans will likely be needed.
Good luck dealing with c0vid 21, 22, 23, and 24
If people behave with common sense, I can see a full season with at least limited access to in-person game attendance.. If not, oh well. Welcome to MLB 2020 redux
Why does everyone say “wake up”?
Want to wake everyone up because I see “wake up” a lot – my personal opinion, Charlize Theron is the hottest babe in Hollywood. Thoughts?
I’d happily get beat up by her. ATOMIC BLONDE is the Bond film I always hope for and never get. She took Mad Max away from him with one arm.
People saying they don’t want the Rays in the World Series are probably Yankees fans mad that they waste 300 million dollars annually to lose to better teams
Soooo
MLB plans to be disappointed and then claim they’re shocked when this doesn’t happen for next year. Cool
Massive numbers of Americans out of work couldn’t bring themselves to give a rat’s ass about baseball after the utter greed both sides showed in making the season happen.