FSN Arizona, D-Backs top local primetime ratings

By on June 3rd, 2008 In Media

D-backs Ace Brandon WebbThe D-backs red hot May, rocketed them to some red hot primetime ratings on FSN Arizona.

Moreover, if you haven’t been among those watching, the play-by-play team of Daron Sutton and Mark Grace have developed a terrific on-air chemistry that is very fan friendly.

Sutton and Grace’s “we need more signs at the ballpark!” refrain has become nothing short of a word-of-mouth marketing phenomenon. And that’s just one reason it’s become fun to watch the D-backs both on TV and at Chase Field.

In a town that’s still growing its sports traditions, the Grace-inspired “Car!” signs when there are pitching changes are becoming legendary (think Wayne and Garth playing hockey in the street…”Car!”…”Game on!”). The best is when they now pop up from D-backs fans in opposing ball parks as they did recently in Chicago, Florida and last night in Milwaukee. If this team makes the playoffs and the bats get hot in a critical inning, the Car! signs and chants could become a downright intimidating taunt.

Best yet, Sutton and Grace are backed by D-backs management. Both management and the broadcasters know what they have and know how to promote it. The upstart “Redhead” section. Coaxing some uncanny mojo of some shy Sunday “Kidcasters”. Perioodic broadcasts from the pool in centerfield. All of these ideas start off kind of corny but end up being fun to watch.

My childhood team, the Dodgers blew it for me on this front. Management had a sense of elitism and entitlement, over-monkeyed with the team, and never made it fan friendly. I was done with Da Bums the second I moved here. Here in AZ, Sutton and Grace remind us daily that baseball a kid’s game that’s truly worthy of being a serious fan. I will always have a soft spot in my heart for Vin Scully, like I always say, great product is the best PR.

Car! Here’s the FSN AZ press release:

FSN ARIZONA AND THE D-BACKS DOMINATE PRIMETIME TV RATINGS
FSN ARIZONA IS PHOENIX’S TOP-RATED NETWORK ON GAME NIGHT

The Arizona Diamondbacks are not only setting the pace in the National League West standings, but they are also making winners out of FSN Arizona in the local television primetime ratings race.

According to Nielsen Media Research, from March 31 – May 22, FSN Arizona was the top-rated television network in Phoenix on the nights it televised a D-backs game, outdistancing all four broadcasts stations in the market (7 – 11 p.m., Monday – Sunday). During this time period, FSN Arizona generated an average primetime rating of 5.01 household rating on the nights it had a D-backs game, finishing ahead of KSAZ-FOX (4.78), KPNX-NBC (4.61), KNXV-ABC (4.09) and KPHO-CBS (4.03).

The 5.01 rating means that an average of 90,310 households in the Valley were watching FSN Arizona on nights it has a D-backs game during primetime hours.

“This is a clear example that viewers are not only watching the games in large numbers, but they are also tuning in for our Miller Lite Diamondbacks Live per-game show and Qwest Diamondbacks Live post-game show as well,” said Mike Connelly, FSN Arizona Senior Vice President & General Manager. “On nights the D-backs play on FSN Arizona, we have developed a strategic programming lineup that offers not only the game, but other programming options focused on the team which appeal to the legions of D-back fans in Arizona and New Mexico .”

The National League West leading D-backs return to the network tonight when they play the Milwaukee Brewers in day two of the series FSN Arizona is billing “Bratstock II” at Miller Park . FSN Arizona’s coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. with the Miller Lite Diamondbacks Live pre-game show.

FSN Arizona televises the most regional sports action in the state and is the exclusive cable television home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, Phoenix Coyotes, Phoenix Suns, Arizona Cardinals, Arizona State University , University of Arizona , Arizona Rattlers and Phoenix Mercury. FSN Arizona is currently seen in 2.8 million households in Arizona & New Mexico and can also be seen across the country via home satellite services.

Comments

Jim Veihdeffer Says:
June 4th, 2008 at 11:09 am

Now if we could only persuade the bullpen to save a few games, the team would be as good as their announce-staff.

At least the announcing duo aren’t “homers.” I used to have to suffer through Bob Prince’s insufferable coverage where if you tuned in late you started wondering if there was even another team besides the Pirates in the ballpark.

Homer Says:
June 4th, 2008 at 12:58 pm

New D-backs management is such a refreshing change from the ballpark Nazis that used to roam BOB in the early days!

No, you can’t do this! No, you can’t do that! I once witnessed an usher threatening to revoke season tickets of a fan who let my then- 8-year-old use his lower-section seat in the bottom of the 9th of a blowout loss during the early days.

Poor guy tried to be nice and got hammered for it.

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