Ratings For Gateway

[ghost]

IRL Gateway Race at 0.7

The IRL race on ABC from Gateway garnered final numbers of a 0.7 rating and 2 share, representing 715,000 households, according to Nielsen Media Research. (8/14)

[SJFast]

Impressive !

[Heath Hamilton]

perhaps if ABC and IMS were able to pick and choose which households were Neilson families, the numbers would be a little more in our favor.

say what you will, but I'm fairly convinced that those numbers are not a fair and true representation of who actually watched the race. i know my TV wasnt counted.

id also like to point out that the antiques roadshow prolly garners horrid tv ratings, and IMO, its one of the best shows on TV.

[Professor Joe]

Originally posted by Heath Hamilton
say what you will, but I'm fairly convinced that those numbers are not a fair and true representation of who actually watched the race. i know my TV wasnt counted.

It doesn't really matter what we think of the numbers or how we might rationalize them. The only thing that matters is what the sponsors and suppliers think of them.

[IndyJim]

The day I care is the day I can't see the races on live TV anymore.

I believe the IRL contract with ABC is thru 2007, so remind me to start caring late 2006.

Seriously, the race was pretty boring unless you were a hard core fan like ourselves. Having the race start during the middle of Sears Point is kinda rough as well.

[Spike]

Originally posted by Heath Hamilton
perhaps if ABC and IMS were able to pick and choose which households were Neilson families, the numbers would be a little more in our favor....

That's gotta be the funniest thing I've read in a while.

I'm sure there are a fair number of criminals who would like to be able to pick and choose exactly who sits in the jury box at their trials in order to get a result a little more in their favor.

"I'll take Uncle Louie, my cousin Ricky, my sister Josephine, my next door neighbor that owe's me money, my nephew Tommy..."

There's a reason it isn't done that way in court and in the television ratings. Wouldn't you agree?

[Esquire59]

Originally posted by IndyJim
Seriously, the race was pretty boring unless you were a hard core fan like ourselves. Having the race start during the middle of Sears Point is kinda rough as well.

My concern rests with the fact that all non-Indy500 IndyCar races get about this same rating. I'm not sure people are tuning in to the exciting IndyCar races versus those that are not as great.

[Spike]

Originally posted by IndyJim
The day I care is the day I can't see the races on live TV anymore.

I believe the IRL contract with ABC is thru 2007, so remind me to start caring late 2006....

You don't suppose that the ABC contract has an "out" clause that gives the network the right to terminate the contract early should the ratings be, shall we say, low?

You might want to care about that.

You don't suppose that various team sponsors might revise their sponsorship decisions if the rating are, shall we say, unsatisfactory?

You might want to care about that.

We're going to need more people than just you, me and few hudred friends to keep things on the air.

You might think about turning your "care dial" up a few clicks sooner than late 2006.

[Defender]

At the rate it's going, it won't be long before most of it is V-O-D, and we'll have to pay a slight fee to watch sports. Bad news...an extra telecommunications bill. Good news...they'll know exactly how many are watching.

Watch what happens over the next ten years. Companies like GE/NBC are well positioned to take advantage of the evolution. Companies like Disney/ABC are flaming out in a torrent of abject ignorance.

These are fascinating times for those of us paying attention.

[Spike]

Yep, that abject ignorance is some bad stuff.

[Ren Butler]

Originally posted by Esquire59
My concern rests with the fact that all non-Indy500 IndyCar races get about this same rating. I'm not sure people are tuning in to the exciting IndyCar races versus those that are not as great.

Not true. 0.7 is as low as it gets for the IRL. Most races are above 1, and many of them are close to double this amount.

I'm not going to analyze the numbers; I just want accuracy.

[Ren Butler]

Originally posted by Heath Hamilton
say what you will, but I'm fairly convinced that those numbers are not a fair and true representation of who actually watched the race. i know my TV wasnt counted.

The statistical methods are sound. Just like presidential election polls, which get fairly accurate numbers by calling only 1,000 people nationwide.

[skypigeon]

Originally posted by Ren Butler
The statistical methods are sound. Just like presidential election polls, which get fairly accurate numbers by calling only 1,000 people nationwide.

Take away 2000 and I'd agree with you. Before Election night, the polls were telling the pundits that Bush might win the popular vote but Gore the Electoral College. Uh, no...

[IndyJim]

Fact - The IRL has been around since 1996

Fact - Some folks don't like that.

Fact - Since 1996, some folks have posted the ratings for each race, followed by all the chicken littles coming out, crying the sky is falling, " Full House reruns got more people to watch than Pikes Peak".

Fact - Indy Car racing is a niche sport.

Fact - Get used to it, enjoy it, be a fan.

[Jackin Box]

I believe the IRL contract with ABC is thru 2007, so remind me to start caring late 2006.

I suppose those XFL fans said the same things of their multi-year deal with NBC.

Take away 2000 and I'd agree with you. Before Election night, the polls were telling the pundits that Bush might win the popular vote but Gore the Electoral College. Uh, no...

No. The Zogby Poll had Gore winning by about .5%, which is exactly what happened. Zogby has been unbelievably dead-on in the last two presidential elections.

Jeff