Sect309Fan
05-18-2009, 06:19 AM
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9580598/MLB,-FOX-agree-to-start-playoff-games-earlier
Under an agreement unveiled Sunday night by FOX and Major League Baseball, the first pitch for all weeknight postseason games on FOX will be at 7:57 p.m. ET.
Saturday night games on FOX will start no later than weeknight games and possibly earlier. Sunday night games will begin after the conclusion of FOX's NFL broadcasts, as in previous years.
The new start times will apply this season to FOX's coverage of the American League Championship Series and World Series.
TBS, which will broadcast the NLCS in addition to all four Division Series, has not yet set its start times.
Postseason games on FOX last year started, on average, at 8:28 p.m. ET. In the early 1990s, the first pitch was sometimes as late as 8:38 p.m.
"For kids on the East Coast, the games will now end somewhere between 11 and 11:30," said Ed Goren, president of FOX Sports.
"In the Central time zone, it will be between 10 and 10:30. On the West Coast, it obviously will be very early. It can have a positive effect on ratings, maybe create a younger demographic."
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I still would like even earlier start times, but this is very encouraging. I love baseball, but I haven't watched a full World Series game in years because I knew I would be asleep before it ended.
The end of the game is what matters most to fans. not the beginning. Just look at the Philles-Rays concluded game last year. That was awesome, mainly because it was short and was the most important innings.
Good move by MLB. :thumbsup
Under an agreement unveiled Sunday night by FOX and Major League Baseball, the first pitch for all weeknight postseason games on FOX will be at 7:57 p.m. ET.
Saturday night games on FOX will start no later than weeknight games and possibly earlier. Sunday night games will begin after the conclusion of FOX's NFL broadcasts, as in previous years.
The new start times will apply this season to FOX's coverage of the American League Championship Series and World Series.
TBS, which will broadcast the NLCS in addition to all four Division Series, has not yet set its start times.
Postseason games on FOX last year started, on average, at 8:28 p.m. ET. In the early 1990s, the first pitch was sometimes as late as 8:38 p.m.
"For kids on the East Coast, the games will now end somewhere between 11 and 11:30," said Ed Goren, president of FOX Sports.
"In the Central time zone, it will be between 10 and 10:30. On the West Coast, it obviously will be very early. It can have a positive effect on ratings, maybe create a younger demographic."
-------------------------------------
I still would like even earlier start times, but this is very encouraging. I love baseball, but I haven't watched a full World Series game in years because I knew I would be asleep before it ended.
The end of the game is what matters most to fans. not the beginning. Just look at the Philles-Rays concluded game last year. That was awesome, mainly because it was short and was the most important innings.
Good move by MLB. :thumbsup