Medium Well: Big jump in O's Opening Day audience - Sports media blog by The Baltimore Sun's Ray Frager

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Big jump in O's Opening Day audience

Some factors were in play to explain the difference, but the numbers say this: The Orioles drew more than the twice the audience for this year's opener than for 2008's. The combined households viewing Monday's game on Channel 13 and MASN were 135,000. Last year, the two channels combined for 63,000. That's an impressive increase. Maybe more of you are feeling optimistic?

Now for the other factors:

*Last year's opener was against the Rays -- long before anyone knew they would win the American League pennant -- as opposed to the huge draw of the Yankees.

*In 2008, the game started an hour earlier. Monday's game went long and finished in prime time, when more people are watching TV.

And that's not even counting those who tuned in just to boo Mark Teixeira.

(Ratings information courtesy of WBAL's Ratings Diva, Kouri Mitchell.)

Posted by Ray Frager at 7:30 AM in Orioles | Permalink | Comments (4)

Comments

It doesn't hurt it was broadcast in HD, for homes that are high def compatible!

Posted by: DD | April 8, 2009 8:35 AM

Thank YOUUUUUUUU...Captain Obvious

Posted by: Joe | April 8, 2009 8:40 AM

What I don't un derstand is why Oppenning Day is not on Sunday when 90% of us have off of work?
We could make it a even bigger event for the bars and openning day parties, can't do that at work.

Posted by: George Manaras | April 8, 2009 11:02 AM

Ray, I'm a numbers freak. Is there a site that keeps track of numbers for all teams or at least one you know of to find out O's numbers each game.

----------------------------------

Ray replies: I assume you mean ratings. I'm not aware of any spot where those numbers are regularly posted.

Posted by: Pasadena Paul | April 8, 2009 6:34 PM

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About Ray Frager

Ray Frager joined The Baltimore Sun’s sports department in 1985 and has been an assistant sports editor for more than 15 years. This is his second stint writing a sports media column for The Baltimore Sun. Most sequels aren't as good as the original, but then, the original wasn't all that great either.

Frager, born in 1957, grew up in northern Delaware (graduating from a high school that since has shut down) and received his bachelor's degree in journalism from Rider College in Lawrenceville, N.J. He worked as a reporter and copy editor at The Trenton Times and The Dallas Morning News before coming to Baltimore.

Surprisingly, if you look at his accompanying photo, Frager is married and has a son and daughter. He enjoys playing basketball and has organized pickup games among members of The Baltimore Sun staff for many years, which means they don't get too mad at him for shooting way too much.

He has a good beat and is easy to dance to. I'd give him an 85.