Professional Team Sports Professional Team Sports In The Age Of TelevisionIn The Age Of Television

The Super BowlThe Super Bowl

National Football League and the National Football League and the American Football League merged in American Football League merged in 1966.1966.

First Super Bowl held in 1967First Super Bowl held in 1967

Within 6 years of its founding, the Within 6 years of its founding, the Super Bowl enjoyed a larger national Super Bowl enjoyed a larger national audience than the Kentucky Derby or audience than the Kentucky Derby or the World Series. the World Series.

Super Bowl on TVSuper Bowl on TV Network   Number broadcast   Years Network   Number broadcast   Years

broadcast   Future scheduled broadcast   Future scheduled telecasts   telecasts  

ABC ABC 1985, 1988, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2003, 1985, 1988, 1991, 1995, 2000, 2003, 20062006

CBS CBS 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1967, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1984, 1987, 1990, 1992, 2001, 2004, 2007,1992, 2001, 2004, 2007,20102010

FOX FOX 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2008, 20112011 NBC NBC 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1977,

1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1979, 1981, 1983, 1986, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2009, 1994, 1996, 1998, 2009, 20122012

Percentage of All Percentage of All HouseholdsHouseholds

0 10 20

Fiv

eY

ear

Ave

rag

e79

-83

Pro Basketball

NCAABasketball

Big LeagueBaseball

Bowling

Boxing

NCAA Football

Pro Football

Woes of BaseballWoes of Baseball

Beginning in the mid-1960s the Beginning in the mid-1960s the television audiences for regular television audiences for regular season baseball games fell to nearly season baseball games fell to nearly half of that of regular season half of that of regular season professional football games.professional football games.

Why the loss of fan support?Why the loss of fan support?

--Shift in urban leisure patterns-Shift in urban leisure patterns-

1.1. Slums surrounded many big league Slums surrounded many big league parksparks

2.2. Activities during the summer (ex. Activities during the summer (ex. fishing, golf, camping etc.)fishing, golf, camping etc.)

Baseball on television isn’t the Baseball on television isn’t the same.same.

It was very difficult to capture all of It was very difficult to capture all of the dimensions of baseball on the dimensions of baseball on television.television.

Only a few games seemed crucial Only a few games seemed crucial due to the long season.due to the long season.

Sports Broadcasting ActSports Broadcasting Act

Passed by Congress in 1961. Passed by Congress in 1961. The Sports Broadcasting Act was passed in The Sports Broadcasting Act was passed in

response to a court decision which ruled that response to a court decision which ruled that the NFL's method of negotiating television the NFL's method of negotiating television broadcasting rights violated antitrust laws. broadcasting rights violated antitrust laws.

The court ruled that the "pooling" of The court ruled that the "pooling" of rights by all the teams to conclude an rights by all the teams to conclude an exclusive contract between the league and exclusive contract between the league and CBS was illegal. CBS was illegal.

The Act overrules that decision, and The Act overrules that decision, and permits certain joint broadcasting permits certain joint broadcasting agreements among the major agreements among the major professional sports. It permits the professional sports. It permits the sale of a television "package" to the sale of a television "package" to the network or networks, a procedure network or networks, a procedure which is common today. which is common today.

The law has been interpreted to The law has been interpreted to include the so-called "blackout rules" include the so-called "blackout rules" which protect a home team from which protect a home team from competing games broadcast into its competing games broadcast into its home territory on a day when it is home territory on a day when it is playing a game at home. playing a game at home.

The NCAA's broadcast packages are The NCAA's broadcast packages are not subject to the antitrust not subject to the antitrust exemption and it suffered for it, when exemption and it suffered for it, when the Supreme Court ruled that the the Supreme Court ruled that the NCAA's restrictive television policies NCAA's restrictive television policies were a violation of antitrust law. That were a violation of antitrust law. That is why there is no such package is why there is no such package called "NCAA College Football." called "NCAA College Football."

Early Days of Pro FootballEarly Days of Pro Football

Cradle for infant football- Tough mine Cradle for infant football- Tough mine and mill towns in western and mill towns in western Pennsylvania and Ohio.Pennsylvania and Ohio.

Unlike college football, the early Unlike college football, the early ambience of the pro sport was ambience of the pro sport was ethnic, Catholic and working class. ethnic, Catholic and working class.

Until the mid-1950s, NFL teams Until the mid-1950s, NFL teams rarely earned profits. rarely earned profits.

In the early days, the newspapers, In the early days, the newspapers, especially outside the cities hosting especially outside the cities hosting pro teams, all but ignored the NFL.pro teams, all but ignored the NFL.

By the mid-1950s televised pro By the mid-1950s televised pro football was attracting millions of football was attracting millions of new viewers.new viewers.

Television created a nation of instant Television created a nation of instant experts in no time. experts in no time.

The perfection in the 1960s of instant The perfection in the 1960s of instant replays and slow-motion shots replays and slow-motion shots allowed fans to experience the game allowed fans to experience the game in an entirely different way from that in an entirely different way from that of the spectator in the stands.of the spectator in the stands.

How was football different?How was football different?

By giving visiting teams 40 percent of By giving visiting teams 40 percent of the gate receipts, the NFL avoided the the gate receipts, the NFL avoided the gross disparities in revenues among gross disparities in revenues among franchises characteristic of major-franchises characteristic of major-league baseball and pro basketball.league baseball and pro basketball.

More importantly, the NFL split More importantly, the NFL split television revenues equally among television revenues equally among the franchises.the franchises.

By 2002 a typical NFL franchise was By 2002 a typical NFL franchise was worth twice as much as its baseball worth twice as much as its baseball counterparts.counterparts.

Professional BasketballProfessional Basketball

Until the 1950s, professional Until the 1950s, professional basketball languished in the long basketball languished in the long shadows cast by college teams, shadows cast by college teams, Amateur Athletic Union fives and the Amateur Athletic Union fives and the Harlem Globetrotters.Harlem Globetrotters.

The New York Original Celtics, The New York Original Celtics, occasionally drew as many as 10,000 occasionally drew as many as 10,000 fans to Madison Square Garden.fans to Madison Square Garden.

In the 1930s the New York Rens, an In the 1930s the New York Rens, an all-black five, and the Philadelphia all-black five, and the Philadelphia Sphas, an all-Jewish quintet, fielded Sphas, an all-Jewish quintet, fielded strong teams.strong teams.

NBA came about in 1949 due to a NBA came about in 1949 due to a merger between the NBL and BAA.merger between the NBL and BAA.

ProblemsProblems

Even the teams in the larger cities Even the teams in the larger cities continued to schedule some of their continued to schedule some of their home games in high school gyms in home games in high school gyms in smaller cities.smaller cities.

Pressure from the fans and television Pressure from the fans and television induced the NBA in 1954 to adopt a induced the NBA in 1954 to adopt a 24-second rule. 24-second rule.

Boom of 1960sBoom of 1960s

NBA attendance increased from less NBA attendance increased from less than two million in 1960 to ten than two million in 1960 to ten million in the late 1970s. million in the late 1970s.

Network television remained Network television remained lukewarm toward the NBA. lukewarm toward the NBA.

1980s1980s

Beginning in the mid-1980s, the NBA Beginning in the mid-1980s, the NBA became the fastest growing and became the fastest growing and apparently the most financially apparently the most financially successful of the professional team successful of the professional team sports. sports.