Twins postseason game times, TV

[Otto von Ballpark]

Dust off that antenna, folks: the Twins 2020 postseason debut is over the air on ABC (albeit at 1 PM on a Tuesday, pre-empting some soap opera, presumably?):

 

Twins-Astros:

Game 1: 1 p.m. Tuesday, ABC

Game 2: Noon Wednesday, ESPN2

Game 3: TBA Thursday

 

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

Because Twins fans would rather watch Yankees - Red Sox in prime time, than a Twins game, or something.

 

Great job, MLB. Just a great job all around.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

At least we didn’t get the 9 AM time slot?

 

At least those of us who are shift workers might be able to catch a game. I guess that’s something.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Because Twins fans would rather watch Yankees - Red Sox in prime time, than a Twins game, or something.

 

Great job, MLB. Just a great job all around.

To be fair, they try to stagger all of the games. They tried overlapping postseason games back in 1995 I think, and it was roundly critized. (Yes, they do give prime time preference to the biggest markets, but I am not sure what criteria to use for that, beyond time zone.)

[notoriousgod71]

Wednesday is going to be something else with eight games going on. It will be baseball's version of March Madness.

[twinsfanstreif]

Living in the UK this is great for me! I usually have to catch the highlights the day after. Sorry for everyone else though....

[MABB1959]

So happy, last week I was able to watch games on my TV instead of my iPad.  I have Dish and they do not have FSN.   I would love to change but my family loves PrimeTime Live.  Both Dish and FSN suck by depriving viewers from this channel.  Does anyone know how long the Twins contract is with FSN?

[Number3]

At least at 1pm it will be a balmy 63deg. I don't care if they play at 1AM. Just please get through 1 round of these playoffs or 2020 won't be any different than any other recent year when they made the playoffs. Astros don't wear pin stripes with NY on the front so there goes that excuse.

[Shaitan]

Wow, first Twins playoff game on broadcast TV in like a decade (or at least it feels that way).

 

Of course, if they won more it would solve this problem as they advance.

[Trov]

I seriously wonder if ratings are higher for the 1 and noon games than if they were evening games?  Personally, I will not be watching any evening games and will fill my time in other ways.  Luckily I will get to see/listen to most of the games.  They have so many games going they are overlapping anyways?  Why not have just local show the games, guess it comes down to large contracts signed by media. 

[bighat]

For those wondering: the Cleveland vs. Yankees series (the 4-5 matchup) is getting the 7pm ET time slots on both Tuesday and Wednesday nights.

 

 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

So happy, last week I was able to watch games on my TV instead of my iPad.  I have Dish and they do not have FSN.   I would love to change but my family loves PrimeTime Live.

Is "PrimeTime Live" just the Dish DVR?

 

YouTube TV has FSN and also offers unlimited DVR (plus on-demand content, if you forgot to DVR something). And no contract!

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

They have so many games going they are overlapping anyways?  Why not have just local show the games, guess it comes down to large contracts signed by media. 

I mentioned above, but in 1995 -- the first wild card postseason -- they tried overlapping prime time games. So people only saw their "regional" game in the first round. The response was not good.

 

The next year, 1996, was the first year they had postseason games on cable, so they were no longer limited to the major broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, etc.) and they could air all games nationally.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Wow, first Twins playoff game on broadcast TV in like a decade (or at least it feels that way).

Actually longer!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_American_League_Division_Series_broadcasters

 

I think our 2006 ALDS games on ESPN games were simulcast locally on ABC (KSTP).

 

Otherwise, we haven't been national on broadcast TV since the 2004 ALDS.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Living in the UK this is great for me! I usually have to catch the highlights the day after. Sorry for everyone else though....

Yup. And international viewers (outside the USA & Canada) should be able to see all of these games through their normal MLB.TV subscription.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Here in the USA & Canada, MLB.TV subscribers can still listen to the live postseason radio broadcasts, watch the archive games (90 minutes after they end), or watch live if they authenticate with a participating pay TV provider:

 

https://www.mlb.com/live-stream-games/postseason/2020providers

 

In the USA, though, it is easier to just get YouTube TV for $65. That will have every game (with DVR!). Subscribe Tuesday Sep. 29, cancel right away (turn off renewal), and it will last through Game 7 of the World Series.

[spanman2]

Enjoy the day games with same day drinking...hit a local watering hole or tell your boss unless you are self-employed you are taking a half day...Win Twins!!!  Lets make a run this year.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

To be fair, they try to stagger all of the games. They tried overlapping postseason games back in 1995 I think, and it was roundly critized. (Yes, they do give prime time preference to the biggest markets, but I am not sure what criteria to use for that, beyond time zone.)

Roundly criticized by who? Big market attention hounds who were forced to share a spotlight for a couple nights?

[Brock Beauchamp]

Because Twins fans would rather watch Yankees - Red Sox in prime time, than a Twins game, or something.

 

Great job, MLB. Just a great job all around.

I don’t really see another way to do it. They essentially gave first round “slots” in the day, as once you commit to the Yankees getting a night game in game one, it’s less fair to flip them around for a 1pm start the following day. What happens if game one goes 14 innings? That’s a rough spot to be in for both teams.

 

Besides, it only impacts the next three days. After that, games will likely start in the late afternoon then continue into the evening as the field narrows.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Roundly criticized by who? Big market attention hounds who were forced to share a spotlight for a couple nights?

I don't think anyone liked it.

 

Look at the 1995 playoffs:

 

AL Division Series 3-0 Cleveland Indians over Boston Red Sox
AL Division Series 3-2 Seattle Mariners over New York Yankees
NL Division Series 3-1 Atlanta Braves over Colorado Rockies
NL Division Series 3-0 Cincinnati Reds over Los Angeles Dodgers

ALCS 4-2 Cleveland Indians over Seattle Mariners
NLCS 4-0 Atlanta Braves over Cincinnati Reds

 

Fans in Minnesota got Cleveland-Boston during the DS round, because Cleveland was a "midwest" team in the American League. Even if the series went 2-0, Minnesota fans were locked into that, rather than potentially checking out another more competitive series. (Or if the network switched you to watch a more competitive series, undoubtedly you'd alienate some fans who wanted to keep watching Cleveland-Boston until the end.)

 

What if the White Sox qualified as a wild card -- which game would we get, Cleveland or Chicago? What if the Brewers qualified in the NL -- should we get their game over, say, the White Sox?

 

It gets worse in other places. With both Cincinnati and Cleveland qualifying, and surviving until the CS round, what game should get broadcast precedence in Ohio? What about Texas, where no team close to them qualified? What about Iowa and the many other states without a MLB team of any kind?

 

Now this was broadcast TV -- limited to one network. With the move to cable in 1996, baseball has many more networks to deliver simultaneous games -- but the value of each of those games broadcast rights is greatly diminished if it has to compete with other games. TBS will pay a fair amount for any exclusive MLB postseason game -- but they're not going to pay nearly as much if they have to broadcast MIN-OAK while Fox is broadcasting LAD-CHC or something like that.

[insagt1]

doesn't the whole nation want to watch the cheaters go down in flames??

If the Yankees are still in it, TV will always find a way to get them the best time slots....fair or not. Personally, I hope they get eliminated quickly. Everyday the Yankees lose, an angel gets its wings.

[wabene]

Bummer time slot. Self employed but after being out of town all last week I gotta be at the job tomorrow. Oh well DVR and radio silence all afternoon so I can be clueless when I get home. Will miss the game thread and live pint. Go Twins!

[Otto von Ballpark]

Maybe all the folks that have to miss it live could set a time to start watching the MLB.TV replay together on Tuesday evening.

[puckstopper1]

No matter the pitching or team match-up, the Yankees or Red Sox always get prime time, and that is unlikely to change.

 

If the Twins want to be in prime time, they need to win a series or two...

 

BTW - Cole vs. Bieber is a pitching matchup made for prime time, IMO.

[Hosken Bombo Disco]

I don't think anyone liked it.

 

Look at the 1995 playoffs:

 

AL Division Series 3-0 Cleveland Indians over Boston Red Sox

AL Division Series 3-2 Seattle Mariners over New York Yankees

NL Division Series 3-1 Atlanta Braves over Colorado Rockies

NL Division Series 3-0 Cincinnati Reds over Los Angeles Dodgers

ALCS 4-2 Cleveland Indians over Seattle Mariners

NLCS 4-0 Atlanta Braves over Cincinnati Reds

 

Fans in Minnesota got Cleveland-Boston during the DS round, because Cleveland was a "midwest" team in the American League. Even if the series went 2-0, Minnesota fans were locked into that, rather than potentially checking out another more competitive series. (Or if the network switched you to watch a more competitive series, undoubtedly you'd alienate some fans who wanted to keep watching Cleveland-Boston until the end.)

 

What if the White Sox qualified as a wild card -- which game would we get, Cleveland or Chicago? What if the Brewers qualified in the NL -- should we get their game over, say, the White Sox?

 

It gets worse in other places. With both Cincinnati and Cleveland qualifying, and surviving until the CS round, what game should get broadcast precedence in Ohio? What about Texas, where no team close to them qualified? What about Iowa and the many other states without a MLB team of any kind?

 

Now this was broadcast TV -- limited to one network. With the move to cable in 1996, baseball has many more networks to deliver simultaneous games -- but the value of each of those games broadcast rights is greatly diminished if it has to compete with other games. TBS will pay a fair amount for any exclusive MLB postseason game -- but they're not going to pay nearly as much if they have to broadcast MIN-OAK while Fox is broadcasting LAD-CHC or something like that.

Sure, but what’s the best decision for the greatest number of fans in this market right now.

[Trov]

 

I mentioned above, but in 1995 -- the first wild card postseason -- they tried overlapping prime time games. So people only saw their "regional" game in the first round. The response was not good.

 

The next year, 1996, was the first year they had postseason games on cable, so they were no longer limited to the major broadcast networks (ABC, NBC, etc.) and they could air all games nationally.

Yes, but that was only 2 games some days and 4 others.  On Wednesday, they will have 8 games all starting 1 hour after the next, except for Dodgers get a west coast prime time slot.  So since there is no way of having full separate game time, why not let more be in prime time locally?  I mean if you want to see them all you cannot, unless you have 4 to 5 TV's to watch at once.  Else you will just get to keep seeing the end of games.  I know why they did it, but I just wish in this case they could have had more overlap since they already have to have so much anyways. 

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Sure, but what’s the best decision for the greatest number of fans in this market right now.

If it's just up to the fans in the local market, sure every game should be on at 7 PM local time or whatever. And that's what happens during the regular season, when local market fans are the primary target.

 

But in the postseason, the audience widens. Hence why ESPN and Fox and Turner pay billions for national TV deals, and in turn get big money from national commercials. Compare that to the regular season, when Fox Sports North pays the Twins $43 mil for the local rights and gets a free breadstick for every Pizza Ranch ad they show.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

Yes, but that was only 2 games some days and 4 others.  On Wednesday, they will have 8 games all starting 1 hour after the next, except for Dodgers get a west coast prime time slot.  So since there is no way of having full separate game time, why not let more be in prime time locally?  I mean if you want to see them all you cannot, unless you have 4 to 5 TV's to watch at once.  Else you will just get to keep seeing the end of games.  I know why they did it, but I just wish in this case they could have had more overlap since they already have to have so much anyways. 

The primetime game is the most valuable. The more you overlap that, the less it is worth (so the less money MLB receives). The afternoon games have less to lose by overlap.

 

And I suspect a lot of viewers can watch multiple games at one time now, through streaming. YouTube TV, Fox Sports, ESPN, etc. all have tablet/phone apps. (Hence why TVs generally don't have their own "picture in picture" mode anymore.) I know the ESPN app on Apple TV can also play 4 games at once on your TV too.

[howeda7]

 

Wow, first Twins playoff game on broadcast TV in like a decade (or at least it feels that way).

 

Of course, if they won more it would solve this problem as they advance.

It's probably the first one since at least 2009. I don't believe the Division Series has been on broadcast TV in a long time.

[howeda7]

I don't understand why they couldn't do two games at like 2/3 PM central and two at 7/8. They're basically over-lapping anyway. Does the Oakland game really need to end by 7 PM PST?

 

You could have TB/Tor at 2 PM CST, Twins/Astros at 3, Yankees/Indians at 7 and Oakland/Chicago at 8. No one would have to start before 3 PM local time and no one would be scheduled to end later than 9 PM local time.