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The Twins officially re-upped with Bally Sports North for the 2024 season. It’s a conclusion that very few wanted, but it was the best deal the club could muster in terms of getting a half-respectable payday in the near-term while they kick the broadcasting rights can down the road for another year.
The optics of how everything went down ended up being the icing on this urinal cake of a situation. While various people associated with the team stated confidently that local blackouts would be a thing of the past, the return to BSN means those limitations still loom and viewers will need a cable subscription even if they want to stream the game, as has been the case for the last handful of years.
So not only did the club put fans back in an unappealing situation, but they sullied their own word along the way.
“The disappointing news is we had said very openly that our top priority was expansion of reach of our games. We felt we were in a unique position to deliver on that, considering we were a free agent in the television world,” explained Twins president Dave St. Peter to Evan Drellich of The Athletic. “And at the end of the day, we ended up doing a one-year deal on linear distribution only, and we recognize that leaves a growing number of our fans in a place where they’re gonna have a harder time watching our games.”
So even though the club was able to clean up the mess caused by their television broadcast uncertainty, it feels like they used their good word to wipe up the spill, leaving it spotted and stained. And this is where the Twins need to be swift in their recovery, as some stains don’t come out if left unattended for too long.
Here are three ways that the club can win back the good graces of their fans after falling short on their promise to expand the broadcast reach of their product.
Allow Kids Into The Ballpark For Free
Major League Baseball has been going through a unique set of growing pains as they try to navigate the fact that their base audience is getting older, and they need to find a way to become a bigger draw to a new generation of fans. Making their games easily accessible to the kids at home is an easy way to get more of them interested in the sport, but if that isn’t going to happen this year, then the club needs to find a way to get them into the ballpark.
That’s why the Twins should invite fans 10 years old and younger to attend their games for free with a paying adult. This gives parents a more affordable opportunity to bring their family to a game, creating happy memories and renewed interest for a younger demographic that may not come out to a game otherwise. The Twins get to showcase their team to a new generation, and they still get to rake in the money brought in through increased concessions. Kids are going to want to eat at these games (and the parents may need another $14 beer to deal with the stress of bringing the kids – let’s be honest – anywhere). This creates some goodwill in the near-term, and hopefully a new generation of lifelong fans in the long-term.
Host Watch Parties
If fans can’t stream Twins games at home, then the club should make every effort possible to fill their calendar with hosted watch parties, especially for away games. This could mean making more of an event out of displaying their games on the Target Field Station plaza (which they already do for many games). Bring in the pregame and postgame crew to do their segments live from the watch party, and have them mingle with the crowd during the game. Imagine attending one of these watch parties and seeing former fan-favorites such as Glen Perkins or Trevor Plouffe hanging out with you. Maybe another locally-based Twins personality like Kent Hrbek shows up and passes out free hats or vouchers for a free standing room only ticket to a future game.
The Twins could also partner with various local establishments to host watch parties, promising to provide a unique game-watching experience with prizes and guests. This gives the club an opportunity to showcase their highly marketable team while making a positive impact on the restaurants/breweries/theaters that they partner with.
More Ticket Flash Sales/Promotions
When Carlos Correa re-signed with the club last year, the Twins offered $4 tickets through the end of that week. It was an easy way to build the excitement of the notable signing, while offering fans something to take advantage of for a short amount of time. It was an extremely popular idea, and it’s the kind of proposal that gets folks interested in coming to more games in a hurry.
I know this because I’ve had countless people come to me – a lowly scribe – asking when the Twins are going to run something like that again because it was the only way they went to a handful of games last year.
And the team doesn’t have to wait for notable signings to make this promotion a reality. Picture Royce Lewis hitting a walk-off home run, and using that highlight as a jumping-off point to run a ticket promotion during the ensuing social media hoopla. For that matter, make standing room only tickets available for $5 after every walk-off at Target Field. Let the team on the field do the heavy lifting, and use their highlights as the catalyst for a special.
These proposals could renew an appetite for the fans that has been spoiled by the bitterness of their TV situation. Yes, the debacle with Bally Sports North left a bitter aftertaste, but the team can help themselves out by taking the steps necessary to flush that bitterness out on their own.
Look, I’ve never owned a billion dollar company (yet) and I don’t know the inner workings of a professional sports team’s ticket operations.
But I do know that what goes around, comes around. And unless the Twins throw some goodness to their loyal fans, they are not going to like the negative buzz that’s likely coming to them.
What do you think? How would you like to see the Twins make up for the disappointing conclusion to their TV situation? What would it take to get you back to the ballpark if you feel slighted by this development? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section, and as always, keep it sweet.
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