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Sactown Royalty

Kings' Local Ratings Up 33% This Season

Comcast SportsNet California released some good news on Tuesday: ratings for Sacramento Kings games shown on the network are up 33 percent over last year, drawing an average rating of 2.37. (That means that 2.37 percent of all television households in the Sacramento market are watching a Kings games when it's on. This even counts the 30-point losses!)

Ratings have grown in key areas, as well: adults 18-49 are up 98 percent and men 18-49 are up 67 percent.

There's one more interesting note: to date, attendance at home games is up 10 percent. Attendance had grown last season over the previous year, so we're seeing some sustained growth in this area. Given that the team remains in the cellar, this shows should pretty incredible commitment on the part of Kings fans ... and some excellent work by the franchise's sales team and the league's SWAT team of business folks. And, of course, we need to bow at the altar of Jim Gray.

It's not all good on the court, and there are significant hurdles remaining in the way of a long-term solution to keep the Kings in Sacramento. But as fans, we're sure as heck doing our part.

1 recs  |  80 comments

Comments

sounds like a full house

Would probably be a little higher

if not for all the stupidity with every game being on a different channel. I bet some folks just fed up and stopped bothering because of that.

That depends on your provider

I have Surewest, and every game has been on the same channel.

DTV it's always on 699 for standard definition and 699-1 for HD
Question:

Do they take online viewers into consideration when tallying these polls or is it just Comcast? What about Satellite providers?

What about illegal streaming video?
I don't think

anything on the internet is counted. I believe satellite is counted.

Obviously not the only factor, but

can’t completely ignore the Jimmer factor. His fans are legion, and they watch from around the country and at the arena.

Oh man coming home from my BBALL game last night I turned on 1140 to catch the game

The Gman is awesome, but Bill Walton was brutal!!! They really need to stop using that guy.

Hubie Brown was on the NBA feed and he was ripping the Kings all 4 quarters

but I still prefer him to Walton.

This may get me heavily criticized

But I’ve never understood all the love for the G-Man. He’s a quality broadcaster, sure, does a good job explaining the action and calling the game, but man, he is always so critical of the Kings, even in the good ole days when they were one of the NBA’s best teams. So, so negative all the time. A home broadcaster should still be relatively impartial, but sometimes I feel like he’s the other team’s broadcaster.

Watch some games on NBATV and get a hold of some other teams' broadcasters...

then you will get a sense of how lucky we are to have guys like G-man, Peaches, and Jerry Reynolds.

I'm not dismissing his ability to call a game

All three of them do their jobs well, it’s just how critical he is that frustrates me sometimes.

I hear ya

I think he’s actually gotten worse the last few years. And I love him, don’t get me wrong. But he’s extremely harsh and exasperated at times.

Which we all are, but it’s just strange to hear it from a local broadcaster.

Kings ratings got JIMMERED!
Jimmer

Do you think the attension the National press has had on Jimmer has made a difference..

Perhaps initially

but I would not think that kind of bump could last for more than a few weeks. Honestly, Jimmer is a few pegs down the list of things that Kings fans seek to discuss these days. Right now he is trending towards “he is who we thought he was” territory.

sorry, save for the "BYU" crowd in Sacto

I’m sure that has helped a bit.

Does anyone know how the 2.37 share

stacks up against other NBA markets? This number sounded awfully small to me, but I’m no media expert and I wear purple-colored glasses.

Here’s where you can get an alright idea.

what's more important for Comcast and Maloof Sports and Entertainment though are the shares

but don’t see that here (it calculates who from what parts of town are watching – basically do rich people who buy frivilous shit watch the games because we want advertisers to think this rich assholes will buy their shit).

No, it's important as Comcast has said they'll renegotiate

once they’re sure the Kings are staying in Sac. Better ratings mean more money – and hopefully, more players.

obviously yes better ratings mean more money

it’s just that they look at more than how many households when they judge ratings is all because people who buy up advertising spots look at more than how many households when they themselves decide to spend money on ads.

Doesn't higher ratings automatically = more households?

look at more than how many households when they judge ratings is all because people who buy up advertising spots look at more than how many households when they themselves decide to spend money on ads.

Generally, advertisers like viewers in the 18-49 age demographic.

They believe that people in this age group (some even look form18-35) are the big consumers and pay a premium for telecasts with many viewers in this demographic. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but a 2.37 means that 2.37% of Sacramento households within the 18-49 demographic, not just 2.37% of all households.

Taco Bell

Should be an automatic sponsor for the King’s. We’re providing more free for potential customers than any other marketing strategy they’ve had (I’m looking at YOU talking chihuahua).

…more free TACOS….

I am guilty

Of contributing to that 130% increase for the Clippers. That team is so much fun to watch now

Wrong place for this comment

but I was reading this when I opened the mail and found a 50 dollar refund from the Maloofs for my season ticket interest. Oddly, this bothered me, because I had checked the box to apply the interest to next seasons tickets. The cynical me becomes suspicious easily. Talk me down, but I am trying hard to think that this is just another thing they are inept at.

i got the same thing

the 50$ is 6% interest. Mine was for 28$ (im in the second level). The refunded price for the 10 games missed either goes towards the plays this season (yeah fucking right) or as your down payment for next season,

towards the playoffs this season I meant,
Ah

probably should have read the letter more closely…thanks for the talk down.

I love the kings and have been a season ticket holder for 7 seasons

but this is the worst team i have seen in my 7 seasons as a sth. And not by quality of team or players but the brand of basketball i mean. The are downright unwatchable. they win every 4 or 5 games or so, and they are not even competative the rest. They get tbagged most of the time. I dont know how many more 88 point offensive explosions I can take. Its hard watching them get drubbed every night. The bad thing is I dont see any light at the end of the tunnel. Our hopes are hanging on Cousins who’s a god damn mental case, we go through coaches like crazy, and our gm sucks shit. Oh well I’ll keep watching and renew my seats next year.

adjusting for home and away rates and the 66 game schedule

they are on pace to win 30 games in an 82 game equivalent. So they are not the worse, even in your 7 years.
I think they just seem worse than they are because they get blown out evry time they lose, and the talent seems better than it performs.

The lockout's effect

on the quality of play also has to be taken into consideration.

Agreed

The whole league has been pretty ugly so far

Kind of...but the teams beating the Kings by 30 had a lockout too
and conversely, teams beating us by 30 aren't getting used to 3 new starters.

and 4 more rotational players.

wow. I knew the rating were bad, but that's bad.
although after looking at the list I linked above

could be much much worse (I just thought NBA games were watched more locally)

Thanks for this link.

So, Sacramento’s 2.37 appears to be roughly average on a % of households basis across the NBA. With a total number of households in the Sac TV market at 1.35 million, that puts us at ~32,000 households glued to the agony Kings basketball on a given evening.

That number is surprisingly low to me, but is also nowhere near the bottom 5 in the league. Charlotte is at 12,000 households per game? YIKES. Also, if there was any doubt about which media market rules the NBA, time to put it to rest.

According to Comcast's press release

it’s 32,967 … so yeah, well done on the estimate.

some people will buy anything (I know I know, I am a thoroughbred cynic)

It just so happens, I have some pet rocks for sale. Accepting offers.

Promising.

I´m wondering: So Memphis has this young, exciting team. They made a deep playoff run last year. They had (at the time) a five game winstreak going. It´s Saturday night. The arena is empty, and the Kings are supposedly not feasible? Screw this! Let´s get this ESC built, chase the Maloofs out of town and Burkle this thing around. Sacramento deserves to be in the NBA.
Go Kings!

Memphis is a college sports town

If I’m not mistaken, I think the Grizzlies are a threat to move (again) as well

Memphis isn't that bad

But head scratching when you consider how good and entertaining they are. Same with the Hawks.

Have you watched/seen the arena at a Bucks or Pistons home game. Now that is empty.

I can't believe how much Conley and Gasol have rounded out their game
I remember pookey beating the drums for Conley a few seasons ago

When it looked like he was an afterthought in Memphis. Speaks to why you’d want to give these highly drafted young players a bit of time, even if they struggle for a patch.

He called that one, I sure didn't see it.

Of course we’ve all been right and wrong about a guy here and there.

I dont know if Conley would be the same now under Westphal though

I can't believe how badly Gasol spanked the Kings this weekend

He looked superhuman out there, it was crazy.

Did you see any of last night's game on NBA TV?

Gasol tried to do an Air Jordan over Gerald Wallace on the fast break and almost killed both of them.

Things Gasol should never do:

Shave; attempt to dunk over anyone

I was watching The Pres myself
He's very comfortable doing what he does

That team has an identity, trust and some success after three years together.

March...

Is a week away.

Pretty certain

You’re a month off on your calendar….

thank god

Its been a crazy year for me, sorry. either way, its really close.

Do you know what year this is?
Just think how high the ratings would be if the team was any good.
It's Jimmer fans.

There’s no other reason more people would be watching the Kings this year. They’re terrible. The star players don’t look like they enjoy playing the game together. It’s ugly and sad. Smart is starting to get things to a high school level of execution out there and at least guys are helping each other up off the floor now, but there’s nothing special happening this year to draw more viewers other than Jimmer cutting his teeth.

Not entirely

Ed and the rest of the bunch who are driving the Here We Stay movement deserve some thanks as well.

A lot of people were ready to write this team off because of ownership schmucks, but it is a good reminder that this is a Sacramento team and fans can in fact have their say.

The road blowouts create alot of bias here

They’ve actually been rather solid at home, and picked up a nice win vs. Spurs. I’d estimate that this is the best team in 4 years, actually. Folks could argue it no doubt, but if you’d only gone to home games and hadn’t followed the road performance you’d think that this team was a borderline playoff squad.

They're about 4% in shooting away from being much closer to a .500 team

Now, where do we get that 4%?
(sigh)

Jimmer brought me here...

I have to admit, when I started frequenting this site it was because i wanted to participate in conversation about Jimmer. I am a Jazz fan from Utah (go figure), but I must say that because of this forum I am really starting to love the kings for better or worse. I have watched every game and feel somewhat of the pain expressed on this forum. Although, I must admit I love the humorous comments on here whether it’s celebrating a win or it’s griping a tough blow-out loss. Thanks for the entertainment here, and please accept me as an adopted new King’s fan. Cheers!

The city of Sacramento deserves a Nobel Peace Prize for watching this team in significant numbers.
It's not that bad, really

That looks like my Lasik procedure a few weeks ago
I hope that you went to see Dr. Newman

‘Cause, you know, he’s done over 40,000 procedures and all.

I did actually

I think he did 10,000 alone on the day I was in there.

Did you count as one or two procedures?

Just checking to see if he is stat padding.

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