NCAA scores for The Score online
Taking a look at the television ratings for the NCAA March Madness basketball orgy, one might assume it wasn't an overwhelming hit for The Score. Overall, the games averaged 60,000 viewers, which would put it behind poker and bowling and maybe even darts.
Even simulcasting on Sun TV in Ontario didn't produce overwhelming numbers: 118,000 viewers for the Sweet Sixteen and on. Again, ratings were in the poker category.
But these days, TV ratings don't tell the whole story. While the TV numbers, though 22 per cent better than last year, are under-whelming, the online numbers are staggering.
The Score got 1.4 million page views on its website for NCAA video and features. More incredible, Score's mobile iPhone application got 1.2 million page views.
There's an interesting story behind the latter, too. According to Score executive v-p David Errington, about half of the 400,000 to 500,000 people who downloaded the mobile app were Americans. So why were they doing a little cross-border shopping when CBS was offering a similar product?
There's a bit of luck behind that. Apparently when you go to the app online store and search for ``scores" guess what name comes up first. You got it, The Score.
``We just beat everybody else to the punch," Errington says. ``It's a great app that gives you all the scores, odds, video, blogs, stats. Everything you possibly need to know is in that app."
The app was a good profit-maker and is inspiring The Score to do more. The app offered video highlights of NCAA games and The Score is in the process of finalizing plans to add video of other sports.
As for being able to watch a live game on your phone, that's probably not far off.
``When we go back to renew our deal, that will be on the table," Errington says.
does it surprise. More and more media content is moving online.
Posted by: Robert Carl Parisien Natick MA | 04/11/2009 at 06:12 PM
March Madness? Considering the total lack of interest, if it weren't American, would it even be covered up here? I seriously doubt it. Tranna media should quit worhsipping those second rate SOB's, and maybe promote our own more? Nah, that would be too much to ask.
Posted by: Rick Gross | 04/13/2009 at 02:28 PM
Wah, wah, wah! To all the babies who constantly complain about the NCAA or any other sport they don't like, why do you even bother wasting your time posting your hatred? And stop with the hyperbolic and xenophobic rhetoric. Nobody is "worshipping" anything. It's not the #1 story on SportCentre and none of the papers have sent a writer to cover it, even though it was just 3 hours away in Detroit. All they do is pick up and run the AP story. What is the problem with that?
It does however have a small (and younger) following and that warrants it coverage on some level. Serious sports fans want more than just hours of NHL replays on TV. (which if we are talking overexposure, it takes the top spot in this country. do 3 channels need 10 hours each to cover a handful of trades, most of them meaningless? but i digress)
If your not into anything other than listening to Cherry every Saturday, or you just don't like basketball, fine. But don't come crying hysterically becnause for 3 weekends a year, its on the #3 channel and there are NCAA clips 15 minutes into the nightly recap show.
Posted by: Mike | 04/14/2009 at 01:03 PM
Amen, Mike.
The bashing of NCAA basketball sometimes borders on the ridiculous. The Score covers 2 of the 4 CIS final 8 quarter-finals, both semi-finals, and the championship game so mindless critics can't even use the excuse that Canadian university basketball coverage suffers as a result.
Posted by: Jason Cormier | 04/14/2009 at 03:32 PM