Bucs’ Local Ratings On The Rise
January 15th, 2014
Local TV ratings for Bucs regular season games this season were the best among Florida NFL clubs and showed a 14 percent increase from the 2012 season.
But the Bucs’ numbers are among the lowest in the NFL, per Sports Business Daily.
Tampa Bay’s 26th-in-the-league ranking isn’t too surprising. Markets with lots of transplanted residents typically don’t fare well comparatively.
Representing the multi-team, TV markets, the Giants and Jets ranked 30th and 31st. The Raiders were last, and the 49ers were 23rd.
The Bucs’ average rating of 19.0 represents about 350,000 local households. Ratings giant Nielsen data pegs the Tampa Bay TV market as the 14th largest in the United States and the largest in Florida. Atlanta was one notch above the Bucs with a 19.5 rating, with Arizona ahead of them at 21.5.
The Bucs’ 24 percent increase over two seasons is the fifth-best rise in the league over that time, trailing Seattle, Denver, Kansas City and Indianapolis. (Whaddya know. Playoff teams.)
Joe’s not sure whether the end of blackouts helped the Bucs, as the ratings include home and road games. Two night games this season, versus one in 2012, had to have helped. But the Bucs’ miserable start surely had plenty of locals tuning out and turning to vodka.
Regardless of the why, it’s great to see the Bucs rising in popularity, though these 2013 ratings are far below what they were during the Bucs’ glory years.
January 15th, 2014 at 10:46 am
Tuning in to see the “Hawk” destroy opposing receivers!!!
January 15th, 2014 at 10:50 am
Well yeah, they were actually on television this year.
January 15th, 2014 at 10:59 am
I found this to be very interesting. I belive that the interest was a lot todo with train wreck of a season they had, and also with curiosity of MERSA and if affected men like it does lab rats in a team sport. Just kidding the whole world will watch Tampa Bay this year. Super Bowl Super Bowl Super Bowl!!!!!!!
January 15th, 2014 at 12:30 pm
@Joe
Do you think there will be more night games for the Bucs just because Lovie is the coach? (Since we do have talent and it will be used a lot better than before)
January 15th, 2014 at 1:46 pm
People always say that Tampa is a transient area. Yes it is. There’s fans of all teams. But what isn’t understood, when the Bucs are good, the fans of those other teams become Bucs fans too. The waiting list of 100k didn’t disappear. Those people just jumped off the bandwagon back to their home team. They’ll be back when the winning returns.
Most NFL fans are casual fans. There is a core of hardcore fans but the majority are casual who jump from team to team.