Padres Ratings Finish 25% Above Last Year

Fox Sports San Diego was just setting all kinds of ratings records this season.  It helps when you're accessible to just about all San Diegans with access to cable.  In the past off-season FSSD suddenly and mysteriously came to an agreement with Time Warner Cable after two years of feuding.  When the new ownership took control TWC just rolled over on their back and prepared for a long and thorough belly rub.  I'm really interested in finding out what happened there, but the suits at FSSD have been tight lipped when I've prodded them for information.  I'm going to find out though, just watch.

In any case their pool of potential viewers increased dramatically and so did their ratings.  Check this, FSSD is reporting that their overall ratings increased 25% over last year.  Not only that but Padres telecasts were the third highest rated and third most viewed programming on television in San Diego.  Period.

The telecasts averaged 3.33 household rating and just shy of 36,000 households in prime time between 7pm and 11pm.  The only two stations that beat them out were CBS and NBC.  I don't know who these people are but I'd watch the Padres over the Big Bang Theory and The Voice any day of the week, and I did.

"We've enjoyed strong audience growth this year driven primarily by Padres baseball," said Henry Ford, Senior Vice President and General Manager, FOX Sports San Diego. "I'd like to thank Padres fans that tuned in throughout the season to watch the hometown team. I'd also like to thank our sponsors, who have all been tremendous business partners, and many of whom have stepped up their support."

If I'm Henry Ford, and I'm not, I'd beg each of those sponsors to make at least 10 different variations of their commercials and mix them up throughout the season.  My soul left my body watching the same 20 commercials over and over again between every inning.  I think everyone would benefit with a little less Sycuan Tom in their lives.

Here's some more fast facts from FSSD:

• 26 Padres games rated 4.0 or higher.  Eight games did that in 2013.
• Padres Live pre-game show ratings are up 47%.  Look at Mike Pomeranz putting the network on his back and carrying the heavy load.
• On the tail end the Padres Live post-game show only increased 9%, which doesn't surprise me because who would want to relive most of those games?
• August 2014 was the highest rated month in FSSD history with a 3.59 rating.  That amazes me because that's about the time I started tuning out.  I guess I don't have my hands clenched around the pulse of San Diego like I thought I did.
• The August 2nd Pre-game show for the Padres vs. Braves game got 5.4 ratings.  What happened there?  Was Pomeranz broadcasting shirtless?
• Twice FSSD went up against ESPN telecasts and they dominated them both times.  Padres vs. Dodgers on 8/20 (4.14 HH vs. 1.52 HH) and Padres vs. Diamondbacks on 9/3 (4.23 HH vs. .76 HH).
  

Good job FSSD, I'll give you a pat on the butt next time I see you in the Spring.