Toronto Sports Media Radio Ratings Fall 2019

By TSM:

So many of you have asked about ratings since the blood letting at the Fan and especially the exit of Bob McCown. Well, here you go:

I don’t have all the old books but here is a rough guide to PTS with McCown over the last couple of years:

M18-49

Fall 2018 – 5.3
Winter – 4.7
Spring – 5.3

Spring 2017 8.6

M25-54

Fall 2018 – 5.8
Winter – 4.8
Spring – 5.0

spring 2017 8.5

Here is the book for 2 years ago the same period:

Here for comparison is last years book for the period we have just currently entered:

So…

First caveat, and I will say this a few times. The stations no longer lineup in their programming so some of the shows aren’t a perfect match. I will work with David to see how we fix this. Also, Tim and Sid were NOT in place for the full book. For reasons we are not quite sure of, they didn’t make the change until after the book had started.

Second caveat. The systems sucks but it is the only system we have. Keep this nugget in mind though. The number of people who may actually listen to either station is already a low number. They aren’t pooling form hundred of people, in fact it could be low teens. So, the easy conclusion would be that both stations have completely lost the young audience. The Fan am show and the split between Writers Bloc/Tim and Sid are pulling in embarrassingly low 2.9s in the younger male demographic. However they are light years ahead of the . nothings both stations are getting at all other times. Yes, it is possible that no one 18-34 listen to to sports radio, but I can’t imagine that drastic a drop off so I am getting there are some different folks with meters in that demo.

Were it get really interesting is in the key marketing demo, 25-54 (sorry ladies, don’t shoot the messenger). McCown used to say of 1050 or 640 ” I could sit on my roof with a megaphone and get more people listening to me, Well, in this book and in this demo the GAP has closed. The Fan pulling a 2.6 in the am is REALLY low.. I mean REALLY low. The Fan in this slot two years ago was a 5.2. TSN was a 1.0. The Fan has lost almost 50% of the their audience while TSN has doubled. The TSN number is not a good number on it’s own, but compared to where it was and the completion, they are- for the first time in the race.

In the next slot, 3.3 vs a 2.1 Compared with a 6.2 vs. a .9.. Once again, the Fan audience has almost lost 50% while here TSN has doubled. I know you don’t like it, but that TSN number includes the next to no cost syndicated content. That has to sting.

At lunch, and two years ago.. 1.5 vs 1.4 compared to 6.1 vs 1.9. So…two years ago I presume would have included the Blue Jays central numbers but that audience has all but disappeared. The TSN number has also retracted in the two years.

In the afternoon, 2.6 vs 1,1 compared to 2.7 vs 1.2 has not changed in two years. Again that would have been Blair and Brunt for the Fan in the Jays playoff run. This year it is a mixed bag as 2 months worth is Blair and Brunt/Deitsch.

Then, Tim and Sid vs. OverDrive- sort of..5.0 vs. 4.5 compared with 5.5 vs 1.7 two years ago and McCown’s 5.8 last year. So the Fan decline continues, 5.8 to 5.7 to 5.0. While OverDrive went from 1.7 to 4.5.

I would think the 5.0 has to be amongst the lowest numbers ever pulled for PTS and the 4.5 has to be the highest or close to it for any competitive radio show against Bob. I don’t recall, but maybe Brady and Watters came close.

Again, no-one book is a conclusion it’s all about the trends. Here is what I would say that trend looks like. Total audience is in decline. A lousy Blue Jays team, a hated Blue Jays management group, post championship Raptor hangover, no real Raptors news, a dismal start to the Leafs season all play a part in that in addition to the continued growth of podcasts and other means of getting sports content. The Fan continues to lose audience. It has not lost a slot to TSN, but the TSN number are right there for the first time, I think ever. Keep in mind the changes at the Fan only took place in September so those new shows and new times do need time to grow and mature too.

I will say this, and know many of you miss Bob, as do I . However, I don’t think we have ever had a time in Toronto Sports radio where two stations were offering equal quality programming as we do right now. Almost any time of the day there are good hosts throwing round the topics of the day. That’s a good thing! Blair and Company vs. .Hayes and Company are both really good shows. They are very, very different even when they have the same guests. You get different styles and different answers. We are well served right now IMHO.

I don’t know this, but I would imagine these were not expected numbers at either shop. I suspect while TSN is generally pleased there might be some disappointment that OD especially hasn’t made greater inroads.I would suspect TSN management feels that things are on the right track. Over at the Fan, I am sure some are preaching patience and using these numbers as evidence of the changes that were made being needed. I am sure there is also some disappointment and perhaps some panic.

This book is equally as important so we will try to see where things end up in a few months.

As always, thanks to David Bray: David Bray is President of Bray & Partners Communications. Feel free to forward questions and inquiries:

Phone: (416)431-5792

E-mail: [email protected]

Web sites: brayandpartners.com davidbray.ca