Expansion Team in Nashville?

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

the youngsters, seam to have no interest in professional baseball, nor do they play in rec sports like they used to.

 

Obviously one can find dozens of stories about how the sky is falling.

Some of them are over a hundred years old.

You also have this.

Quote

When it comes to baseball’s popularity with younger fans, one can’t simply look at their TV viewing habits to determine if they like baseball or not. Younger fans follow sports, especially baseball, via the Internet, e.g., watching highlights on social media and various websites. Gen Z fans (those born in 1997 or later) follow their favorite sport over the Internet twice as often as Baby Boomers. They’re also three times more likely to listen to podcasts and play fantasy sports than Boomers. When it comes to Gen Z’s favorite sport, MLB is even with the NFL. That’s shocking I’m sure to baseball’s doomsayers.

It’s important to remember that Gen Z is the first generation of digital natives. These young fans thrive on digital media options when it comes to following their sports teams. For example, MLB’s At Bat mobile app is very popular with young fans. It puts baseball online, where young fans spend a lot of their time. Moreover, baseball is the sport most into data analytics, which appeals to a lot of young fans. And there are a ton of websites devoted to baseball analytics.

https://www.leagueoffans.org/2019/10/29/gen-z-is-killing-the-myth-that-young-people-dont-like-baseball/

[btdart20]

18 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Revenue is up, franchise values are up.  They just signed a new deal with Apple.

I wonder if/how the Apple deal cannibalizes other revenue streams (MLB Network, cable...).  It'll also be interesting from an Apple perspective due to the tracking limitations and lower ad revenues for Apple.  MLB still has pricing power (monopoly for baseball talent), so the margins for the various revenue outlets will tighten.  Today's economy is weird in general anyway, and more so for entertainment.

[Redskins Rick]

16 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Obviously one can find dozens of stories about how the sky is falling.

Some of them are over a hundred years old.

You also have this.

https://www.leagueoffans.org/2019/10/29/gen-z-is-killing-the-myth-that-young-people-dont-like-baseball/

thanks

[DrungoHazewood]

23 hours ago, Frobby said:

Las Vegas attracts over 40 million tourists a year (pre-pandemic).   Not all of them want to gamble 24 hours a day.  I’d bet their attendance would be very good.  Their hockey games sell out every night.   

I'm not an expert and I actively dislike the entire concept of Las Vegas existing, but how many people go all the way there to watch a baseball game that's probably between two teams they don't particularly care about?

[DrungoHazewood]

5 hours ago, Redskins Rick said:

as MLB is struggling to maintain what they currently have, expansion seams the worst route to take.

It wasnt that long ago, there was a contraction discussions and remove a team or two for the "good of the game'.

 

Contraction was just an owner's bargaining chip.  The economics or team performance had nothing to do with it. It was never serious. 

And as Corn says, somewhat lower attendance isn't that concerning to owners when they have more money flowing in from streaming and gambling.

[Frobby]

5 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I'm not an expert and I actively dislike the entire concept of Las Vegas existing, but how many people go all the way there to watch a baseball game that's probably between two teams they don't particularly care about?

Clearly nobody goes there for the sole purpose of watching baseball.   Well, maybe one of those people who wants to visit every major league park would do that.  

But, let’s say you’re there for 4-7 days.   In that case it’s pretty easy to imagine you might take in a game, especially if you don’t live close to a city that has Major League Baseball.  
 

 

[Redskins Rick]

21 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Contraction was just an owner's bargaining chip.  The economics or team performance had nothing to do with it. It was never serious. 

And as Corn says, somewhat lower attendance isn't that concerning to owners when they have more money flowing in from streaming and gambling.

Im more concerned with the fan base growing old and not being replaced by the younger generation.

 

[CharmCityHokie]

17 hours ago, Frobby said:

Clearly nobody goes there for the sole purpose of watching baseball.   Well, maybe one of those people who wants to visit every major league park would do that.  

But, let’s say you’re there for 4-7 days.   In that case it’s pretty easy to imagine you might take in a game, especially if you don’t live close to a city that has Major League Baseball.  
 

 

I agree with you, my fiancee had a convention/conference in Vegas and I had never been (never had a real desire) but I had some vacation to burn and went out and joined her for a couple of days. Ended up doing a bunch of stuff I wouldn't regularly do elsewhere (PBR Rodeo Finals, Cirque de Soleil, etc.), though that was also because the hotel comped tickets due to her job. And everything we went to was at full capacity. There are so many conventions and conferences and events in Vegas due to the hotels, and if you don't gamble/do the casino thing (like me), Vegas gets real boring real fast so I could certainly see a team there drawing a bunch of people who aren't hometown fans (or potentially even baseball fans).

[DrungoHazewood]

17 hours ago, Frobby said:

Clearly nobody goes there for the sole purpose of watching baseball.   Well, maybe one of those people who wants to visit every major league park would do that.  

But, let’s say you’re there for 4-7 days.   In that case it’s pretty easy to imagine you might take in a game, especially if you don’t live close to a city that has Major League Baseball.  
 

 

I mean, I guess.  But using that as a basis for turning Harrisburg into a thriving MLB franchise?  

The hockey team draws well, but this is the first year they didn't make the playoffs.  Lets see what support is like when they have five losing seasons in a row.

[DrungoHazewood]

1 hour ago, Redskins Rick said:

Im more concerned with the fan base growing old and not being replaced by the younger generation.

Eventually we'll all be dead and the youngins will like what they like.  Maybe we think it's sad that it might not be baseball (not sure either way), but my great-great-great grandfather probably never saw an organized baseball game in his life and neither did most anyone before him.  It was fine. Life will go on.

[Redskins Rick]

27 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Eventually we'll all be dead and the youngins will like what they like.  Maybe we think it's sad that it might not be baseball (not sure either way), but my great-great-great grandfather probably never saw an organized baseball game in his life and neither did most anyone before him.  It was fine. Life will go on.

thats for putting the right perspective on it.

I guess I am sad, having lost my dad two months ago.

I remember him taking the time to let me play baseball rec sports, and we went to baseball games.

I did the same with my own girls and son.

Now, my grandkids have NO interest in baseball. Not something that I can push or change.

But, I will enjoy spending time with them, regardless of what we are doing.

Life is short.

 

[DrungoHazewood]

1 hour ago, Redskins Rick said:

thats for putting the right perspective on it.

I guess I am sad, having lost my dad two months ago.

I remember him taking the time to let me play baseball rec sports, and we went to baseball games.

I did the same with my own girls and son.

Now, my grandkids have NO interest in baseball. Not something that I can push or change.

But, I will enjoy spending time with them, regardless of what we are doing.

Life is short.

 

Sorry to hear that.  Hopefully you can find some other common interests to share with the grandkids.  

[Redskins Rick]

11 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Sorry to hear that.  Hopefully you can find some other common interests to share with the grandkids.  

thanks. Yeah, we do, and they all have their phones and like to text and call, so that is way better, than waiting for the monthly phone call, as long distance costs wasnt something one was able to do ofton.

 

[yark14]

I don't think Portland or Las Vegas are viable major league cities.  Nashville definitely can be, as well as Austin/San Antonio.  But I agree with others, moving the Athletics and/or Rays is definitely better than expansion.

[SteveA]

On 4/27/2022 at 9:39 AM, btdart20 said:

I wonder if/how the Apple deal cannibalizes other revenue streams (MLB Network, cable...).  It'll also be interesting from an Apple perspective due to the tracking limitations and lower ad revenues for Apple.  MLB still has pricing power (monopoly for baseball talent), so the margins for the various revenue outlets will tighten.  Today's economy is weird in general anyway, and more so for entertainment.

The Apple deal also takes a bit of a bite out of the RSNs whose prime selling point is that they telecast nearly all their teams games.  Last night's Nats game was in Apple, not MASN.  The O's have a Friday night game in Boston in 4 weeks that will be on Apple, not MASN.

And Apple isn't the only streaming deal.  Peacock has one starting a week from tomorrow to air a game each Sunday in a semi-exclusive time slot.  The game will air at 11:30 or noon every Sunday through Labor Day weekend, and no other teams will be allowed to start games until 1:35 so at least the first 5 or 6 innings it will be the only game being played.  The O's are on the Peacock game on July 10 so if you're going to that game prepare for an early morning (it's at noon).