Is it 7:10 yet? Options

[SoxScout]

02/23/2009 8:38 PM ET
Boston Red Sox 2009 regular season game times to move from 7:05 p.m. to 7:10 p.m.

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox today announced that start times for 2009 regular season games played at Fenway Park previously scheduled for 7:05 p.m. will be moved to 7:10 p.m. This time change will not affect games scheduled for other start times, including Sunday match-ups as well as weekday and Saturday matinees.

"During the week approximately 60 percent of our fans enter the ballpark after 6:30 p.m. Moving the starts by even a few minutes will give them a little more time to make it to Fenway Park from work or home, take advantage of pregame festivities and ballpark amenities, and reach their seats before the first pitch. And if fans are enjoying the game broadcast, they will have more opportunity to listen to the expanded pregame show on WRKO/WEEI or catch the first pitch on NESN," said Larry Lucchino, Red Sox President/CEO.

Saturday night game start times were also moved from 7:05 to 7:10 to maintain scheduling consistency.

The time adjustment will not require any alteration in batting practice or broadcast schedules for the Red Sox and opposing teams. The change should not affect the timing of pregame activities, Fenway Park-related operations or length of game. Gates will continue to open two hours prior to first pitch.

Additionally, the August 16 game against the Texas Rangers has been moved to 2:05 p.m. from its original start time of 8:05 p.m.

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/press_re...sp&c_id=bos

[IpswichSox]

http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/news/press_re...sp&c_id=bos

And in addition to accommodating tardy fans, the time switch also conveniently allows NESN sell a new block of ads right before the first pitch.

Not to be cynical or anything.

[Rough Carrigan]

And in addition to accommodating tardy fans, the time switch also conveniently allows NESN sell a new block of ads right before the first pitch.

Not to be cynical or anything.

Bingo.
What's five minutes more time when you're getting to the park? Fluctuations in traffic can make your travel time vary more than that much easily.

[mabrowndog]

This is either a sign that ad sales are very strong, with more time blocks needed to be created, or very weak, prompting more prime ad blocks as a carrot for skittish corporations who want a greater assurance of return on their marketing investment.

I'm leaning toward the latter.

[Bongorific]

This is either a sign that ad sales are very strong, with more time blocks needed to be created, or very weak, prompting more prime ad blocks as a carrot for skittish corporations who want a greater assurance of return on their marketing investment.

I'm leaning toward the latter.

Either way, it's just another way to fit in more ads and make more money. 7:05 had a nicer ring to it, but if the Sox need to make minor tweaks like this to remain one of the most profitable MLB teams during a recession then I'm ok with it. I'm sure we'll see even more creative and/or drastic moves across MLB this season.

[Kevin Mortons Gh...]

This is either a sign that ad sales are very strong, with more time blocks needed to be created, or very weak, prompting more prime ad blocks as a carrot for skittish corporations who want a greater assurance of return on their marketing investment.

I'm leaning toward the latter.

Another explanation on the very weak side of the question - NESN not getting the rates they used to and needing to create more volume to compensate.

[xjack]

The change probably also helps with concession sales -- more time to get that beer and hot dog before first pitch.

[Andrew]

If they just pushed it back one more minute I bet they could get another endorsement.

[biollante]

Last year they never actually started at 7:05pm - Now they won't start until 7:15pm. Very Lame. I already get home at 12:30 am or 1:00 am. The Red Sox constant desire for more and more money is getting to be rather annoying.

[Dan Murfman]

If they just pushed it back one more minute I bet they could get another endorsement.

They already sponsor the White Sox starting time.

[BoSoxLady]

The change probably also helps with concession sales -- more time to get that beer and hot dog before first pitch.

Fans won't be in the park any earlier.

Gates will continue to open two hours prior to first pitch.

redsox.com

[Average Reds]

I know that cynicism is fun, but there's no way that this change has anything to do with NESN ad sales.

This is the worst market for ad sales in the history of modern media. Companies are responding by either slashing inventory to prop up the demand side or by running "make good" or free spots to create the illusion of demand. Nobody is creating inventory .... it would be suicidal.

I'm as cynical as the next guy, but in this case the most likely explanation is the most obvious - given the traffic patterns and parking situation around Fenway, this really is about getting more people in the stands for the first pitch. And if that means more time for concessions, then fine. Hell, nobody forces people to buy beer.

[someoneanywhere]

I know that cynicism is fun, but there's no way that this change has anything to do with NESN ad sales.

It seems to me that LL pretty much covered just about every reason, and every benefit, for the change, that has been mentioned upthread: "During the week approximately 60 percent of our fans enter the ballpark after 6:30 p.m. Moving the starts by even a few minutes will give them a little more time to make it to Fenway Park from work or home, take advantage of pregame festivities and ballpark amenities [concessions], and reach their seats before the first pitch. And if fans are enjoying the game broadcast, they will have more opportunity to listen to the expanded pregame show [ads] on WRKO/WEEI or catch the first pitch on NESN," said Larry Lucchino, Red Sox President/CEO.

But I'm still with you. I don't know that anyone needs cynicism when they guy pretty much tells you why they're doing it. What I would be cynical about, were I so inclined, is the attempt to tie data to convenience, and sell the result as fan-oriented. When they make the change and count again, they are going to find that approximately 60% of fans enter the ballpark after 6:45 p.m. People would get there earlier, traffic or no, if they wanted to get there earlier.

[FL4WL3SS]

I know that cynicism is fun, but there's no way that this change has anything to do with NESN ad sales.

This is the worst market for ad sales in the history of modern media. Companies are responding by either slashing inventory to prop up the demand side or by running "make good" or free spots to create the illusion of demand. Nobody is creating inventory .... it would be suicidal.

I'm as cynical as the next guy, but in this case the most likely explanation is the most obvious - given the traffic patterns and parking situation around Fenway, this really is about getting more people in the stands for the first pitch. And if that means more time for concessions, then fine. Hell, nobody forces people to buy beer.

Are you you saying that they're not selling existing time slots so there wouldn't be a need to create new time slots?

Without knowing other factors, like if any change has been made to the price of ad slots (in an attempt to lure potential companies), it would be very hard to make a statement like that. The Red Sox brand is very strong and probably one of the more desirable times, locally, for placing ads is during a Red Sox game. I don't see how this is anything other than attempting to create new ad revenue. Most people don't operate in 5 minute intervals and the majority of fans won't even realize the change in time and it will have no affect on their plans to get to the park and see the first pitch. It's a nice line that Lucchino is feeding us and will probably endear some fans, but the truth is 5 minutes won't make a bit of difference.

As BoSoxLady pointed out, the gates won't open any sooner, so they're still getting the same 2 hour window to buy concessions. And as biollante pointed out, games never start on time anyway. Personally, I've never take event start times seriously because there's always a 5-10 minute margin of error.

This post has been edited by FL4WL3SS: Feb 24 2009, 09:20 AM

[Leon Trotsky]

I welcome the change - coming from Providence, and going to alot of games, I am almost always in my seat RIGHT at the first pitch or just missing it. The extra five minutes actually will make a difference for me.

Now if they could work on speeding up the games by five minutes, it would be a perfect.

[TheYaz67]

The time adjustment will not require any alteration in batting practice or broadcast schedules for the Red Sox and opposing teams. The change should not affect the timing of pregame activities, Fenway Park-related operations or length of game. Gates will continue to open two hours prior to first pitch.

Interesting symantic argument here - yes, the length of the game will stay the same, but the games will end later....

[Rough Carrigan]

Fans won't be in the park any earlier.

redsox.com

And half the concession stands still won't be ready to do business when the gates open.

[TheStoryofYourRe...]

Fans won't be in the park any earlier.

redsox.com

If LL is to be believed and 60% of fans do arrive after 6:30... the scenario he's envisioning is that many folks, instead of getting there and rushing to their seats, will now have 5 extra minutes to get food/beer.

Additionally, people that are already at the park also have five more minutes to get some more food/beer.

The question is will this eventually change behavior i.e. cause people to move their schedule for getting to the park forward by 5 minutes, thus eliminating any extra revenue benefits accrued from adding the extra time.

That same question applies on the advertising side - will the extra block of ads just cause more people to tune in later eventually, thus marginally devaluing ads aired before that final 5 minute block?

This post has been edited by TheStoryofYourRedRightAnkle: Feb 24 2009, 11:05 AM

[Rough Carrigan]

I welcome the change - coming from Providence, and going to alot of games, I am almost always in my seat RIGHT at the first pitch or just missing it. The extra five minutes actually will make a difference for me.

Now if they could work on speeding up the games by five minutes, it would be a perfect.

So leave for the park earlier.

[Leon Trotsky]

So leave for the park earlier.

Would love to, but work prevents that. Believe me, I go to at least 20-25 games a season, and I have it down to a science with all the variables considered. The short of it is the extra five minutes will make it easier for me to see the first pitch.