Score's shakeup should be push to talk strategy

No doubt a few people are wondering what The Score's shakeup might mean for its university coverage.

CEO, John Levy said last wee the station was tweaking its format to focus on "the chatter, the personalities." (globesports.com) ... "The clock is ticking on your father's TV sports show." However, he did relate that he was happy with the sports the network has, which is some relief.
"While Levy has the destination, he can't be as certain about the map to get there. He says the network is happy with its established sports properties — NCAA basketball, NBA, CIS football, WWE, soccer — because they skew well to the 18-34 demographic on which The Score is focused. For now he's happy with the numbers and the advertiser response The Score is getting as it heads off into the wild blue yonder." (Emphasis mine.)
— Bruce Dowbiggin, The Usual Suspects
It does not mention CIS basketball specifically, but that could more be the writer's part. Dowbiggin did not mention NCAA football, either, which the Score has had but which has never turned audiences' crank like March Madness.

There is nothing but the highest regard for people in front of the camera at The Score (full disclosure: This site is part of its blog federation) such as Tim Micallef, Cabral "Cabbie" Richards. They have the will and skill when it comes to university sports.

At the end of the day, if the goal is put university sports in front of sports consumers who still only watch TV, read the newspaper and listen to local sports talk radio, you need a platform. A truth here is TSN has a head start on everyone because it gets more money per month from every cable subscriber, so Rogers Sportsnet and The Score hit the ground each morning in full-on scramble mode.

By the same token, The Score has gone all out to be a home for the CIS. Bottom line, the highers-up should be taking this as an opportunity to figure out how to best serve their niche and get the point across to casual sports fans that they are missing some pretty good games, right under their noses.

In the short run for The Score, each Final 8 is in Ontario (the women in Hamilton and men in Ottawa). That should save on travel which is another reality in Canada.
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4 comments:

  1. So The Score is "tweaking" its format, eh?
    Well, while they're at it, they might consider tossing Gerry Dee, Sports Reporter.
    He's supposed to be funny, right?
    Yeah, right.
    He's about as funny as Schindler's List.

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  2. Ouch. I suppose it does little if I ask we stay on-topic?

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  3. I will admit that The Score gives way more pub to university sports than either of the other two sports channels in this country, but not all of us born in the 80s care about "the chatter" surrounding athletes (or "who they're dating"). It would be a shame if they actually focused their programming around that.

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  4. I would like to see them get away from pro sports and go more to cis and major junior etc.

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