# Sports preempting regular programing, and holy fire. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 8, 2002, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014 "2002-06-08T21:54:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/21 "2002-06-11T00:47:20Z")
Just out of curiosity, how long is a typical NFL game and how much of that time is simply wasted on procedures that may not have even existed 20 years ago? And it’s _chocolate frosted sugar bombs_, you Philistine. ---
**Author:** ![techchick68](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@techchick68](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/techchick68)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/22 "2002-06-11T00:54:34Z")
Hehe, and I remember getting pissed off when they interupted a Broncos/Raiders game (I think) for a presidential election update. It was five minutes in the last half and they had the nerve to interupt my damn football game for something they could have waited for OR they could have squished the screen and done the update while we could still see the game. There’s a Pit thread somewhere on here about it. I am sure if you look hard enough it’s still there. Anyhow, Saturday programming for me means PBS cooking shows. Listen, look and learn, stop watching cartoons ya goof. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/23 "2002-06-11T01:00:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\* > Networks buy the major league sports contracts (many of them) at a loss these days because of the prestige of carrying the programming. Cash cow? Anything but. \*\* But they gain viewers for many of their other shows. They wouldn’t shell out the money without a good reason. Marc ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/24 "2002-06-11T01:19:10Z")
Well, the _hope_ is that they gain viewers for other shows. And FOX, as the fourth net and still playing catch-up, is willing to take that risk. In the most recent round of bidding for MLB, in which FOX landed the rights to the World Series and all postseason divisional and league series from 2001-2006, NBC, ABC and ESPN all declined to bid. Apparently the potential money to be made was not enough to justify the expense. Television economics, especially for major league sports contracts, are a twitchy thing. Upfront ad sales in 2001-02 were down from 2000-01 about 15%, but are expected to rebound about 10% this year. Still, that would put them around $8 billion for six networks, for the entire season. Scatter ads bring in a bit more, but when FOX is paying $400 million a year for MLB alone, plus whatever they pay for all their other programming, it’s pretty clear that $1.3 billion in upfronts is closer to a break-even than anything else. The other Fox Entertainment divisions keep FOX TV afloat. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2002, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/25 "2002-06-11T18:01:59Z")
Hey **Miller** , don’t go lumping in all athletes as jerks. It’s your choice to not be a fan (different strokes and all), but for every Ray Lewis or Mike Tyson there’s Pat Tillman (who retired from football to join the Army) or Greg Ostertag (who is donating a kidney to help his sister). And as for athletes being overpaid–they are simply reaping what the market will pay. As long as the money is on the table, there’s no reason they shouldn’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![Scorpio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Scorpio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scorpio)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/26 "2002-06-12T07:46:01Z")
I have to come out in full support of the OP after waiting up til 10.30pm for Buffy only to have it bumped for the tennis because Lleyton fucking Hewitt was playing. I cheered when all the Australians got out because that meant the programmers would stick to playing the tennis at the scheduled time instead of playing it earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/27 "2002-06-12T09:50:50Z")
Sports, sports, sports, sports, sports, sports, sports, sports fucking goddamn sports. I hated it when I was a kid, I hate it now and I will hate it when I get old and (even more) crochety. Keep the fucking shit off my TV and onto payTV so you arseholes can get it when the fuck you want it and I’m not pissed around by 6 fucking channels of sport and NO SIMPSONS !! ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/28 "2002-06-12T09:52:00Z")
Yeah, it’s not like those Simpsons episodes have been repeated. And repeated. And repeated. And repeated. ---
**Author:** ![weeds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@weeds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/weeds)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 10:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/29 "2002-06-12T10:25:02Z")
I hate it when I get home and play my tape and find my show was moved to after whatever pre-empted it. I get a part of the event none of my show. When I’ve programed channel changes, I’ve gotten part of the Prez’s speech, some commentary, and parts of my programs. it happens wait for the reruns.:rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/30 "2002-06-12T10:37:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Crusoe \* > \*\*Yeah, it’s not like those Simpsons episodes have been repeated. And repeated. And repeated. And repeated. \*\* Dude, I’m in Oz, so I probably haven’t seen the latest series yet 😉 And I still hate sport.😃 ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/31 "2002-06-12T10:39:00Z")
Tell me about it. I lived in Oz for a year, and I brought back a Simpsons addiction. I remember watching episodes about three or four times each. ---
**Author:** ![Caught\_Work](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/919ad9/32.png) [@Caught\_Work](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caught_Work)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 11:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/32 "2002-06-12T11:00:09Z")
The Simpsons used to be on 7 days a week. Monday through Saturday 6:00pm. Wednesdays, ‘new’ ep. 7:30pm. Sunday’s double ep. 7:30pm. Now on Saturday they have fucking football (Aussie Rules which I loathe). So one good day when I can legitimately sit in front of the TV with dinner on my lap (not allowed other days), I can’t do it. I know, this is not quite in line with the OP, but I HATE SPORT ON TV when in Melbourne, I only get 4 commercial stations, the ABC and Channel 31 and most of them play sports during the weekend. Gimme a break. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014/33 "2002-06-13T00:18:13Z")
> [@](#): > > Following the on-field heroics of millionaire genetic freaks in tight uniforms for four hours while gluttonously ingesting beer and snacks, now that, that’s a Saturday well spent! Sorry, are you talking about football or anime here? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sports-preempting-regular-programing-and-holy-fire/113014.md?page=1)