Super Bowl XLV in Dallas will set an all-time ratings record. That’s just my opinion for now. Fox Sports Media Group Chairman David Hill is an old pro at this, and he is not going to predict how many people will watch the game Sunday.
However, in my conversations with Hill, he did have some strong feelings about this year’s regular-season ratings.
Hill points to reasons for this year’s record NFL viewership » I think the public is getting smarter about the sport. All the pregame shows have instilled the football knowledge and an understanding about the sport. Our addition of Mike Pereira to explain the rules and regulations was done because the more you understand something, the more you enjoy it and the more you can see what’s likely to happen. The spread of HD and widescreen TVs has made the sport look fantastic, and the spread of 5.1 audio surround sound and home theaters has helped. Not just us but our friends at NBC, CBS and ESPN all do a fantastic job with their broadcasts. Also, we’re seeing the results of the recession of two years ago where people were saving and not traveling as much so they were home.
Hill on the schedule » A lot of people may have discovered football that hadn’t seen it before. There are a myriad of reasons, but the secret weapon is Howard Katz, the NFL’s scheduler. If you’re not getting the right matchups in the right markets, then you are not putting the most appealing thing in front of people. If you look at the matchups he’s put together week in and week out and year in and year out, his hard work is shining. The athleticism of the players themselves is truly remarkable. It’s like Cirque Du Soleil with violence. It’s a beautiful thing.
Hill on the possibility of Super Bowl XLV being the NFL’s last game for a while » I hope and pray fervently that it isn’t. With the sport reaching heights that Pete Rozelle would never [have] dreamed of, we want to keep it that way. We know what happens to sports after a strike or a lockout; people turn away and it takes a while for them to come back. It would be a great tragedy if both sides weren’t able to reach an agreement. I fervently hope that an agreement is possible, that there’s no lockout, no industry dispute and games go on as scheduled next September.
Examiner columnist Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer. Check out his blog, Watch this!
