"Pro Bowlers Tour" is the second-longest continuous-running sports show on the ABC television network. It is exceeded only by college football.
Lately, PBA has taken some lumps from the ABC network. During the past two years, ABC-TV officials have drastically reduced rights fees to PBA, thus decreasing its prize funds. In addition, the giant network has cut back the number of telecasts, juggled the heretofore 30-year-old schedule, and severely damaged audience participation.
What are the reasons for ABC-TV's reaction? Are ratings down? Is PBT targeting the wrong age bracket? Is the network losing money on the show?
The answer is yes, on all three counts.
Ratings for "PBT" have dropped off considerably.
Advertising agencies conclude that sports shows receive their greatest benefits by attracting males in the 18-to-49 age bracket.
Network officials are far more preoccupied and concerned with dollars-per-minute than they are with ratings.
Ratings are, conceivably, the most overrated statistic in television. Rudy Martzke, USA Today's noted TV sports analyst, recently published startling ratings figures. College football ratings have tumbled. Ditto for college basketball, golf, tennis, and bowling. Only NFL's been immune to audience declines until this season--Sunday afternoon telecasters Fox and NBC are concerned, with 1996 ratings down a combined eight percent.
One of the most critical areas surrounding the PBT-ABC dilemma
is the demographics—that is, the age bracket.
What follows are comments made by officials regarding pro football:
"We have no plans to adjust anything," said Jack Loftus, vice president of communications at A.C. Nielsen. "We haven't seen anything wrong with our collection and processing method. I think there are fewer people watching football."
"The NFL's not what it was, but nothing else is, either," added Grey Advertising's Jon Mandel. "It's still the best place to reach males 18-49 by far."
Said Steve Grubbs of the BBDO Advertising Agency: "The ratings erosion has impacted all programming areas prime time was down eight percent last year. There are so many viewing options."
So much for the ratings game. It is no secret that ratings are down in every sport, every program, and particularly on all major networks. There are simply too many stations available to the public, and although bowling ratings have ebbed somewhat, so have all other sports. Consequently, ratings are not the criteria for ABC's pullback from the "Pro Bowlers Tour."
One of the most critical areas surrounding the PBT-ABC dilemma is the demographics--that is, the age bracket. Ad agencies that aim for "18-to-35" viewers concede that bowling caters to an older audience. Although this may seem possible, have ad moguls ever appraised YABA and collegiate bowlers numbers? It would undoubtedly alter their demographic theories.
In today's downsizing marketplace, large corporations slash costs and streamline operations, particularly companies interested in comforting stockholders with dazzling profit earnings.
Television time is sold by the minute. Consequently, ABC moguls have surveyed PBT's commercial value for the 90-minute telecast, and obviously, PBT has failed to meet the required profit expected from the Saturday time slot it has occupied for over 30 years. Despite increased commercial advertising purchases by bowling manufacturers, the ABC network has shuffled starting times that were traditional for over 30 years—furnishing further grounds for decreased ratings.
For umpteen years, diehard bowling fans have been religiously glued to Saturday afternoon starting times, January through April. Suddenly, in 1996, they are baffled with varying starting times in different months, further impeding any opportunity for greater ratings.
ESPN, a sports lover's paradise, has continued to carry PBA telecasts. However, as an ABC subsidiary, it is difficult to predict the future for PBA on the All-Sports Network.
During the past few years, the American Bowling Congress and the Ladies Pro Bowlers Tour have collaborated on many notable ventures with Prime sports network, particularly the increasingly popular National and World Team Challenge events. LPBT tournaments have been featured on Prime for several seasons, with surprising success and notable ratings.
Can Prime become the newest exposure for professional and amateur bowling? Perhaps, perhaps not. However, one thing is certain: Bowling, via Bowling Inc., would be prudent to produce its own shows, bid for and buy time on various networks, and market its own product. It proved to be the successful philosophy for the Professional Golfers Association, and it can be the guiding force for the bowling industry.