LA doesn't care about the Chargers

[PromoTheRobot]

I know, shocking, right?

 

The Peacock exclusive ratings are out. Overall the game had an average viewership of 7.2 million viewers. But of that number 1.12 million were from just the over the air simulcasts in Los Angeles and Buffalo.

 

Buffalo, TV market rank #54, has 632,110 TV households, 374,000 of which were tuned into the game. That's 59.2%.

 

Los Angeles, TV market rank #2, has 5,838,090 TV households, 746,000 of which were tuned into the game. That's 12.8%.

 

https://www.sportsmediawatch.com/2023/12/peacock-nfl-ratings-seven-million-bills-chargers-viewership/

[Punching Bag]

Time to move the Chargers someplace else who will appreciate them and pay for a new stadium with many PSLs.

[Gregg]

When all of these teams were moving a few years back. St. Louis Rams to the LA Rams. The Oakland Raiders to the Vegas Raiders. The San Diego Chargers to the LA Chargers. If the league wanted two teams in LA (which isn't a great NFL market to begin with) then it should have been the Rams and Raiders in LA. The Rams have a long history in LA, and they do have a fanbase there. The Raiders also have some history in LA and also have a fanbase there. The Chargers have neither a history with LA nor a fanbase there. The Chargers would have been better off in Vegas and building a fanbase in that market as they would be the only team representing Vegas. Basically, starting over in the sin city.

Edited December 29, 2023 by Gregg

[Prospector]

I miss the San Diego Team. We would do a guys trip once a year to go see a game and stay on the beach. Now they moved and ruined that for us. I used to not care for them, now I dislike them. 

[Back2Buff]

It was a joke what they considered the "Buffalo" tv market for this game.  

[LABILLBACKER]

6 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

Time to move the Chargers someplace else who will appreciate them and pay for a new stadium with many PSLs.

Besides playing in a stunning yet loud stadium,  the Charger experience felt like a minor league baseball game. I'm surprised there weren't sausages running across the field.  They should've figured it out and made it work in SD.  Shoving the Chargers in LA with little fan base is pathetic. 

[NoHuddleKelly12]

10 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

Time to move the Chargers someplace else who will appreciate them and pay for a new stadium with many PSLs.

Perennial bridesmaid Toronto? Or the first flagship franchise for Europe? 

[uticaclub]

San Diego didn’t care about them either

[extrahammer]

That's nothing new about California, especially LA. I've lived here for over 10 years and sports just isn't as important here as it is on the east coast or in the south. 

[zow2]

16 minutes ago, Limeaid said:

Time to move the Chargers someplace else who will appreciate them and pay for a new stadium with many PSLs.

 

Aren’t they almost done building an amazing practice facility for them near LA? I’m sure they aren’t moving anywhere, at least for a decade.

[stevens273]

7 minutes ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Besides playing in a stunning yet loud stadium,  the Charger experience felt like a minor league baseball game. I'm surprised there weren't sausages running across the field.  They should've figured it out and made it work in SD.  Shoving the Chargers in LA with little fan base is pathetic. 

True. I was there. SoFi could be the 8th wonder of the world, with a AAA baseball team experience. Very few Charger fans, horrendous PA announcer. If only they showed replays on the $40,000,000 Jumbotron. They didn’t. 
I’ve been to two Bills games in San Diego. Crap stadium, excellent experience. 
San Diego deserves them back. 

[Warcodered]

Not the Rams either.

 

The idea behind this game was that the Bills and Chargers would both be contenders down the stretch maybe for top seeds in the playoff and their divisions. In the end only one them kind of is.

[boater]

I remember for years, the NFL's highest priority was to have two teams in LA. Not just one, but two. It was more than just Goodell, it was many people who wanted teams in LA. It was imagined to be a ratings golden goose.

 

It just goes to show you--having a collective group of billionaires does not translate into good business sense. 32 owners couldn't read the room and realize LA has little enthusiasm for professional football.

 

The sad part: In the NFL's misguided zeal to have two teams in LA, the fans in San Diego and St. Louis got the screw-job.

[SirAndrew]

To be fair, over twice the number of households saw the game in LA. Buffalo is obviously a loyal market, but the NFL wants eyes on the television, regardless of percentages in any given city. The league reached over 700K households in LA. The sheer size of that market is exactly what they wanted, even if only 12% of the city cared. 

[QB Bills]

Is it weird that I read the thread title in Kanye's voice?

[WhoTom]

19 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Or the first flagship franchise for Europe?

 

I think that's reserved for the Jags.

[SirAndrew]

18 minutes ago, extrahammer said:

That's nothing new about California, especially LA. I've lived here for over 10 years and sports just isn't as important here as it is on the east coast or in the south. 

I’ve always seen the heart of NFL fandom being the Midwest. The west coast doesn’t care, the south is all about college ball, and the northeast has fair weather fans imo. I couldn’t agree more about the west coast, but I think sports just aren’t all that important in most of the larger cities. 

[Gregg]

22 minutes ago, extrahammer said:

That's nothing new about California, especially LA. I've lived here for over 10 years and sports just isn't as important here as it is on the east coast or in the south. 

 

I thought they are passionate about the Lakers and Dodgers. It's not a great football market with the NFL. Maybe college with USC and UCLA.

[Sierra Foothills]

25 minutes ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

Perennial bridesmaid Toronto? Or the first flagship franchise for Europe? 

 

I'd like to see the people of St. Louis made whole.

 

They got screwed and that city should have a team.

 

22 minutes ago, extrahammer said:

That's nothing new about California, especially LA. I've lived here for over 10 years and sports just isn't as important here as it is on the east coast or in the south. 

 

Cali fans are not as rabid as East Coast or Midwest fans but NorCal fans are considerably more rabid than SoCal fans.

 

16 minutes ago, stevens273 said:

True. I was there. SoFi could be the 8th wonder of the world, with a AAA baseball team experience. Very few Charger fans, horrendous PA announcer. If only they showed replays on the $40,000,000 Jumbotron. They didn’t. 
I’ve been to two Bills games in San Diego. Crap stadium, excellent experience. 
San Diego deserves them back. 

 

For better or worse, "deserving" has only to do with the degree to which a community is willing to force their politicians to build new multi-billion dollar venues.

 

1 minute ago, Gregg said:

 

I thought they are passionate about the Lakers and Dodgers. It's not a great football market with the NFL. Maybe college with USC and UCLA.

 

Dodgers fans are notorious for arriving late and leaving early.

 

[frostbitmic]

It had the 5th lowest viewership numbers of the season ahead of only 3 overseas games and a Saints/ Panthers Monday night game.

 

The earlier game between the Bengals/Steelers had twice the viewers.

 

I'm guessing that the majority of people that signed up for peacock to see this game will dump peacock after the playoff game (which I'll bet is this seasons lowest rated playoff game)

[NoHuddleKelly12]

2 minutes ago, SirAndrew said:

I’ve always seen the heart of NFL fandom being the Midwest. The west coast doesn’t care, the south is all about college ball, and the northeast has fair weather fans imo. I couldn’t agree more about the west coast, but I think sports just aren’t all that important in most of the larger cities. 

I dunno, growing up in Western Pa, just like Buffalo those folks lived and died by how the Steelers game had gone that week—but I totally agree with you on college ball in the South—these people are nuts about it! 

[SirAndrew]

1 minute ago, Gregg said:

 

I thought they are passionate about the Lakers and Dodgers. It's not a great football market with the NFL. Maybe college with USC and UCLA.

True, but people always give the east coat props, and I’ve always seen the Red Sox and Yankees as being more meaningful to those areas. 

1 minute ago, NoHuddleKelly12 said:

I dunno, growing up in Western Pa, just like Buffalo those folks lived and died by how the Steelers game had gone that week—but I totally agree with you on college ball in the South—these people are nuts about it! 

Absolutely, I guess I was including Pittsburgh in my idea of Midwest types though, although I suppose it’s not really the Midwest. 

[BearNorth]

San Antonio/Austin [The Metropolitan areas abut - 5 MM people] would likely love to have them, but suspect Jerrah would never allow that.

Edited December 29, 2023 by BearNorth

[Royale with Cheese]

12 minutes ago, SirAndrew said:

To be fair, over twice the number of households saw the game in LA. Buffalo is obviously a loyal market, but the NFL wants eyes on the television, regardless of percentages in any given city. The league reached over 700K households in LA. The sheer size of that market is exactly what they wanted, even if only 12% of the city cared. 

 

I don't know the numbers on other large markets but is 700,000 a good number with a city the size of LA?

What does NYC, Chicago, Boston and Dallas do for household viewership?

[NoHuddleKelly12]

2 minutes ago, SirAndrew said:

True, but people always give the east coat props, and I’ve always seen the Red Sox and Yankees as being more meaningful to those areas. 

Absolutely, I guess I was including Pittsburgh in my idea of Midwest types though, although I suppose it’s not really the Midwest. 

If you polled Western Pa people, they all consider the Ohio border to be the starting gateway to the Midwest--they still consider themselves to be northeasterners, even if barely across the line. 😀 

Edited December 29, 2023 by NoHuddleKelly12

[BuffaloBillyG]

No one cares about the Chargers. Except that one tiny Asian female that was paid to be a fan.

[Fleezoid]

L.A. has had the Rams, the Raiders, the Rams, the Raiders, the Rams (I think that's too many, but you get the point) and now the Chargers. 

[stevestojan]

Having now lived in California for just over a year, I can tell you this goes for sports in general out here. It isn’t uncommon to meet people who just don’t care about sports in general; rarer still to find die hard fans of any CA team (most die hard are transplants like myself, rooting for other teams).  I’m convinced even lakers fans are there for the merchandise. Of the 7 cities/areas of the country I’ve lived in, it’s not even close for lack of true fanatics. 
 

That said, I’m about to go for a nice long walk with my dog; might need a light jacket since it’s only expecting a high of 65 today. 

[Gugny]

1 hour ago, LABILLBACKER said:

Besides playing in a stunning yet loud stadium,  the Charger experience felt like a minor league baseball game. I'm surprised there weren't sausages running across the field.  They should've figured it out and made it work in SD.  Shoving the Chargers in LA with little fan base is pathetic. 

There were 22 sausages on the field all game long!

[dpberr]

The NFL has too many teams.  LA, and California generally, have too many NFL teams.  

 

The Chargers seem like the perfect relocation team.   

[peterpan]

The nfl is stupid.  Rand should have stayed in St Louis 

[Mr. WEO]

San Diego didn't care about them either, so they should feel right at home.

[strive_for_five_guy]

Charger fans much more successful in their boycott against Peacock than us Bills fans.

[Marv Levy]

Wish The Chargers never left San Diego. It was a terrible decision to do so.

[DrBob806]

1 hour ago, Gregg said:

When all of these teams were moving a few years back. St. Louis Rams to the LA Rams. The Oakland Raiders to the Vegas Raiders. The San Diego Chargers to the LA Chargers. If the league wanted two teams in LA (which isn't a great NFL market to begin with) then it should have been the Rams and Raiders in LA. The Rams have a long history in LA, and they do have a fanbase there. The Raiders also have some history in LA and also have a fanbase there. The Chargers have neither a history with LA nor a fanbase there. The Chargers would have been better off in Vegas and building a fanbase in that market as they would be the only team representing Vegas. Basically, starting over in the sin city.

Actually the Chargers started out in LA in the original AFL in 1960. They only played one season there and moved to San Diego in 1961.

 

Here's another weird thing to me....Stan Kroenke moves the Rams to LA, his wife is a Walmart heiress. The Denver Broncos were bought by another Walmart group. How in the hell is that legal to have two Walmart-owned NFL teams? 

[Gregg]

11 minutes ago, DrBob806 said:

Actually the Chargers started out in LA in the original AFL in 1960. They only played one season there and moved to San Diego in 1961.

 

Here's another weird thing to me....Stan Kroenke moves the Rams to LA, his wife is a Walmart heiress. The Denver Broncos were bought by another Walmart group. How in the hell is that legal to have two Walmart-owned NFL teams? 

 

Thanks. I didn't know that. 

[foreboding]

2 hours ago, stevens273 said:

True. I was there. SoFi could be the 8th wonder of the world, with a AAA baseball team experience. Very few Charger fans, horrendous PA announcer. If only they showed replays on the $40,000,000 Jumbotron. They didn’t. 
I’ve been to two Bills games in San Diego. Crap stadium, excellent experience. 
San Diego deserves them back. 

Crazy that a beautiful place like SD can't have a team. Too bad.

[Punching Bag]

1 hour ago, BuffaloBillyG said:

No one cares about the Chargers. Except that one tiny Asian female that was paid to be a fan.

 

pic?

[K-9]

2 hours ago, SirAndrew said:

To be fair, over twice the number of households saw the game in LA. Buffalo is obviously a loyal market, but the NFL wants eyes on the television, regardless of percentages in any given city. The league reached over 700K households in LA. The sheer size of that market is exactly what they wanted, even if only 12% of the city cared. 

The league may be ok with the number of eyes, but the advertisers who pay a premium rate during NFL broadcasts certainly aren’t. For advertisers, it’s all about the percentage of viewers tuned in during a particular broadcast in a particular market. LA has never been strong in that regard and the local affiliates have never been too happy about it, either. It’s a tough pill to swallow when Sunday matinee movies and reruns of Gilligan’s Island draw more eyes for advertisers paying far cheaper ad rates. 

Edited December 29, 2023 by K-9

[C.Biscuit97]

Wait, you’re telling me that 5-9 Chargers, coming off giving up 63 points; starting Easton Stick; coached by a guy named Giff; without Keenan Allen, weren’t in demand on a Saturday night in LA??? Shocked I tell you!!!