Long live the East Coast Bias

The Super Bowl is over -- no, I did not watch it, I watched the last three episodes of “Mad Men” on Netflix so I’m now caught up -- so as far as I’m concerned it’s now baseball season. Indeed, this is the last full week in which there is no real baseball activity, as pitchers and catchers report next week. Ahh.

But I do wish to link one article that is mostly about football because it has some relevance for us as well. It’s about why the Patriots and Giants dominated the airwaves these past couple of weeks. And, as anyone who has read my thoughts on the matter knows, it’s understandable even if annoying. Here’s ESPN Senior Vice Presidenct Mark Gross:

I know some people may say there’s a Northeast or an East Coast bias, but you can’t argue with the ratings and the interest in those games versus the other games.” According to [ESPN’s] own research, four of the nation’s top 15 favorite pro sports are from either New York or Boston. While teams such as the Yankees, Patriots, Red Sox and Giants appeal to fans in their home markets, their reach extends far beyond the back yard. More than 52 percent of Giants fans live outside of New York, according to ESPN Sports Poll data, and 57 percent of Pats fans reside outside of Boston.

And I’m sure it applies to the Yankees and Red Sox too. Which explains why we get so much more of them in national broadcasts than anyone else. As John Ourand of SportsBusiness Journal says, east coast bias is a real thing, but "[t]elevision’s decision-makers don’t favor particular teams; they favor money.”

And if you were in their shoes you’d do the same thing. At least as long as you favored employment over unemployment.