Could the World Series be the latest major sporting event to get an earlier start time?
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that FOX and Major League Baseball “are working on an agreement” to move up the start times for the 2009 World Series.
Currently, most World Series games begin at 8:20 or 8:35 PM ET. Industry sources cited by the Journal-Sentinel “suggested all the first pitches in the Series might come as soon as 7:50 p.m. Eastern and perhaps no later than 8 p.m. Eastern.”
While MLB Commissioner Bud Selig has indicated that he would like to see an afternoon start for some World Series games, FOX Sports president Ed Goren does not “expect that to happen … [t]here is just a financial impact of selling commercials in an afternoon game compared to prime time.”
This would be the latest in a trend of big time sporting events moving to earlier start times. The NBA moved up the start of Sunday afternoon NBA Finals games from 9 PM ET to 8 PM ET, and the NHL scheduled a Sunday Stanley Cup Finals game for a 5 PM ET start.
Source: Sports Business Daily
