Author Topic: GSN January numbers (Read 12353 times)

CaseyAbell · « **on:** February 20, 2006, 11:40:33 AM »

CableWorld says GSN prime time did 0.4 240K in January. So-so by the network's historical standards but the best since August, when the world was young and Amazing Race was new. At least it's a step up from, gulp, 0.3 193K in September.

The January numbers are still below the year-ago month's 0.5 268K. Those January, 2005 numbers stand as the network's best performance since CableWorld started publishing the averages in December, 2004.

Off-topic: NBC has been putting out press releases that curling is getting the best ratings in a long time for MSNBC and CNBC. I can believe it from the CableWorld stats. CNBC doesn't even make the list, and MSNBC comes in with 0.3.

Maybe GSN could try Extreme Curling, where the contestants throw the rocks at each other.

clemon79 · « **Reply #1 on:** February 20, 2006, 02:31:08 PM »

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 08:40 AM\']Off-topic: NBC has been putting out press releases that curling is getting the best ratings in a long time for MSNBC and CNBC.
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I don't see why people are so surprised at this. Curling is a GREAT game. It's about time Americans figure this out.

PYLclark86 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 20, 2006, 02:42:43 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 03:31 PM\']I don't see why people are so surprised at this. Curling is a GREAT game. It's about time Americans figure this out.

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I think my sarcasm detector is broken again, but did you just say that you like curling is a great game after posting this.

WHOOSH me if need be.

tvmitch · « **Reply #3 on:** February 20, 2006, 02:48:04 PM »

I enjoy curling. I don't care if Chris did have a sarcastic tone, which I don't think he did. Little too slow for some American audiences, but it's a great thinking game. I've watched as much as I can. Go Team USA!

clemon79 · « **Reply #4 on:** February 20, 2006, 02:52:35 PM »

[quote name=\'PYLclark86\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 11:42 AM\']I think my sarcasm detector is broken again, but did you just say that you like curling is a great game after posting this.
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Yes, I did. Please to be researching the concept of being "all over" something.

(In fact, find me a post here (aside from the cited one that you clearly misunderstood) where I have said ONE negative thing about the sport.)

Mitch: Absolutely not sarcastic at all in any way, shape, or form. I fell in love with the game when it was a demo event at Calgary in 1988, and I have loved it ever since.

MikeK · « **Reply #5 on:** February 20, 2006, 02:59:00 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 02:31 PM\']I don't see why people are so surprised at this. Curling is a GREAT game. It's about time Americans figure this out.[/quote]
I concur. I've been watching curling for two decades now, thanks to a cable system in the mid-80s which carried CKCO, London ONT's CBC affiliate. It's a great game which, even in this part of the Great Lakes region, is difficult to find locations which offer curling. My sister was interested in trying out curling but the only place reasonably close (less than 25 miles away) from here which offers curling is a country club. I guess she'll have to settle for playing on a frozen over driveway and lobbing frozen turkeys towards the street...

ObGS: Curling, Deal or No Deal and Jim Cramer--the trifecta which will save CNBC. Booyah!

PYLclark86 · « **Reply #6 on:** February 20, 2006, 03:08:47 PM »

Yeah, now I feel silly. I was going on the assumption that "SO" was sarchastic. Sorry about that Chris.

aaron sica · « **Reply #7 on:** February 20, 2006, 03:12:11 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 02:31 PM\'][quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 08:40 AM\']Off-topic: NBC has been putting out press releases that curling is getting the best ratings in a long time for MSNBC and CNBC.
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I don't see why people are so surprised at this. Curling is a GREAT game. It's about time Americans figure this out.

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Allow me to be the next person in line to agree with this. I like watching it, but the next step is to visit Wikipedia to find out the official rules and scoring on it so I can be as well educated as possible.

clemon79 · « **Reply #8 on:** February 20, 2006, 03:24:40 PM »

[quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 12:12 PM\']Allow me to be the next person in line to agree with this. I like watching it, but the next step is to visit Wikipedia to find out the official rules and scoring on it so I can be as well educated as possible.

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The scoring is cake. Basically, once all of the rocks are thrown, the team with the rock closest to the button, they are the only team who can score, and they score a point for each rock that is closer than the OTHER team's closest rock. That's all. Team that scored in the last end throws first in the next one. Repeat ten times.

The Wiki article will likely be a good read for the small details like the free-guard zone, but ultimately it is a very simple game.

CaseyAbell · « **Reply #9 on:** February 20, 2006, 03:48:38 PM »

I don't mind curling, either. The sport or game or whatever you want to call it has a nice sense of humor about itself. There's supposedly a curling movie called Men with Brooms. At least that's what Wikipedia says. Nice babe in the movie poster, and Leslie Nielsen shows up!

Not to mention that the US men's team made it to the medal round, and the US women's team looks okay even when they lose. But let's not get too excited. The reason NBC can brag about enormous increases for curling ratings on MSNBC and CNBC is that these networks' usual numbers are so microscopic.

One of these months MSNBC might slip behind GSN in average households. They only held a slim lead in January because their household availability is so much greater. MSNBC was actually behind GSN in the household rating last month, and CNBC tumbled off the chart long ago. You might say Nielsen (A.C., not Leslie) peeled away CNBC with a perfectly placed takeout.

EDIT: Now that I look at the numbers, MSNBC did slip behind GSN for a couple months in average household count. Ouch.

tvmitch · « **Reply #10 on:** February 20, 2006, 03:50:47 PM »

[quote name=\'clemon79\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 03:24 PM\'][quote name=\'aaron sica\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 12:12 PM\']Allow me to be the next person in line to agree with this. I like watching it, but the next step is to visit Wikipedia to find out the official rules and scoring on it so I can be as well educated as possible.

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The scoring is cake. Basically, once all of the rocks are thrown, the team with the rock closest to the button, they are the only team who can score, and they score a point for each rock that is closer than the OTHER team's closest rock. That's all. Team that scored in the last end throws first in the next one. Repeat ten times.

The Wiki article will likely be a good read for the small details like the free-guard zone, but ultimately it is a very simple game.

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The scoring might be cake, but as new viewers, the lovely Hayley and I were sitting last week, watching a USA/Norway men's match, and had the following conversation:

M: "Team USA has last rock."
H: "What?"
M: "They get to throw last, which I think is an advantage, because they keep talking about it."
H: "Oh."

[Team USA throws last rock.]

M: "Look, I think we just scored, like, five points."
H: "But the score only says we scored two."
M: "WTF. I'm gonna break out Wikipedia."
H: "And why do we lose last rock if we just scored with it? And what the heck does 'blank end' mean, and why is that a good thing?"
M: "Hold on, I'm looking."

Once we figured it out, cake. Haha. Now don't get me started on cricket, a sport that I ignorantly make fun of (WICKETS?!) simply because I don't understand the rules.

clemon79 · « **Reply #11 on:** February 20, 2006, 04:03:00 PM »

[quote name=\'CaseyAbell\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 12:48 PM\']I don't mind curling, either. The sport or game or whatever you want to call it has a nice sense of humor about itself. There's supposedly a curling movie called Men with Brooms. At least that's what Wikipedia says. (Nice babe in the movie poster, and Leslie Nielsen shows up!)
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I saw it not long ago, in fact. Formulaic, but pretty good. About what you would expect. Dude's tiny podunk rink takes on flashy multi-world-championship team and eventually beats them. Nielsen plays basically the same role that Rip Torn (ObGS) played in Dodgeball.
[quote name=\'MitchGroff\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 12:50 PM\']M: "Team USA has last rock."
H: "What?"
M: "They get to throw last, which I think is an advantage, because they keep talking about it."

H: "And why do we lose last rock if we just scored with it? And what the heck does 'blank end' mean, and why is that a good thing?"
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Is the lovely Hayley not a sports fan? Because to anyone who is, or anyone who plays games of any sort, I can't think of a reason all of that (with the possible exception of the transfer of the hammer) wouldn't be complete common sense.

Queen of Nerdocrombesia · « **Reply #12 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:25:57 PM »

Add me to the curling fans on the board. The strategy and thought put into the moves entices me, and, speaking as a woman, it doesn't hurt that Pete Fenson isn't too bad-looking (some of you guys must enjoy looking at the ladies team, right?). Too bad the only curling club in my immediate vicinity is a "paper club".

Also, I think I would be likely to watch such a creature as Extreme Curling, complete with cheesy sound effect for the hammer.

Curling loaf, anyone?

FOXSportsFan · « **Reply #13 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:34:58 PM »

I'll bring the butter for the loaf! Well, curling has a cult appeal in the US and the Salt Lake games REALLY helped its popularity in this country. I mean, all we need is Jim Cramer doing a mid-game Lightning Round, and I'd be issuing a "'Mon Back" on CNBC Curling. (HITS Bull Market button)

I've always had one idea...have Mike Lange of the Penguins do play by play for curling. It'd be a great way for him to use some of those hilarious lines of his. "HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE SHOOTS AND SCOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES!"

clemon79 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 20, 2006, 05:40:08 PM »

[quote name=\'FOXSportsFan\' date=\'Feb 20 2006, 02:34 PM\']I've always had one idea...have Mike Lange of the Penguins do play by play for curling. It'd be a great way for him to use some of those hilarious lines of his.
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Somehow I don't see "GET IN THE FAST LANE, GRANDMA, THE BINGO GAME'S ABOUT TO ROLL" applying well to curling.