MLB Sees Solid Early TV Ad Sales, Despite Recession

As Major League Baseball embarks on its 2009 season, the league will be the first to feel the full effect of the recession. With that, questions have raised as to how television advertisers would approach baseball in this chilly economic environment. It appears, at least at the national level, that MLB may be more recession-proof than other leagues, according to TV Week. “Regular-season baseball sales are holding up very nicely,” said Fox Sports President Ed Goren. “In this environment, there’s not a lot of good news, but that would fall in the category of good news.”  “I think Major League Baseball will be a little insulated from the wholesale discounting that’s been going on because it is more affordable and it’s a broader appeal game,” [Miraj Parikh, media director at Spark Communications, part of the Starcom MediaVest Group], said. A key to being able to weather the recession – on all fronts – has been the ability to be flexible, and MLB broadcasters appear to be heeding that...