The New York Mets-New York Yankees Subway Series is a grand slam for Fox's WNYW-TV, to the tune of a whopping $30 million to $35 million in ad revenues.
That's based on sales of 15 to 18 30-second spots per game in the first four World Series games at $300,000 per spot-as much as four times upfront rates-and $250,000 for spots in the final three games, if they're played, according to local ad buyers. If the subway series ends in four games, wnyw will move that money into spots in New York Giants football games.
FOX TV sweetened the windfall with three extra minutes of local ad time per game it couldn't sell to advertisers skeptical of the series' national appeal. But New York's first interborough baseball battle in 44 years is a certain local ratings blockbuster of record proportions.
In addition to in-game spots, sources report wnyw is selling spots for its half-hour pregame shows and 20-minute post-game wraps at $25,000 per 30 seconds, more than double normal rates.
"It's probably the luckiest thing that ever happened to them," said Allison Shapiro, vice president and media supervisor for Zenith Media. "This is like if the Giants and Jets were playing in the Super Bowl."
It's better than that. The multigame Mets-Yankees series surpasses the scale of a Super Bowl for the Big Apple FOX outlet. "It will be the Super Bowl every night," said Paul Bissonette, general manager at Tribune's WPIX-TV. Bissonette predicted the series would average a 38 to 45 local Nielsen rating.
Wnyw is guaranteeing a 40 rating average for the games, but internally projecting a 47-49 average, according to a station source who said inventory has been sold beyond the four games, but not sold out.
"This is much bigger than the Super Bowl," said Larry Miller, president of Corinthian Media. "The mania for this inventory isn't what it is for tickets, but it's close."
At least, in New York.
