What kind of ratings do you think the Tonys will get?

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 5/5/09 at 5:43pm

I say CBS comes in 5th that night.

[NYadgal]

Posted: 5/5/09 at 5:44pm

I predict they will be lower than last year.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/5/09 at 5:45pm

"Osama bin Laden will be hiding out onstage." -- Triumph, the insult comic dog

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 5/5/09 at 5:46pm

Well, that depends. Who's showing a color focus banner? That's a tear-jerker.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 1:16am

PRS, and just what exactly is your point?

Every year after the broadcast someone gleefully reports the ratings were lower this year than they were last year.

SO WHAT?

Network ratings overall are declining every year. Top rated shows now are at least 1/3 below what thet were 10 years ago. People have too many other entertainment options now.

10 Years ago with the shift to Radio City Music Hall and Rosie's first turn hosting the Tony Broadcast logged its best numbers in years: A 9.6 rating and 16 share. (A current hit CBS show, THE BIG BANG THOERY on it's best week gets a 4.6 rating and a 10 share)

CBS has no trouble selling the Tony Awards ads to sponsors who covet the program's unique demographic. Why do you think they wanted that extra hour back from PBS a few years ago?

So, explain why this is of such concern to you.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 1:19am

Why don't thy just movie it to a night when nothing else is on. Isn't it usually completing with basketball or something? C'mon.

[lightinthepizza2]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 1:23am

Last year had the juggernaut that was the Sopranos finale against it. So more people, however much more, will tune in this year.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 1:34am

Even without the competition the Tony Awards telecasts mainly attract die hard theatre fans (like us) and people planning summer vacations to New York. There just isn't a lot there for non-theatre fans to care about, and it's not as if people can easily go see this year's winners unless they live in the tri-state area.

There was a great story in the Times a few years ago in which it was explained why CBS was eager to take on the extra hour that had previously gone to PBS. It gives them an extra 12 minutes of commercial time and the sponsors who buy the Tony awards line up to get air time because it is a program that attracts an audience that does not watch regular network programming, and an audience that actually pays attention (rather than having the program on in the background.)

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 1:37am

I don't think this was intended to be a real thread...

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 2:01am

I think Phyllis was just pointing out to all the ridiculous Tony threads we've had today, in true Phyllis humor

[bwaybabe2]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 5:30am

I, for one, don't plan on watching... :{

[jejr]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 1:53pm

The show will probably have good ratings in NYC area and maybe LA, but for the rest of the country, the ratings will be low. Just a fact of life. 3/4 of the people in Western New York don't know what the Tony Awards are and couldn't really care.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 2:22pm

Just out of curiosity, Bwaybabe2, why do you not plan on watching?

Updated On: 5/6/09 at 02:22 PM

[Barney Stinson]

Posted: 5/6/09 at 2:42pm

Serious thread or not, the numbers SHOULD be better this year - competing TV aside.

The musicals and plays nominated this year are much "bigger" than last year. In the new musucal category, the show grosses for the 4 nominees this week are double what last years nominees did. Billy Elliot is a monster, Shrek is a very well known brand. ROA is very similiar to In the Heights as far as grosses (at similiar stages - pre Tony). But In the Heights was the top grosser last year of the nominees. Basically last year had 3 N2N type shows. This year, there's 1 small show, and 2 big ones.

The revivals Hair and WSS are both bigger than any of the revivals last year, though SP, and God of Carnage has a very well know cast and is doing a huge gross for a play. It's gross alone is larger than all the plays nominated last year together (2 of the plays had closed). The play revivials are a wash, and not really a draw anyway.

The Tonys this year just have bigger, more popular shows. Should boost the ratings a little.