s decline.This decrease in popularity of watching sports on TV began in 1994. Baseball was in the midst of one of the greatest seasons it had in a long time. There were players such as Matt Williams who was on pace to break the record for home runs in a season. The Expos, a small payroll team, were dominating baseball with an amazing record. While this entire display of talent was occurring, the owners and the players were caught up in a fierce labor dispute. In August of 1994, the players decided to strike over this labor dispute. The strike lasted into the March of 1995, canceling the World Series for the first time since 1903. When the players and owners finally gave up their disputes, the players were ready to play baseball. Unfortunately, the fans were not as forgiving as the teams expected. There was a large trend for many stations not to put on baseball games due to the fact of the increasing unpopularity of baseball. Such cities as New York and Chicago would still show their hometown teams on TV, but would be reluctant to show out-of-state games (interactive.ctra.com). The 1995 baseball season began a trend that would lead to a decrease in rating for the next five years.Baseball itself seemed to have resurgence in popularity in 1998. By the time the All-Star Game came around, there were two players who had the opportunities to break the single season home run record. The ratings for the Home Run Derby were higher from those of previous years (interactive.ctra.com). Due to the fact that this coveted record may be broken, more and more stations wanted to put these games on TV. It was a blessing in disguise for TV that Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa had their spectacular years. Ironically, when the World Series came around, it turned out to be the lowest rated World Series in years (interactive.ctra.com). It seemed obvious to many people that the Yankees would win it all. What makes sport unique is that it is unpred...
