How do the MLB teams decide the start time of a game? Starting times differ greatly across teams and regions. Some games begin at 7 p.m., while others begin much later. The game time depends on promotions and the game’s location. The Chicago White Sox, for example, started games at 7:11 p.m. for a number of years. This time was influenced by a sponsorship deal, which included the number 711. The Toronto Blue Jays start games at.07 after the hour to allow for the playing of the National Anthem.
The odd start time helps the baseball teams schedule more day games. It gives fans with earlier mornings enough time to get to the ballpark, park, and grab a snack. Fans who plan to watch games at 7:00 p.m. are more likely to get a good seat when the game starts at an odd time. In addition, the odd start time also helps television broadcasts. The Chicago Cubs schedules more day games than any other team. The most significant reason for these odd start times is the TV contract with the MLB.
Major League Baseball also looks for ways to make their games shorter. While the television networks push back the start time of baseball games, they are unlikely to implement them. This is especially true of weekday games, when fans have to leave work early to watch the game. The earliest games are usually two hours ahead of schedule, but some games may start at a later time to accommodate the television broadcast. When television networks schedule games, they often try to schedule them so that they can be shown at a lower TV audience.
