Mao Starts New Brand; TV Ratings from Japan Nationals

[japanice]

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-b...0110119it.html

[EricRohmer]

MaoMao.. cute name ^^

[dorispulaski]

Those tv ratings are astounding!

[Hanaka]

I was seriously worried about low TV viewership ratings of FS in Japan this season until the Japanese nationals. I thought people were not so interested in FS anymore. Then at the Nationals the ratings were just WOW! WOW! WOW! We have Miki, Kanako, Akiko, Daisuke, Nobu and Taka, each one of them is so exciting to watch and they have their own devoted fans, but the Nationals made us realize once again how special Mao is for Japanese people and how much she is loved in Japan.

[Olympia]

What a delightful article! Mao's fashion line sounds like a lot of fun. Who wouldn't love to have a Maomao kimono?

We can't let the USFSA see those TV ratings. They'd all turn green with envy and shrivel up. Can you imagine 40% of Americans tuning in to skating? Yipes! Imagine all the pro skating we could get on the air if skating were that popular in the U.S. They'd be so desperate for programming, they'd be begging us at GS to give them our plans for jump layouts, and those of us who have dreams of choosing music for our favorite skaters would become salaried employees of the sports industry.

Sigh.

[demarinis5]

I am not sure if we even get those ratings in the US for the Super Bowl.

Thanks for sharing the article.

[herios]

I was seriously worried about low TV viewership ratings of FS in Japan this season until the Japanese nationals. I thought people were not so interested in FS anymore. Then at the Nationals the ratings were just WOW! WOW! WOW! We have Miki, Kanako, Akiko, Daisuke, Nobu and Taka, each one of them is so exciting to watch and they have their own devoted fans, but the Nationals made us realize once again how special Mao is for Japanese people and how much she is loved in Japan.

I would not be worried at all. Japanese single skaters are at their best per total. Ladies were for some time (since about 2004 on, when Arakawa conquered the world), but now their men joined the club, massively.

[reynycpr]

I am not sure if we even get those ratings in the US for the Super Bowl.

I thought that too, but I did some checking and last years Super Bowl was the most watched ever, 106mil+; meaning more around 35% of Americans watched (but I don't think those are the normal numbers for the annual Super Bowl, I think it was more because the Saints made it and won last year) But still...I can only dream of numbers like that for Skating.....


Thanks for the article!