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Cable killing the bowls...
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:09 pm
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:09 pm
According to The Birmingham News, 23 of 33 bowl games drew fewer viewers than they did a year ago. And 13 of those games dropped by 20% or more. (The TicketCity Bowl appeared on ESPNU and was not included in Neilsen’s ratings breakdown.)
But as much as I hate to say it, another reason for the decline in TV numbers was the switch of all five BCS games from Fox (over the air network) to ESPN (cable).
Here are the 10 most-watched bowls for 2010-11 and all of the SEC’s games… so you can see what kind of exposure your favorite program received:
Viewership Rank Bowl Teams Rating Increase/Decrease
1 BCS Champsionship Game Auburn/Oregon 15.29 Down 11%
2 Rose TCU/Wisconsin 11.26 Down 15%
3 Sugar Arkansas/Ohio State 8.20 Down 4%
4 Outback Florida/Penn State 7.05 Up 101%
5 Orange Stanford/Virginia Tech 6.75 Down 1%
6 Fiesta Oklahoma/UConn 6.15 Down 25%
7 Cotton LSU/Texas A&M 5.81 Up 29%
8 Chick-fil-A Florida State/South Carolina 4.32 Down 2%
9 Music City North Carolina/Tennessee 4.24 Up 152%
10 Capital One Alabama/Michigan State 3.69 Down 46%
14 Liberty Georgia/UCF 2.96 Down 21%
20 BBVA Compass Kentucky/Pittsburgh 2.20 Up 38%
28 Gator Michigan/Mississippi State 1.71 Down 57%
Each national ratings point equals roughly 1.1 million viewers.
But as much as I hate to say it, another reason for the decline in TV numbers was the switch of all five BCS games from Fox (over the air network) to ESPN (cable).
Here are the 10 most-watched bowls for 2010-11 and all of the SEC’s games… so you can see what kind of exposure your favorite program received:
Viewership Rank Bowl Teams Rating Increase/Decrease
1 BCS Champsionship Game Auburn/Oregon 15.29 Down 11%
2 Rose TCU/Wisconsin 11.26 Down 15%
3 Sugar Arkansas/Ohio State 8.20 Down 4%
4 Outback Florida/Penn State 7.05 Up 101%
5 Orange Stanford/Virginia Tech 6.75 Down 1%
6 Fiesta Oklahoma/UConn 6.15 Down 25%
7 Cotton LSU/Texas A&M 5.81 Up 29%
8 Chick-fil-A Florida State/South Carolina 4.32 Down 2%
9 Music City North Carolina/Tennessee 4.24 Up 152%
10 Capital One Alabama/Michigan State 3.69 Down 46%
14 Liberty Georgia/UCF 2.96 Down 21%
20 BBVA Compass Kentucky/Pittsburgh 2.20 Up 38%
28 Gator Michigan/Mississippi State 1.71 Down 57%
Each national ratings point equals roughly 1.1 million viewers.
10
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:16 pm to Alahunter
As long as I get to see the games I could care less about what channel it comes on. I'm just glad that they didn't use ESPNU for any.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:19 pm to mckibaj
They had too many competing against each other at the same time.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:19 pm to Alahunter
quote:
28 Gator Michigan/Mississippi State 1.71 Down 57%
lol
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:20 pm to mckibaj
quote:
I'm just glad that they didn't use ESPNU for any.
TTU/NW was on ESPNU.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:20 pm to Alahunter
On New Years day, my channel up and down button was begging for mercy 
This post was edited on 1/13/11 at 1:21 pm
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:21 pm to Alahunter
So how many people still just OTA only and have no access to ESPN? I live in the "city" and don't know of anybody who doesn't have cable or Dish or DirecTV and doesn't have at least basic ESPN on their plans.
I guess there is a lot more rural viewers of college football than I figured.
I guess there is a lot more rural viewers of college football than I figured.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:22 pm to OldManRiver
quote:
So how many people still just OTA only and have no access to ESPN? I live in the "city" and don't know of anybody who doesn't have cable or Dish or DirecTV and doesn't have at least basic ESPN on their plans.
I guess there is a lot more rural viewers of college football than I figured.
I don't know anyone period who likes football and doesn't have ESPN.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:23 pm to inelishaitrust
quote:
I don't know anyone period who likes football and doesn't have ESPN.
My pop is on his 60s and still doesnt have cable...so no ESPN.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:24 pm to Alahunter
quote:
10 Capital One Alabama/Michigan State 3.69 Down 46%
Most non-Alabama fans turned this off pretty quickly.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:25 pm to inelishaitrust
My cousin is a "pretty big" sports fan, but doesn't have ESPN.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:27 pm to Alahunter
Well it was dumb for them to put the capital one, the outback and the gator bowls all at the same damn time.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:28 pm to reb13
quote:
Well it was dumb for them to put the capital one, the outback and the gator bowls all at the same damn time.
I personally like the result.
The Tv rating came out lower than the Birmingham bowl.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:30 pm to inelishaitrust
Too many bowls. I didnt watch Tulsa vs East Washington or any bowl like that. I only watched the big bowls.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 1:31 pm to reb13
i hate how they put all the new's day bowl games on at the sametime. What is the fricking point. You flip back and forth so much by the time all the games are over you have no idea what happened in any of the games.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 2:03 pm to inelishaitrust
The Big Bowls should be on ABC. I see NO REASON to only air them on ESPN.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 2:04 pm to Alahunter
I've killed several bowls in my day.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 2:05 pm to OldManRiver
quote:I think I read where ESPN reaches 15% fewer households than Fox.
So how many people still just OTA only and have no access to ESPN? I live in the "city" and don't know of anybody who doesn't have cable or Dish or DirecTV and doesn't have at least basic ESPN on their plans.
I guess there is a lot more rural viewers of college football than I figured.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 2:08 pm to Alahunter
Not sure of the correct numbers so maybe someone can find them.
So how many bowl game were on ESPN/ABC?
So how many bowl game were on CBS?
So how many bowl game were on NBC?
So how many bowl game were on FOX?
I think we can all agree that ESPN/ABC almost has an monopoly and thus is wielding power over college football.
A monopoly exists when a specific individual or an enterprise has sufficient control (play players now and suspend them later when not on TV) over a particular product or service to determine significantly the terms (can tell the NCAA to hold off on the AU investigation until after the BCSNCG) of said product.
ESPN/ABC is bad for college football.
So how many bowl game were on ESPN/ABC?
So how many bowl game were on CBS?
So how many bowl game were on NBC?
So how many bowl game were on FOX?
I think we can all agree that ESPN/ABC almost has an monopoly and thus is wielding power over college football.
A monopoly exists when a specific individual or an enterprise has sufficient control (play players now and suspend them later when not on TV) over a particular product or service to determine significantly the terms (can tell the NCAA to hold off on the AU investigation until after the BCSNCG) of said product.
ESPN/ABC is bad for college football.
Posted on 1/13/11 at 2:09 pm to Alahunter
IMHO, it is the BCSMNC that has killed the bowls because that game makes all the other game irrelevant.
Also, the proliferation of these smaller bowls is getting ridiculous. And they do it because they make money.
Some small arse team like UCF does not make money from going to the Papajohns.com bowl.
Part of the bowl "payout" is a ticket allotment, which the smaller teams almost never sell. So the bowl claims they payout "$750,000" or however much, but the reality is that teams like UCF actually lose money to play in the bowls.
In this way, bowl games guarantee ticket sales and turn a profit, no matter how small the game is.
It is fricked up, really. We should go to a playoff and cut out the bowl completely. IMO they are basically worthless middlemen. Hold a playoff on campus and ALL the money goes to the schools and conferences.
Also, the proliferation of these smaller bowls is getting ridiculous. And they do it because they make money.
Some small arse team like UCF does not make money from going to the Papajohns.com bowl.
Part of the bowl "payout" is a ticket allotment, which the smaller teams almost never sell. So the bowl claims they payout "$750,000" or however much, but the reality is that teams like UCF actually lose money to play in the bowls.
In this way, bowl games guarantee ticket sales and turn a profit, no matter how small the game is.
It is fricked up, really. We should go to a playoff and cut out the bowl completely. IMO they are basically worthless middlemen. Hold a playoff on campus and ALL the money goes to the schools and conferences.
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