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Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - SuperFlyBCat - 01-17-2014 03:28 PM
Going into the season, one of the biggest questions regarding the Big East was how much of an impact leaving ESPN for FOX Sports would have on the TV ratings. Getting a wide audience is a crucial aspect of maintaining national relevance for a regional league, not to mention a key selling point to potential recruits who want to play on a large stage.
Undoubtedly it was going to be a drastic change, but making the switch from the worldwide leader to a channel that isn’t even six months old was the tallest of orders. It took ESPN decades to build the cache it currently holds, so no one, absolutely no one, was anticipating FOX to exceed or even match Bristol’s numbers. Still, the size of the fall would be interesting to see.
We hypothesized that there would be a dip in viewership back in June, arguing that FOX wildly overpaid for the content it was receiving. With the non-conference season now over, we had a large enough sample to start drawing some mid-season conclusions.
(All figures were taken from Son of the Bronx, without whom any of this would be possible. They only include games in which a Big East team was involved this season.)
![[Image: tvcom.jpg?w=630]](http://painttouches.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/tvcom.jpg?w=630)
As you can see from the chart above, FOX Sports 1 and FOX Sports 2 are trailing all the other national networks when it comes to Big East viewership, which is not a good sign as those two channels will have a majority of the conference games. But a simple chart with no explanation or analysis serves no one, so we broke it down a little further.
FS1 had the most Big East games of any channel, broadcasting 48 of the 85 national TV games. Of those 48 games, 41 had a rating of 0, five had a rating of 0.1, and two had a rating of 0.2. While these are definitely underwhelming numbers, it shows the double edged sword that is extensive coverage. More games will be on national TV, but a good number of those games will be duds. Villanova vs. Towson took the crown as least watched game, drawing 8,000 viewers for the Sunday night tilt. Were ESPN still the Big East’s home base, this game would have been relegated to ESPN3 status and wouldn’t drag down the average.
There’s no way to sugarcoat the FS2 numbers. All 14 games failed to crack the 40,000 viewer mark and eight of those couldn’t even muster 8,000. Seton Hall’s game against Monmouth on Monday, Nov. 18 only had 1,000 people watching. At this point, FS2′s reach is so nonexistent it might actually be advantageous to be on a regional network. We are working on acquiring local broadcast numbers for the regional FOX stations. Any input would be appreciated.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - indycat - 01-17-2014 03:43 PM
Early on after the split Mick Cronin was boldly proclaiming how critical it was that UC and the AAC had stayed with ESPN. Evidence is mounting that the C-7 may have made a strategic blunder; trading short-term cash for long-term national exposure.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - Cataclysmo - 01-17-2014 03:45 PM
It hurts everywhere. I couldnt tell you whos good this year in the Big East as ESPN rarely has anyyhing on theit website about them.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - KCat - 01-17-2014 03:59 PM
I've noticed that ESPN is not posting their scores....
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - CliftonAve - 01-17-2014 03:59 PM
Anyone know how the ratings are doing for AAC games on CBS Sports?
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - RealDeal - 01-17-2014 04:34 PM
I find it interesting that Fox Sports is doing so much poorer than NBC Sports, another relatively new cable sports network (I know they bought out Versus). Have to think the terrible product has a lot to do with it. Most of these small Catholic schools despite being in huge markets are barely on the radar in their cities. The driver of BE success was Syracuse, UCONN, and in recent years UL.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - BearcatMan - 01-17-2014 04:52 PM
Small schools, small ratings
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - jnewyouth - 01-17-2014 05:24 PM
Very true. Xavier's 6,500 current students means a lot less alumni, families, and fanbases than UC's 42,500 students and the alumni, families and fanbases they bring with them. The same can be said with nearly every other current Big East team.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - Ragpicker - 01-17-2014 06:13 PM
(01-17-2014 03:59 PM)CliftonAve Wrote: Anyone know how the ratings are doing for AAC games on CBS Sports?
That was the first thing that caught my eye with the graphic in the first post. CBSSN was not even on the chart. An omission? Or less viewers than Fox Sports 1 & 2?
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - bearcatlawjd - 01-17-2014 06:24 PM
Big East is a good league but its not a great league anymore. You wonder if every one of the home teams fans are actually at their home games because they have hardcore fans but they lack the casual alumni base that large publics have.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - JackieTreehorn - 01-17-2014 07:25 PM
(01-17-2014 04:52 PM)BearcatMan Wrote: Small schools, small ratings
Exactly. The conference now consists of small, private non-football schools. They were dumb to sign with Fox and Fox was dumb to sign them for what they paid. They deserve each other.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - Eastside_J - 01-18-2014 03:46 PM
(01-17-2014 07:25 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:(01-17-2014 04:52 PM)BearcatMan Wrote: Small schools, small ratings
Exactly. The conference now consists of small, private non-football schools. They were dumb to sign with Fox and Fox was dumb to sign them for what they paid. They deserve each other.
I agree.
Fox Sports took a flier with the only "big name" conference that would listen. The BE knew there was a major downside to step out of the ESPN mainstream but elected to take the high bid anyway.. IMO the lack of exposure is going to cost them MUCH more than the money difference they gained. Now they are on a long march through no viewer TV Gulag.
The two questions IMO are how much will this contract cost the Big East in terms of being a marketable property? (prestige, visibility and national "Q" rating for lack of a better term? )
How much does that lowered market value, if any, effect the amount they are able to negotiate in their NEXT contract?
IMO the answer to the second question is going to be a huge drop in market value and result in bids that equal one heck of a dismal number. All the A-10 schools will roll with it. The current contract is "found money" as far as they are concerned. It is going to be a massive blow to the old alignment BE schools.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - JackieTreehorn - 01-18-2014 06:04 PM
(01-18-2014 03:46 PM)Eastside_J Wrote:(01-17-2014 07:25 PM)JackieTreehorn Wrote:(01-17-2014 04:52 PM)BearcatMan Wrote: Small schools, small ratings
Exactly. The conference now consists of small, private non-football schools. They were dumb to sign with Fox and Fox was dumb to sign them for what they paid. They deserve each other.
I agree.
Fox Sports took a flier with the only "big name" conference that would listen. The BE knew there was a major downside to step out of the ESPN mainstream but elected to take the high bid anyway.. IMO the lack of exposure is going to cost them MUCH more than the money difference they gained. Now they are on a long march through no viewer TV Gulag.
The two questions IMO are how much will this contract cost the Big East in terms of being a marketable property? (prestige, visibility and national "Q" rating for lack of a better term? )
How much does that lowered market value, if any, effect the amount they are able to negotiate in their NEXT contract?
IMO the answer to the second question is going to be a huge drop in market value and result in bids that equal one heck of a dismal number. All the A-10 schools will roll with it. The current contract is "found money" as far as they are concerned. It is going to be a massive blow to the old alignment BE schools.
I would expect the next move will be Madison Square Garden dropping the BE for their tourney if the TV numbers continue to suck and the attendance is dismal. Expect to see the ACC Tournament windup at MSG sooner rather than later.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - Fubar - 01-19-2014 12:26 PM
Fascinating. How long are they stuck on Fox Sports? Certainly lends credence why we took less money with ESPN, not that that still isn't painful financially.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - dossbig - 01-19-2014 12:29 PM
Not a surprise. None of the BE schools are big and thus have small alumni viewers. The biggies are all gone. LMAO!
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - rath v2.0 - 01-19-2014 12:33 PM
Heck..I do not even know where FoxSports 1 is on my Direct TV sports package. I know it is probably in there somewhere.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - Ring of Black - 01-19-2014 01:11 PM
(01-19-2014 12:33 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote: Heck..I do not even know where FoxSports 1 is on my Direct TV sports package. I know it is probably in there somewhere.
The only UC game that has been on FS1 this season has been UC-X. And since you and others are local, I doubt many UC fans even saw that one.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - Crewdogz - 01-19-2014 01:46 PM
(01-19-2014 12:33 PM)rath v2.0 Wrote: Heck..I do not even know where FoxSports 1 is on my Direct TV sports package. I know it is probably in there somewhere.
It's 150 on Dishnetwork, as a big MMA fan I watch often. I don't watch BE BB but I do want someone to challenge the ESPN Empire.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - 3rd Wise Man - 01-19-2014 09:45 PM
Fox paid a fortune for the Big East, and essentially offered 100% air time for all games. It was way better than what ESPN offered, so you can't fault the Big East for taking it. They'd have been foolish not to. I don't think it's any less exposed than they would have been with ESPN. Many of the games would have been buried on ESPN3. The low ratings were predictable, and ESPN is not going to (and didn't) offer that much money and air time.
Regular season basketball rates well in individual markets when a team from that market is playing. That's really it, though. A big deal is made about how low the ratings are, and how the sport must not be popular. The reality is that there are easily over 150 games a week either nationally, regionally, or online streaming, so a lot of people are watching basketball, they're just watching 150 different games. As big as Oklahoma State vs Kansas was, did anyone reading this watch it with a high level of interest?? Chances are you were watching the UC game. People in New Mexico were watching New Mexico vs UNLV. It's not like football where there are two to three games of national interest every week.
With that in mind, I think EVERY network overpaid. If there is a bubble in college sports, I think this is it. Fox isn't going to pay anywhere near this kind of money next time, because they can't charge high rates to advertisers when the ratings are that low. ESPN offers a lot, but it's generally for both basketball and football, and football works really well because they can pick a game each week to spotlight. In other words, they can select the games that are of national interest a week before (six days, actually) and go national with those games, and basically stagger it so the meaningful games aren't up against each other. In basketball, for whatever reason, the contract does not allow them to do this.
If Fox were smart, they'd pool all of the conferences that Fox Sports 1, and Fox Sports Net (which, I believe, includes Root Sports) and pick two or three games each week to go national with. All others would be shown on the local Fox Sports Net channels. This way, at least, they'd be able to sell the idea to advertisers that each week they'd have two or three spotlight games on nationally.
I'm no TV expert (as much as I like watching it), but I have several friends in that industry, and like most people feel about the industry they work in, they believe parts of it are grossly mismanaged. Fox paying a fortune for the Big East with the idea that they were going to go national with every single game is a classic example of that. Creighton can deliver Omaha, but they cannot deliver a national audience. Pretty much no team can. If it's a showcase game on CBS between two ranked teams that isn't up against anything else, then it will probably rate at or close to 2.0, but that's about as high as any regular season college basketball game will ever rate. It's not like Monday Night Football where if you want to see a football game, you have your choice of that game or no game. There are 150 games on every week, and the more games that are on, the more true it is that teams will only deliver their own markets. So, with that in mind, I think the big basketball contracts across the board are coming to an end.
RE: Big East, FOX Sports 1 struggle to gain TV ratings - bearcatlawjd - 01-19-2014 10:20 PM
(01-19-2014 09:45 PM)3rd Wise Man Wrote: Fox paid a fortune for the Big East, and essentially offered 100% air time for all games. It was way better than what ESPN offered, so you can't fault the Big East for taking it. They'd have been foolish not to. I don't think it's any less exposed than they would have been with ESPN. Many of the games would have been buried on ESPN3. The low ratings were predictable, and ESPN is not going to (and didn't) offer that much money and air time.
Regular season basketball rates well in individual markets when a team from that market is playing. That's really it, though. A big deal is made about how low the ratings are, and how the sport must not be popular. The reality is that there are easily over 150 games a week either nationally, regionally, or online streaming, so a lot of people are watching basketball, they're just watching 150 different games. As big as Oklahoma State vs Kansas was, did anyone reading this watch it with a high level of interest?? Chances are you were watching the UC game. People in New Mexico were watching New Mexico vs UNLV. It's not like football where there are two to three games of national interest every week.
With that in mind, I think EVERY network overpaid. If there is a bubble in college sports, I think this is it. Fox isn't going to pay anywhere near this kind of money next time, because they can't charge high rates to advertisers when the ratings are that low. ESPN offers a lot, but it's generally for both basketball and football, and football works really well because they can pick a game each week to spotlight. In other words, they can select the games that are of national interest a week before (six days, actually) and go national with those games, and basically stagger it so the meaningful games aren't up against each other. In basketball, for whatever reason, the contract does not allow them to do this.
If Fox were smart, they'd pool all of the conferences that Fox Sports 1, and Fox Sports Net (which, I believe, includes Root Sports) and pick two or three games each week to go national with. All others would be shown on the local Fox Sports Net channels. This way, at least, they'd be able to sell the idea to advertisers that each week they'd have two or three spotlight games on nationally.
I'm no TV expert (as much as I like watching it), but I have several friends in that industry, and like most people feel about the industry they work in, they believe parts of it are grossly mismanaged. Fox paying a fortune for the Big East with the idea that they were going to go national with every single game is a classic example of that. Creighton can deliver Omaha, but they cannot deliver a national audience. Pretty much no team can. If it's a showcase game on CBS between two ranked teams that isn't up against anything else, then it will probably rate at or close to 2.0, but that's about as high as any regular season college basketball game will ever rate. It's not like Monday Night Football where if you want to see a football game, you have your choice of that game or no game. There are 150 games on every week, and the more games that are on, the more true it is that teams will only deliver their own markets. So, with that in mind, I think the big basketball contracts across the board are coming to an end.
Fox Sports 1 needs Big Ten or NFL football to gain viewership. Speaking of the Big East, I actually watch their games on Fox Sports 1 and CBSSN. I also watch all the American games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews, and CBSSN.
The one positive that came of realignment and the Big East split was that we know have 9 legitimate conferences and around 10 networks that broadcast major college basketball.
I used to watch college football this way but now I watch UC and very few other games. Its fun to analyze the RPI and "scout" teams from around the nation that will make an impact in March.