46% of the nation will see this game.

I figure the entire nation will probably be watching UC-UConn by halftime, if the game is close. The other games will not be close. Even though Oklahoma is without Bradford, and the game is at Nebraska, I seriously doubt it will be close. After all the talk about how good Nebraska was supposed to be this year, they haven't shown us anything worth talking about. The USC game will be all but over by halftime as well...

So if UConn's defense plays well against UC, and their offense can keep the score close, the entire nation may well be viewing the game after halftime. Otherwise, UConn gets embarrassed - and only the eastern seaboard will see it...

(11-04-2009 02:41 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I figure the entire nation will probably be watching UC-UConn by halftime, if the game is close. The other games will not be close. Even though Oklahoma is without Bradford, and the game is at Nebraska, I seriously doubt it will be close. After all the talk about how good Nebraska was supposed to be this year, they haven't shown us anything worth talking about. The USC game will be all but over by halftime as well...

So if UConn's defense plays well against UC, and their offense can keep the score close, the entire nation may well be viewing the game after halftime. Otherwise, UConn gets embarrassed - and only the eastern seaboard will see it...

It's a technical point, but I don't believe that ABC will (or is allowed to) switch games in a blowout in that prime time slot. At the very least, there are markets that obviously won't ever cut away from their respective games regardless of the score (i.e. the LA market with USC, any TV stations in Oklahoma or Nebraska). Matt or anyone else can correct me if I'm wrong here.

Regardless, 46% of the country is a very good number. It is key that the Chicago market (which has a pretty good sized Nebraska fan base for being a non-Big 12 market) is getting UC-UConn as opposed to OU-NU - it could've gone either way.

(11-04-2009 03:17 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  It's a technical point, but I don't believe that ABC will (or is allowed to) switch games in a blowout in that prime time slot. At the very least, there are markets that obviously won't ever cut away from their respective games regardless of the score (i.e. the LA market with USC, any TV stations in Oklahoma or Nebraska). Matt or anyone else can correct me if I'm wrong here.

I think you are right. I can't remember ever seeing an ABC game switch midway through (other than maybe for a few seconds at a time).

Edit: Good point about Chicago Frank. That isn't one I would have predicted right with this line-up.

(11-04-2009 03:17 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(11-04-2009 02:41 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I figure the entire nation will probably be watching UC-UConn by halftime, if the game is close. The other games will not be close. Even though Oklahoma is without Bradford, and the game is at Nebraska, I seriously doubt it will be close. After all the talk about how good Nebraska was supposed to be this year, they haven't shown us anything worth talking about. The USC game will be all but over by halftime as well...

So if UConn's defense plays well against UC, and their offense can keep the score close, the entire nation may well be viewing the game after halftime. Otherwise, UConn gets embarrassed - and only the eastern seaboard will see it...

It's a technical point, but I don't believe that ABC will (or is allowed to) switch games in a blowout in that prime time slot. At the very least, there are markets that obviously won't ever cut away from their respective games regardless of the score (i.e. the LA market with USC, any TV stations in Oklahoma or Nebraska). Matt or anyone else can correct me if I'm wrong here.

Regardless, 46% of the country is a very good number. It is key that the Chicago market (which has a pretty good sized Nebraska fan base for being a non-Big 12 market) is getting UC-UConn as opposed to OU-NU - it could've gone either way.

I think they can dump markets from one game to another if a game is not competitive, though the restriction might be the particular markets that can be moved. The example regarding USC and L.A. is true, and might extend to all four PAC-10 states for the USC-ASU game.

Although I haven't seen it this year, ABC does make last minute adjustments to coverage if an affiliate makes an appeal. They may do the less now that digital subchannels are available from many affiliates who feel should carry a different game of regional interest.

I was pretty sure they could switch to more competitive games, which is why I posted that in the first place. Thanks for confirming that for me, matt...

(11-04-2009 04:39 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  I was pretty sure they could switch to more competitive games, which is why I posted that in the first place. Thanks for confirming that for me, matt...

That's good to know - I guess I've never witnessed it happen despite having watched plenty of blowouts on Saturday Night Football, so I assumed that they couldn't cut over for whatever reason. I'm glad that there's a game switching policy.

That's a nice area for two BE teams. Very interesting.

What I also found interesting is that the 3:30 game coverage map. I realize there isn't a BE game on at that time, but I see that the ACC game (WF vs. GaTech) isn't going to on in Miami, DC, or Boston ('ACC markets') but the Big 10 PSU/OSU game. Granted, it is split coverage (ESPN/ABC split it) but thought it was interesting nonetheless.

(11-05-2009 04:55 AM)Hoquista Wrote:  That's a nice area for two BE teams. Very interesting.

What I also found interesting is that the 3:30 game coverage map. I realize there isn't a BE game on at that time, but I see that the ACC game (WF vs. GaTech) isn't going to on in Miami, DC, or Boston ('ACC markets') but the Big 10 PSU/OSU game. Granted, it is split coverage (ESPN/ABC split it) but thought it was interesting nonetheless.

Not surprised about DC and Boston (which have a lot of Penn State alums/fans) but it's definitely interesting that most of Florida (not just Miami, but Orlando and Tampa on top of that) is getting OSU-PSU. Granted, all of the Big Ten schools have a disproportionate number of snowbirds in Florida, but Georgia Tech has a relatively high ranking and sends a good number of graduates to that state.

Had BC been one of the ACC games picked for broadcast in this time slot, the map would look considerably different...

(11-05-2009 09:36 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Not surprised about DC and Boston (which have a lot of Penn State alums/fans) but it's definitely interesting that most of Florida (not just Miami, but Orlando and Tampa on top of that) is getting OSU-PSU. Granted, all of the Big Ten schools have a disproportionate number of snowbirds in Florida, but Georgia Tech has a relatively high ranking and sends a good number of graduates to that state.

I'm not surprised at Boston either. IIRC, ABC doesn't have a good track record of showing the ACC in Boston if the Big 10 has PSU, OSU or Michigan on at 3:30.

I am surprised at DC. There are also A LOT of ACC alums/fans there. I mean UVa, VT, and especially Maryland are right there.

(11-05-2009 10:25 AM)Hoquista Wrote:  

(11-05-2009 09:36 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  Not surprised about DC and Boston (which have a lot of Penn State alums/fans) but it's definitely interesting that most of Florida (not just Miami, but Orlando and Tampa on top of that) is getting OSU-PSU. Granted, all of the Big Ten schools have a disproportionate number of snowbirds in Florida, but Georgia Tech has a relatively high ranking and sends a good number of graduates to that state.

I'm not surprised at Boston either. IIRC, ABC doesn't have a good track record of showing the ACC in Boston if the Big 10 has PSU, OSU or Michigan on at 3:30.

I am surprised at DC. There are also A LOT of ACC alums/fans there. I mean UVa, VT, and especially Maryland are right there.

That's true - DC is certainly a legit ACC market. I think that it's really the particular teams here - if you could pick the 2 schools in the ACC that have the fewest alums in the DC market, you may well end up with Wake Forest and Georgia Tech at or near the top of the list. Then, you add Penn State (which almost certainly has more alums in DC than GT or WF) playing a national program like Ohio State on top of that as a competing game. That's a combo for the Big Ten game trumping the ACC game in that particular market for this particular week. As you alluded to in your observations about Boston picking up OSU, PSU and UM games, it would be more interesting to how often any non-Penn State Big Ten games get picked up in Boston or DC over the ACC - that would be much more of a problem if I were running the ACC.

Practically they may be able to switch at least some markets in blow outs, but have any of you actually seen a game switch this year? Maybe it's just my location, but while I think I've seen them show a few seconds of another game, I haven't seen them switch yet this year (and I'm not sure I have in the past couple of years either, but I can't swear to that). I'm not saying they shouldn't, just that I haven't seen it.

(11-05-2009 10:44 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  Practically they may be able to switch at least some markets in blow outs, but have any of you actually seen a game switch this year? Maybe it's just my location, but while I think I've seen them show a few seconds of another game, I haven't seen them switch yet this year (and I'm not sure I have in the past couple of years either, but I can't swear to that). I'm not saying they shouldn't, just that I haven't seen it.

I've had the same experience, which is why I thought that they couldn't switch. Since I live in a Big Ten market, it certainly makes sense that ABC would never switch from a Big Ten game to another conference regardless of the score (believe me, Illinois has been on the receiving end of a number of those blowout beatings in prime time). However, I've seen plenty of blowouts from other conferences in that ABC prime time slot that weren't switched over to a more competitive game, so I just wonder how often this ever actually happens.

(11-05-2009 10:52 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(11-05-2009 10:44 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  Practically they may be able to switch at least some markets in blow outs, but have any of you actually seen a game switch this year? Maybe it's just my location, but while I think I've seen them show a few seconds of another game, I haven't seen them switch yet this year (and I'm not sure I have in the past couple of years either, but I can't swear to that). I'm not saying they shouldn't, just that I haven't seen it.

I've had the same experience, which is why I thought that they couldn't switch. Since I live in a Big Ten market, it certainly makes sense that ABC would never switch from a Big Ten game to another conference regardless of the score (believe me, Illinois has been on the receiving end of a number of those blowout beatings in prime time). However, I've seen plenty of blowouts from other conferences in that ABC prime time slot that weren't switched over to a more competitive game, so I just wonder how often this ever actually happens.

I can't recall them switching over from a blowout in prime time, but I can definitely recall them doing so at 3:30 on a few occasions.

I don't recall a game being switched in mid-stream during prime time, either. But even if it's never happened, that doesn't mean it won't be, if there's a game of national importance that is competitive being broadcast at the same time. I would imagine it all depends on the ratings at the time. In the age of digital TV, and computerized broadcast centers, the ratings figures are available almost instantaneously...

Let's go Cats!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm surprised by this, because the national advertising for the lineup has featured the Cincinnatti-Uconn game as the big game, but this coverage map doesn't reflect that.

Check the population density of the various areas of coverage, quo. The UC-game will have the larger TV audience...

Should be a great game and the best game on national TV at that time.