So with two data points, I'm seeing one of three ways this can go:

1) the first year was bloated by novelty, now we're back down around organic growth from the end of the BCS era

2) the teams playing in the game are a huge deal to the ratings

3) the low ratings from the semi's sucked some air out of the championship ... though that seems like a reach to me.


I guess we'll have to wait for more data points.

(01-12-2016 12:25 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 11:50 AM)stever20 Wrote:  ratings were down, but wouldn't call them bad. 2nd best game ever on ESPN...

You mean, 2nd highest rated Major College Football Championship, on ESPN.

I don't know it for sure, but guessing there have been some non-championship games on ESPN with better ratings.


How can it only be down 15%? I thought last year the ratings were 2x.x for the semi's and 3x.x for the championship. Maybe I'm confusing with # of viewers.

you're confusing with # of viewers...

I looked. The Alabama/Auburn game last year was the best non BCS game ever on ESPN. It got a 7.6 rating.

(01-12-2016 12:03 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Why do you guys even care about ratings? Are you or are you related to TV execs and your income rely on that?

The entire house (college football) is built on TV money.

We're interested to see if it's a house of cards.

(01-12-2016 12:28 PM)stever20 Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:25 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 11:50 AM)stever20 Wrote:  ratings were down, but wouldn't call them bad. 2nd best game ever on ESPN...

You mean, 2nd highest rated Major College Football Championship, on ESPN.

I don't know it for sure, but guessing there have been some non-championship games on ESPN with better ratings.


How can it only be down 15%? I thought last year the ratings were 2x.x for the semi's and 3x.x for the championship. Maybe I'm confusing with # of viewers.

you're confusing with # of viewers...

I looked. The Alabama/Auburn game last year was the best non BCS game ever on ESPN. It got a 7.6 rating.

Can you please post last year and this year, semi's and natty, # of viewers, rating and date?

Another question, are these ratings just for ESPN, or for the entire "mega-cast"?

(01-12-2016 12:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  The entire house (college football) is built on TV money.

We're interested to see if it's a house of cards.

Everyone here is still gonna be a fan regardless of what happens with TV rights, even if that means just reading the scores somewhere or watching the news, SportsCenter.

This thread validates your point but I always get a kick out of those who take a shot at the ratings because a team they don't like or isn't seemingly important enough has low ratings. Who cares?

(01-12-2016 12:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:03 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Why do you guys even care about ratings? Are you or are you related to TV execs and your income rely on that?

The entire house (college football) is built on TV money.

We're interested to see if it's a house of cards.

Incorrect. Most of the time, TV money is actually a small cut of the pie compared to other revenue streams. The TV money in simply the next avenue of capital.

(01-12-2016 12:25 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 11:50 AM)stever20 Wrote:  ratings were down, but wouldn't call them bad. 2nd best game ever on ESPN...

You mean, 2nd highest rated Major College Football Championship, on ESPN.

I don't know it for sure, but guessing there have been some non-championship games on ESPN with better ratings.


How can it only be down 15%? I thought last year the ratings were 2x.x for the semi's and 3x.x for the championship. Maybe I'm confusing with # of viewers.

To my knowledge the only event ever on ESPN with more viewers was last year's NFL playoff game, since as of the time it aired, it was the most viewed telecast in the history of cable TV (the playoff game was the next week I believe).

(01-12-2016 12:31 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  Another question, are these ratings just for ESPN, or for the entire "mega-cast"?

Usually they group together the same telecast with simulcasts, much as they did last year with the Final Four. But I am not positive.

(01-12-2016 12:40 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  The entire house (college football) is built on TV money.

We're interested to see if it's a house of cards.

Everyone here is still gonna be a fan regardless of what happens with TV rights, even if that means just reading the scores somewhere or watching the news, SportsCenter.

This thread validates your point but I always get a kick out of those who take a shot at the ratings because a team they don't like or isn't seemingly important enough has low ratings. Who cares?

I think the ratings comments are in regards to, and an extension of the info that the playoff ratings were down due to the NYE telecast. I think this is an extension of it.

(01-12-2016 12:40 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  The entire house (college football) is built on TV money.

We're interested to see if it's a house of cards.

Everyone here is still gonna be a fan regardless of what happens with TV rights, even if that means just reading the scores somewhere or watching the news, SportsCenter.

This thread validates your point but I always get a kick out of those who take a shot at the ratings because a team they don't like or isn't seemingly important enough has low ratings. Who cares?

Well, if the TV money significantly reduces, that could play a roll in College Sports and Conference Realignment.

(01-12-2016 12:56 PM)oliveandblue Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:03 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Why do you guys even care about ratings? Are you or are you related to TV execs and your income rely on that?

The entire house (college football) is built on TV money.

We're interested to see if it's a house of cards.

Incorrect. Most of the time, TV money is actually a small cut of the pie compared to other revenue streams. The TV money in simply the next avenue of capital.

If you're talking about the total dollars of input to a school's athletic dept, then perhaps.

But I wouldn't be surprised if the conference disbursement to each school is the largest single line item in the AD budget each year. And almost all of that money comes, in on way or another, from TV money.

(01-12-2016 03:33 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:56 PM)oliveandblue Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:29 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(01-12-2016 12:03 PM)_C2_ Wrote:  Why do you guys even care about ratings? Are you or are you related to TV execs and your income rely on that?

The entire house (college football) is built on TV money.

We're interested to see if it's a house of cards.

Incorrect. Most of the time, TV money is actually a small cut of the pie compared to other revenue streams. The TV money in simply the next avenue of capital.

If you're talking about the total dollars of input to a school's athletic dept, then perhaps.

But I wouldn't be surprised if the conference disbursement to each school is the largest single line item in the AD budget each year. And almost all of that money comes, in on way or another, from TV money.

If Ticket sales aren't the largest line item in the revenue ledger every year then they are screwed. It is much larger than TV money after you add in the contributions that have to be made before you may even purchase tickets.

Did anyone post these bad ratings yet? Edit: saw the other thread down 15%