From the article:

Top 50 College Football Teams: TV Ratings

There are 12 SEC teams in the Top 25, including 7 teams in the Top 10. Unsurprisingly, Alabama is king of the mountain. SEC newbies Texas A&M and Missouri are ranked 3rd and 21st respectively. Their rival Big 12 schools Texas (29) and Kansas (74) did not crack the Top 25. Big 12 replacements TCU and West Virginia ranked 49th and 51st.

Note that ratings from certain networks are unavailable (e.g., Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Network, ESPNEWS, Longhorn Network), and this boosts averages for teams playing on those networks since ratings are generally low (see Longhorn Network). Teams like Northwestern benefit from having a low number of rated games since only their most attractive matchups with opponents like Ohio State are picked up by top TV stations.

Also from the article:

Conference TV Ratings

The SEC has the strongest TV viewership in college football. The distance between the SEC and runner-up Big 10 is substantial, and another wide gap exists between the Big 10 and other major conferences. Remember that each conference game counts twice so "a rising tide lifts all boats," especially a Crimson one.

Rank Conference Avg Viewersa Avg Ratingb # of Rated Gms
1 SEC 3,596,643 2.2 114
2 Big 10 2,643,794 1.7 80
3 ACC 1,918,042 1.2 84
4 Pac-12 1,799,596 1.1 74
5 Big 12 1,571,833 1.0 90
6 AAC 1,040,547 0.7 50
7 MWC 1,017,701 0.7 45
8 C-USA 825,796 0.5 40
9 MAC 765,792 0.5 32
10 Sun Belt 603,694 0.4 18

Here is the link:

http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/12/4...m-missouri

(12-04-2013 10:52 PM)Maize Wrote:  From the article:

Top 50 College Football Teams: TV Ratings

There are 12 SEC teams in the Top 25, including 7 teams in the Top 10. Unsurprisingly, Alabama is king of the mountain. SEC newbies Texas A&M and Missouri are ranked 3rd and 21st respectively. Their rival Big 12 schools Texas (29) and Kansas (74) did not crack the Top 25. Big 12 replacements TCU and West Virginia ranked 49th and 51st.

Note that ratings from certain networks are unavailable (e.g., Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Network, ESPNEWS, Longhorn Network), and this boosts averages for teams playing on those networks since ratings are generally low (see Longhorn Network). Teams like Northwestern benefit from having a low number of rated games since only their most attractive matchups with opponents like Ohio State are picked up by top TV stations.

Also from the article:

Conference TV Ratings

The SEC has the strongest TV viewership in college football. The distance between the SEC and runner-up Big 10 is substantial, and another wide gap exists between the Big 10 and other major conferences. Remember that each conference game counts twice so "a rising tide lifts all boats," especially a Crimson one.

Rank Conference Avg Viewersa Avg Ratingb # of Rated Gms
1 SEC 3,596,643 2.2 114
2 Big 10 2,643,794 1.7 80
3 ACC 1,918,042 1.2 84
4 Pac-12 1,799,596 1.1 74
5 Big 12 1,571,833 1.0 90
6 AAC 1,040,547 0.7 50
7 MWC 1,017,701 0.7 45
8 C-USA 825,796 0.5 40
9 MAC 765,792 0.5 32
10 Sun Belt 603,694 0.4 18

Here is the link:

http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/12/4...m-missouri

I know the BTN shows 3 games each Saturday. It seems like every BIG fan has the BTN or they would miss a lot of games. So BIG #'s probably much higher but doubt it's as high as SEC.

(12-04-2013 11:17 PM)Hoosier Hysteria Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 10:52 PM)Maize Wrote:  From the article:

Top 50 College Football Teams: TV Ratings

There are 12 SEC teams in the Top 25, including 7 teams in the Top 10. Unsurprisingly, Alabama is king of the mountain. SEC newbies Texas A&M and Missouri are ranked 3rd and 21st respectively. Their rival Big 12 schools Texas (29) and Kansas (74) did not crack the Top 25. Big 12 replacements TCU and West Virginia ranked 49th and 51st.

Note that ratings from certain networks are unavailable (e.g., Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Network, ESPNEWS, Longhorn Network), and this boosts averages for teams playing on those networks since ratings are generally low (see Longhorn Network). Teams like Northwestern benefit from having a low number of rated games since only their most attractive matchups with opponents like Ohio State are picked up by top TV stations.

Also from the article:

Conference TV Ratings

The SEC has the strongest TV viewership in college football. The distance between the SEC and runner-up Big 10 is substantial, and another wide gap exists between the Big 10 and other major conferences. Remember that each conference game counts twice so "a rising tide lifts all boats," especially a Crimson one.

Rank Conference Avg Viewersa Avg Ratingb # of Rated Gms
1 SEC 3,596,643 2.2 114
2 Big 10 2,643,794 1.7 80
3 ACC 1,918,042 1.2 84
4 Pac-12 1,799,596 1.1 74
5 Big 12 1,571,833 1.0 90
6 AAC 1,040,547 0.7 50
7 MWC 1,017,701 0.7 45
8 C-USA 825,796 0.5 40
9 MAC 765,792 0.5 32
10 Sun Belt 603,694 0.4 18

Here is the link:

http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/12/4...m-missouri

I know the BTN shows 3 games each Saturday. It seems like every BIG fan has the BTN or they would miss a lot of games. So BIG #'s probably much higher but doubt it's as high as SEC.

So you think that a game on the BTN is going to attract more viewers than the alternative (ESPN/FOX/ABC/NBC)? Keep in mind that every serious collegiate sports fan has access to ESPN, regardless of which conference they like the most. My money is that the B1G's overall ratings are noticeably weaker than what's reported here, but still ahead of the ACC.

At far as the MAC goes, we're aiming for quality over quantity. Besides early season pay-games, the MAC doesn't really get on TV until MACtion begins in November. When it does, it gives us exposure with little to no competition, and it helps showcase the best parts of the MAC (such as Lynch and NIU) on a national scale. I'll take that over the regular Saturday matchups on CBS Sports, FS2, etc. being buried by the big AQ games on ABC, ESPN, and CBS, even if it means losing viewers early in the year.

A few surprises in the numbers:

8) Notre Dame 3,921,970
16) Northwestern 2,684,300

Northwestern is a lot bigger in Chicago than what people would think looking at their game attendance. Notre Dame I thought would be bigger than what they are with a national radio network.

20) Mississippi St. 2,555,048
23) Mississippi 2,490,917

Surprised these two are up there so high. That explains why they receive a disproportionate level of coverage on ESPN relative to program quality. Actually it may have more to do with playing in the SEC West....

34) Miami 2,107,394
40) Central Florida 1,682,933

These two are neck and neck in TV ratings? I think it says a lot about UCF being a good get for a P5 conference as some on here have speculated.

(12-05-2013 12:30 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  A few surprises in the numbers:

8) Notre Dame 3,921,970
16) Northwestern 2,684,300

Northwestern is a lot bigger in Chicago than what people would think looking at their game attendance. Notre Dame I thought would be bigger than what they are with a national radio network.

20) Mississippi St. 2,555,048
23) Mississippi 2,490,917

Surprised these two are up there so high. That explains why they receive a disproportionate level of coverage on ESPN relative to program quality. Actually it may have more to do with playing in the SEC West....

34) Miami 2,107,394
40) Central Florida 1,682,933

These two are neck and neck in TV ratings? I think it says a lot about UCF being a good get for a P5 conference as some on here have speculated.

Actually this most likely says these numbers are bogus. Some Aggie did this on a spreadsheet. I find it really doubtful the G-5 are that close to the P12, ACC and B12. That's very different from what you see on individual games and what we have seen in the past.

(12-05-2013 12:30 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  I think it says a lot about UCF being a good get for a P5 conference as some on here have speculated.

Just a lay person but I do wonder about these numbers and the value of an ACC Network. The ACC Football numbers are impressive and par that with ACC Basketball in regards to a League Network like the BTN & coming SEC Network...am I wrong in assuming that the ACC has not scratched the surface on the revenue it could or should generate.

(12-04-2013 11:50 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 11:17 PM)Hoosier Hysteria Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 10:52 PM)Maize Wrote:  From the article:

Top 50 College Football Teams: TV Ratings

There are 12 SEC teams in the Top 25, including 7 teams in the Top 10. Unsurprisingly, Alabama is king of the mountain. SEC newbies Texas A&M and Missouri are ranked 3rd and 21st respectively. Their rival Big 12 schools Texas (29) and Kansas (74) did not crack the Top 25. Big 12 replacements TCU and West Virginia ranked 49th and 51st.

Note that ratings from certain networks are unavailable (e.g., Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Network, ESPNEWS, Longhorn Network), and this boosts averages for teams playing on those networks since ratings are generally low (see Longhorn Network). Teams like Northwestern benefit from having a low number of rated games since only their most attractive matchups with opponents like Ohio State are picked up by top TV stations.

Also from the article:

Conference TV Ratings

The SEC has the strongest TV viewership in college football. The distance between the SEC and runner-up Big 10 is substantial, and another wide gap exists between the Big 10 and other major conferences. Remember that each conference game counts twice so "a rising tide lifts all boats," especially a Crimson one.

Rank Conference Avg Viewersa Avg Ratingb # of Rated Gms
1 SEC 3,596,643 2.2 114
2 Big 10 2,643,794 1.7 80
3 ACC 1,918,042 1.2 84
4 Pac-12 1,799,596 1.1 74
5 Big 12 1,571,833 1.0 90
6 AAC 1,040,547 0.7 50
7 MWC 1,017,701 0.7 45
8 C-USA 825,796 0.5 40
9 MAC 765,792 0.5 32
10 Sun Belt 603,694 0.4 18

Here is the link:

http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/12/4...m-missouri

I know the BTN shows 3 games each Saturday. It seems like every BIG fan has the BTN or they would miss a lot of games. So BIG #'s probably much higher but doubt it's as high as SEC.

So you think that a game on the BTN is going to attract more viewers than the alternative (ESPN/FOX/ABC/NBC)? Keep in mind that every serious collegiate sports fan has access to ESPN, regardless of which conference they like the most. My money is that the B1G's overall ratings are noticeably weaker than what's reported here, but still ahead of the ACC.

What he is saying is that the BTN numbers would be added to the number listed for the Big Ten so that the Big Ten numbers for viewership are actually higher than the number listed rather than lower as you wish to say they would be due to your bias.

I am sorry but it is widely accepted that the Big Ten actually draws numbers like that. That is probably the reason why ESPN is pushing their people so hard to denigrate the Big Ten in order to show the Big Ten negotiators what would happen if they turn away from ESPN.

Sorry, despite the ACC's large footprint population, much of it does not care about ACC football. For whatever reason, that is the case. Personally I think it is because much of the ACC's population is actually in the North. That is why ACC basketball is the biggest deal in college basketball.

(12-05-2013 05:17 AM)Maize Wrote:  Just a lay person but I do wonder about these numbers and the value of an ACC Network. The ACC Football numbers are impressive and par that with ACC Basketball in regards to a League Network like the BTN & coming SEC Network...am I wrong in assuming that the ACC has not scratched the surface on the revenue it could or should generate.

I think there is value in an ACC Network but I think other circumstances might keep it from happening.

(12-05-2013 12:30 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  A few surprises in the numbers:

8) Notre Dame 3,921,970
16) Northwestern 2,684,300

Northwestern is a lot bigger in Chicago than what people would think looking at their game attendance. Notre Dame I thought would be bigger than what they are with a national radio network.

The real difference is far greater between the two since that is every game but one with ND versus NW's five best contests. Put all of NW's games on and that 2,684,300 sinks down considerably.

Cheers,
Neil

That is glaring in the reason for the lower payouts to AAC and MWC TV contracts. After the BE schools that left in higher Northern populated areas to the ACC, B1G it drastically reduced the number of potential viewers.

Why does this surprise anyone?

The teams who play lots of ranked opponents have more viewers that teams who are unable to schedule ranked opponents. The teams that are in the better timeslots have more viewers. The teams whose games are aired nationwide have more viewers than teams who games are relegated to ESPN3 in half the country.

I'm not sure why this listing would surprise anyone. What would be more interesting to me is the head-to-head ratings of games in different markets. Unfortunately that data appears to be kept private.

(12-05-2013 08:13 AM)He1nousOne Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 11:50 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 11:17 PM)Hoosier Hysteria Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 10:52 PM)Maize Wrote:  From the article:

Top 50 College Football Teams: TV Ratings

There are 12 SEC teams in the Top 25, including 7 teams in the Top 10. Unsurprisingly, Alabama is king of the mountain. SEC newbies Texas A&M and Missouri are ranked 3rd and 21st respectively. Their rival Big 12 schools Texas (29) and Kansas (74) did not crack the Top 25. Big 12 replacements TCU and West Virginia ranked 49th and 51st.

Note that ratings from certain networks are unavailable (e.g., Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Network, ESPNEWS, Longhorn Network), and this boosts averages for teams playing on those networks since ratings are generally low (see Longhorn Network). Teams like Northwestern benefit from having a low number of rated games since only their most attractive matchups with opponents like Ohio State are picked up by top TV stations.

Also from the article:

Conference TV Ratings

The SEC has the strongest TV viewership in college football. The distance between the SEC and runner-up Big 10 is substantial, and another wide gap exists between the Big 10 and other major conferences. Remember that each conference game counts twice so "a rising tide lifts all boats," especially a Crimson one.

Rank Conference Avg Viewersa Avg Ratingb # of Rated Gms
1 SEC 3,596,643 2.2 114
2 Big 10 2,643,794 1.7 80
3 ACC 1,918,042 1.2 84
4 Pac-12 1,799,596 1.1 74
5 Big 12 1,571,833 1.0 90
6 AAC 1,040,547 0.7 50
7 MWC 1,017,701 0.7 45
8 C-USA 825,796 0.5 40
9 MAC 765,792 0.5 32
10 Sun Belt 603,694 0.4 18

Here is the link:

http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/12/4...m-missouri

I know the BTN shows 3 games each Saturday. It seems like every BIG fan has the BTN or they would miss a lot of games. So BIG #'s probably much higher but doubt it's as high as SEC.

So you think that a game on the BTN is going to attract more viewers than the alternative (ESPN/FOX/ABC/NBC)? Keep in mind that every serious collegiate sports fan has access to ESPN, regardless of which conference they like the most. My money is that the B1G's overall ratings are noticeably weaker than what's reported here, but still ahead of the ACC.

What he is saying is that the BTN numbers would be added to the number listed for the Big Ten so that the Big Ten numbers for viewership are actually higher than the number listed rather than lower as you wish to say they would be due to your bias.

I am sorry but it is widely accepted that the Big Ten actually draws numbers like that. That is probably the reason why ESPN is pushing their people so hard to denigrate the Big Ten in order to show the Big Ten negotiators what would happen if they turn away from ESPN.

Sorry, despite the ACC's large footprint population, much of it does not care about ACC football. For whatever reason, that is the case. Personally I think it is because much of the ACC's population is actually in the North. That is why ACC basketball is the biggest deal in college basketball.

Yes. I am biased for not thinking that counting NW v. Ill shown on the BTN will raise the BTN's average viewership, as opposed to cherry picking NW v. OSU, NW v. Michigan, NW v. PSU, and so on which are shown on major national networks. Yes, I am the biased one grasping at straws. Only an ACC homer could possibly think that more people would watch an Ohio State game than an Illinois game.

It's all about Blue, baby.

Not sure what Ohio State is doing down there at 6. Doesn't seem right actually for Michigan to be at 2.

Domers were coming off last year's run and couldn't repeat the magic.

(12-05-2013 12:46 AM)quo vadis Wrote:  

(12-05-2013 12:30 AM)Kittonhead Wrote:  I think it says a lot about UCF being a good get for a P5 conference as some on here have speculated.

You accidently hit the wrong smiley. I think you meant this one:

(12-05-2013 05:17 AM)Maize Wrote:  Just a lay person but I do wonder about these numbers and the value of an ACC Network. The ACC Football numbers are impressive and par that with ACC Basketball in regards to a League Network like the BTN & coming SEC Network...am I wrong in assuming that the ACC has not scratched the surface on the revenue it could or should generate.

The ACC Network would help. Florida State, Miami, Clemson (football) and North Carolina, Duke will be on prime time but teams like NC State, Virgina, Tech and others have a lot of fans and they will see many more games in all sports on ACC Network. The BTN has sports news game breakdowns, match up shows and documentaries on great players and teams. If your an Passionate ACC fan you will love it!

(12-04-2013 11:50 PM)nzmorange Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 11:17 PM)Hoosier Hysteria Wrote:  

(12-04-2013 10:52 PM)Maize Wrote:  From the article:

Top 50 College Football Teams: TV Ratings

There are 12 SEC teams in the Top 25, including 7 teams in the Top 10. Unsurprisingly, Alabama is king of the mountain. SEC newbies Texas A&M and Missouri are ranked 3rd and 21st respectively. Their rival Big 12 schools Texas (29) and Kansas (74) did not crack the Top 25. Big 12 replacements TCU and West Virginia ranked 49th and 51st.

Note that ratings from certain networks are unavailable (e.g., Big Ten Network, Pac-12 Network, ESPNEWS, Longhorn Network), and this boosts averages for teams playing on those networks since ratings are generally low (see Longhorn Network). Teams like Northwestern benefit from having a low number of rated games since only their most attractive matchups with opponents like Ohio State are picked up by top TV stations.

Also from the article:

Conference TV Ratings

The SEC has the strongest TV viewership in college football. The distance between the SEC and runner-up Big 10 is substantial, and another wide gap exists between the Big 10 and other major conferences. Remember that each conference game counts twice so "a rising tide lifts all boats," especially a Crimson one.

Rank Conference Avg Viewersa Avg Ratingb # of Rated Gms
1 SEC 3,596,643 2.2 114
2 Big 10 2,643,794 1.7 80
3 ACC 1,918,042 1.2 84
4 Pac-12 1,799,596 1.1 74
5 Big 12 1,571,833 1.0 90
6 AAC 1,040,547 0.7 50
7 MWC 1,017,701 0.7 45
8 C-USA 825,796 0.5 40
9 MAC 765,792 0.5 32
10 Sun Belt 603,694 0.4 18

Here is the link:

http://www.goodbullhunting.com/2013/12/4...m-missouri

I know the BTN shows 3 games each Saturday. It seems like every BIG fan has the BTN or they would miss a lot of games. So BIG #'s probably much higher but doubt it's as high as SEC.

So you think that a game on the BTN is going to attract more viewers than the alternative (ESPN/FOX/ABC/NBC)? Keep in mind that every serious collegiate sports fan has access to ESPN, regardless of which conference they like the most. My money is that the B1G's overall ratings are noticeably weaker than what's reported here, but still ahead of the ACC.

Remember that the BTN games aren't comparable to the ESPN/Fox/ABC/NBC games, though. Same thing with the Pac-12 Network games. They're the equivalent of the syndicated Raycom package for the ACC or ESPN Regional's "SEC Network" games that are only shown in local Southern markets and ESPN3 online. So, it's pretty fair not to include the BTN games unless you start also including those Raycom or SEC Network games (and in that comparison, I'm fairly certain that the BTN viewership would be substantially higher than both of those packages if only because of the better access to those games). This analysis is looking at equivalent platforms for tier 1 games, so it looks pretty consistent with the ratings data that has been in place for years. Just look at the TV schedules every week: the Big Ten still has the most games on ABC and the ESPN networks PLUS the BTN. That means that the BTN isn't REPLACING ABC/ESPN games at all - they're nationalizing lower 2nd tier/3rd tier games where other conferences have only able to sell them as local games. The SEC Network (the actual new cable network as opposed to the current syndicated package) will end up doing to the same when it gets up and running.

It has been very consistent for the past decade that the national ratings pecking order has been (1) SEC, (2) Big Ten and (3) everyone else depending upon the season.

(12-05-2013 09:09 AM)nzmorange Wrote:  Yes. I am biased for not thinking that counting NW v. Ill shown on the BTN will raise the BTN's average viewership, as opposed to cherry picking NW v. OSU, NW v. Michigan, NW v. PSU, and so on which are shown on major national networks. Yes, I am the biased one grasping at straws. Only an ACC homer could possibly think that more people would watch an Ohio State game than an Illinois game.

It's not cherry-picking, though. The point is that ABC/ESPN/Fox/NBC/CBS games for the ACC and Big Ten (and everyone else) are the ones that are comparable to each other (as those are the tier 1 games).

If you want to compare the Northwestern vs. Illinois game on the BTN that you keep harping about, then compare that rating to the BC vs. Syracuse game on the ACC Network syndication last weekend. Those are the equivalent games in terms of packages. The Big Ten has the power to get those third tier games to get carried nationally on the BTN, while other conferences have only been able to sell them locally. So, should the Big Ten be punished in these metrics because it can still get even its crappiest games carried nationally in a way that the ACC can't? Should the SEC be punished as well when the SEC Network is formed and those Vandy vs. Mississippi State-type games (or even better, all of those SEC vs. Sun Belt non-conference games) get carried nationally? As noted previously, the Big Ten is STILL getting more ABC/ESPN football coverage than the ACC even with the existence of the BTN.

The AAC's numbers are skewed by Louisville which is of course on its way out. 3 of the top 4 rated AAC games involved Louisville. Here are the TV ratings for their conference games, with Louisville and Rutgers games in red.

Fri 10/18 ESPN UCF/Louisville 2.2MM
Thu 10/10 ESPN Rutgers/Louisville 1.66MM
Thu 10/31 ESPN USF/Houston 1.13MM
Fri 11/8 ESPN2 Louisville/UConn 1.04MM
Thu 11/21 ESPN Rutgers/UCF 972k
Fri 10/11 ESPN Temple/Cincy 872k
Fri 10/18 ESPN Louisville/USF 605k
Wed 10/30 ESPN2 Cincy/Memphis 437k
Sat 11/9 ESPN2 Houston/UCF 431k
Sat 11/26 ESPNU Houston/Louisville 348k
Sat 11/23 ESPNEWS Cincy/Houston 283k
Sat 10/5 ESPNEWS Rutgers/SMU 241k
Sat 11/16 ESPNEWS Cincy/Rutgers 155k
Sat 10/26 ESPNEWS Houston/Rutgers 137k
Sat 10/12 ESPNEWS Memphis/Houston 79k
Sat 10/19 ESPNU UConn/Cincy 56k