(01-14-2019 03:52 PM)orangefan Wrote:  

(01-14-2019 03:00 PM)OrangeDude Wrote:  

(01-14-2019 01:42 PM)orangefan Wrote:  

(01-14-2019 12:57 PM)OrangeDude Wrote:  Depends upon how one views the data. If one looks at the 5 year averages pre-CFP and post CFP this isn't the case. When one eliminates the semi-final games, as you suggest above, it is the case. But when one eliminates the two highest rated games from the pre-CFP era as well as the semi-finals during the CFP, then the Cotton becomes a winner along with the Orange. Only the Peach is behind, and it is only a slight decline.

Obviously I don't think anyone would believe either the Cotton or the Peach made a mistake by choosing to be NY6 bowls. But data can be interpreted in many ways depending upon how the data is used.

Cheers,
Neil

You are correct that the ratings for the 2009-2010 bowl season were, with a few exceptions, quite a bit higher than subsequent BCS seasons. However, I worry that the drop in viewership after that date is more related to the general decline and/or splintering of television audiences than to the shift from the BCS system to the CFP system. Indeed, that trend probably pollutes the data for the CFP era games generally to some extent. In that context, it is notable that the NY6 games have seen an overall increase in audience, even if those numbers are juiced by the addition of the semifinal games and that even the most recent three years are relatively flat compared to the last four BCS seasons.

As with all things, time will tell. One other way to look at the data is take all of the CFP playoff games and NCs over the past 5 years and then compare them with the all of the BCS NCs games, the two best Rose, Sugar, and Orange Bowls as well as the best Cotton and the best Peach from the previous five years under the BCS system.

The CFP era 15 games total 354.660 million viewers while the BCS era 15 games total 281.556 million viewers. Also, when specifically looking at the semi-final games the current trend shows that when the semi-finals are actually played on NYD, they get great ratings. But the Rose and the Sugar are not likely to give up those premium time slots when they do not have the semi-final games. I am willing to bet the difference in that 15 game analysis would be much larger if they did.

Cheers,
Neil

I believe the Rose is safe on NYD, but the Sugar was shifted around regularly during the BCS era. I'm not sure why it couldn't be subject to similar shifting in the future.