Look for plenty of noon starts for Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-fo...ksUbc5OZGo

Interesting. You'd think that a strong Big Ten or Big 12 game in primetime would do better numbers than whatever they normally run there, even if it's less than the ABC/ESPN GOTW. I guess nothing precludes them from running their second or third-best game in that slot but still, that's an odd move on their part. I suspect if they get, say, a game between two top-5 teams, it'll miraculously show up on the schedule at 8 and not noon. But who knows?

(05-14-2019 03:06 PM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Look for plenty of noon starts for Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-fo...ksUbc5OZGo

Enjoy that heat stroke!

I wonder if it has as much about trying to put a dent into college game day as anything else????

(05-14-2019 03:06 PM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Look for plenty of noon starts for Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-fo...ksUbc5OZGo

If you look at schedules, they were doing this to a wide extent already last year (also to a degree in 2017). Especially when it was a B1G game at Noon.

Borrowing this fact from another board: on the 9 Saturdays last year where multiple OTA networks had a Noon game, FOX had the highest rating 6 times out of 9. Every FOX win included at least 1 of Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma or Texas.

Conversely, FOX's only win in PrimeTime was for the B1G Championship Game. That includes 4 losses where they had at least 1 of Oklahoma, Texas or USC.

(05-14-2019 03:20 PM)Nittany_Bearcat Wrote:  

(05-14-2019 03:06 PM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Look for plenty of noon starts for Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-fo...ksUbc5OZGo

If you look at schedules, they were doing this to a wide extent already last year (also to a degree in 2017). Especially when it was a B1G game at Noon.

Borrowing this fact from another board: on the 9 Saturdays last year where multiple OTA networks had a Noon game, FOX had the highest rating 6 times out of 9. Every FOX win included at least 1 of Michigan, Ohio State, Oklahoma or Texas.

Conversely, FOX's only win in PrimeTime was for the B1G Championship Game. That includes 4 losses where they had at least 1 of Oklahoma, Texas or USC.

I agree that's the reason behind this. The ratings for even Fox's best games lag well behind the competition (ABC and ESPN) in east coast prime time, and they also want to avoid putting their #1 game of the week opposite the CBS SEC game. So, noon ET it is.

I think it's an attempt to get folks to tune into Fox early in the day and hope they just stick around for the next game/s. Also it could be that just that Fox wants to get more folks comfortable looking at them for their sports watching needs along with ESPN. They have quality content and have been to me at least slowly been building ground as a go to sports channel. Hopefully this pays off for them. Top quality game at noon on Fox, top quality game on CBS at late afternoon on CBS and a top quality game at night on ABC. What more could a college football fan ask for?

I think this is the best strategy. College football is a Satur-Day event for most people. By the evening, they are on to other things.

That's why CBS usually airs the best SEC game at 2:30, not 7 PM.

You go nighttime for one or two big games a year.

Perfect lead in for their postseason baseball coverage.

The older I get, the more I like early games. Sounds good to me.

(05-14-2019 03:12 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  Interesting. You'd think that a strong Big Ten or Big 12 game in primetime would do better numbers than whatever they normally run there, even if it's less than the ABC/ESPN GOTW. I guess nothing precludes them from running their second or third-best game in that slot but still, that's an odd move on their part. I suspect if they get, say, a game between two top-5 teams, it'll miraculously show up on the schedule at 8 and not noon. But who knows?

Well, last year's Big Game between #4 Michigan and #10 Ohio State was at Noon on Saturday, November 24.

(05-14-2019 05:45 PM)johnbragg Wrote:  

(05-14-2019 03:12 PM)Cyniclone Wrote:  Interesting. You'd think that a strong Big Ten or Big 12 game in primetime would do better numbers than whatever they normally run there, even if it's less than the ABC/ESPN GOTW. I guess nothing precludes them from running their second or third-best game in that slot but still, that's an odd move on their part. I suspect if they get, say, a game between two top-5 teams, it'll miraculously show up on the schedule at 8 and not noon. But who knows?

Well, last year's Big Game between #4 Michigan and #10 Ohio State was at Noon on Saturday, November 24.

UM/OSU & RRR can never start later than the afternoon slot.

I would rather start at noon than 8:30pm in November.


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I don't know about fans in the Eastern time zone, but 11 am kickoffs in the Central time zone are a bear, especially for fans attending the games. Go to any OU board and read the complaints. It's one of the primary complaints our fans have about the Big 12. Last season's first two home games were played at 11 am and 12 pm, respectively. Weather in Oklahoma is never perfect, but an 11 am kickoff in September is brutal. But, Fox pays the Big 12 big bucks, so kickoffs are often at 11 am. It is what it is. Every conference has them (except the Pac-12, as long as they stay in their time zones).

11 am (12 Eastern) was once where non-marquee matchups were dumped. As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, Fox is finding that they can get better ratings with a good matchup at noon Eastern than by going against ABC/ESPN at night or against the CBS SEC game.

Being a traditionalist on this who has not liked seeing Ohio State go from mostly noonish games to mostly later games, I like it. Granted, this is kind of reversed from how I wanted it though. I would have preferred biggest games later and most other games earlier.

Will be interesting to see if this changes around the Big Ten scheduling. It has put a lot of games on at noon to avoid national TV ones later in day (although got past exclusive games some years back). Think this might push some Big Ten less viewed games later in the day.

From the FOX angle, I think it makes sense. For right now, you are going to struggle to beat ESPN/ABC/CBS unless your game is much, much bigger. Instead, take the slightly less desirable time slot, but dominate it. The more people become used to going to FOX for earlier game, the more they'll tend to stay for other ones and associate FOX with college football.

(05-15-2019 08:10 AM)ohio1317 Wrote:  Being a traditionalist on this who has not liked seeing Ohio State go from mostly noonish games to mostly later games, I like it. Granted, this is kind of reversed from how I wanted it though. I would have preferred biggest games later and most other games earlier.

Will be interesting to see if this changes around the Big Ten scheduling. It has put a lot of games on at noon to avoid national TV ones later in day (although got past exclusive games some years back). Think this might push some Big Ten less viewed games later in the day.

From the FOX angle, I think it makes sense. For right now, you are going to struggle to beat ESPN/ABC/CBS unless your game is much, much bigger. Instead, take the slightly less desirable time slot, but dominate it. The more people become used to going to FOX for earlier game, the more they'll tend to stay for other ones and associate FOX with college football.

I'm thinking the 3 PM(-ish) time slot is about to become VERY crowded. That alone will bring down the SEC on CBS numbers a little just due to market fragmentation (previously a problem in prime time). At some point it will all balance out.

(05-14-2019 03:06 PM)Hokie4Skins Wrote:  Look for plenty of noon starts for Ohio State, Michigan, Oklahoma, Texas, etc.

https://www.saturdaydownsouth.com/sec-fo...ksUbc5OZGo

I'm good with that.

If you start watching early Saturday (say College Gameday) you're looking at 9-10 AM and going all day until around 11 PM that night.

Even the most die hard college football fan can get fatigue and need a break.

Putting better games early allows one to take that break.

11 am Central Games in the South/Southeast US is very bad for the fans at the stadium in September. I'm sure the fans in the northern part of the country don't care much for late games in November/December either. And to think people wonder why attendance is down at the games.

All Fox is doing is trying to eliminate what we saw last year to some degree where you would have on occasion 4 great games all in prime time. You'd have the ABC Saturday night game, a Fox game, at least 1 SEC game on ESPN/2, and then even the occasional game from NBC or CBS....

Also, Fox's problem is that their top games aren't always that incredible by any stretch. Their schedule is not as good as what ABC has. Sometimes, the best Fox game will still have to go up against ABC and their 2nd or 3rd best game- and ABC's game would STILL win....

Also, I think the Pac 12 is going to have a major problem with this- as their games would never be considered as the top game....

(05-16-2019 09:57 AM)stever20 Wrote:  All Fox is doing is trying to eliminate what we saw last year to some degree where you would have on occasion 4 great games all in prime time. You'd have the ABC Saturday night game, a Fox game, at least 1 SEC game on ESPN/2, and then even the occasional game from NBC or CBS....

Also, Fox's problem is that their top games aren't always that incredible by any stretch. Their schedule is not as good as what ABC has. Sometimes, the best Fox game will still have to go up against ABC and their 2nd or 3rd best game- and ABC's game would STILL win....

Also, I think the Pac 12 is going to have a major problem with this- as their games would never be considered as the top game....

Couldn't this also mean that the PAC 12 will get more games that start during ET prime time? I bet the PAC 12 will be thrilled to have more early games and fewer of its marquee matchups with 10pm ET kickoffs.