ESPN out $20 million due to poor New Year's Eve Viewing

Submitted by StephenRKass on

ESPN is apparently out around $20 million in make good payments to advertisers, due to a poor showing on New Year's Eve. This has been posted at a number of news outlets. Viewership was down 36% from prior years.

LINK:  ESPN negotiating $20M in Bowl Ad Makegoods.

The hubris of CFP bowl execs is just incredible:

CFP committee officials are on record as adamantly supporting the continued airing of the playoff series games on New Year’s Eve as scheduled, which will occur in seven of the remaining 10 years of the 12-year original deal. And that position has been taken even after the 36% combined ratings decline for the two games was disclosed.

I get that they don't want all the games on NY Day. But I disagree. And I hate all the bowls spread over a long, long period of time. Yeah, they don't all have to be at the same time. But I personally liked having a ton of games on New Year's Day.

And as regards New Year's Eve:  playing football on New Year's Eve is the exact reverse of scheduling a wedding on a football Saturday. You just don't do it. It is pretty selfish and unthinking to schedule a wedding on an October afternoon, if many of your guests have a college football allegience. But it is also pretty selfish to schedule a game on New Year's Eve, when many people are celebrating and going to parties with friends and significant others.

As regards ESPN, their business model is going down the tubes, and they are in a world of hurt. Even at my age, I am one of the "cord nevers." Well, except for two months when I moved to temporary housing in the Chicago area. Anyway, I've steadfastly refused to pay for cable TV. Increasingly, things I want to watch are coming to me via the internet. I'm willing to pay an occasional premium for the games I actually watch. Much, much cheaper in the long run then paying for cable and a ton of content I have no interest in. I'm irritated enough with almost all the bowl games going to ESPN, I will sometimes choose to miss a game on a cable network rather than paying to watch it.

EDIT:  It figures MSU would be involved in a game that nobody wanted to watch. More Disrespekt.

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funkywolve

January 8th, 2016 at 9:47 PM ^

NYE was on a week day and NYE is not a common day that people get off.  A good portion of people take NYE off, but at the same time there's still a large chunk of the workforce working 1/2, 3/4 or even a full day.

Next year, NYE is on a saturday so I'd guess the ratings might be a little better.  Especially for the 4pm start.  I'm guessing the first half ratings for that game had to be fairly low because unless you were on the east coast, if you hadn't taken the day off you were probably working or just leaving the office when the game started.

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Pit2047

January 8th, 2016 at 6:34 PM ^

At halftime in both games it was close. Oklahoma was up 1 on Clemson and Cook had just thrown a red zone pick against 'Bama to leave it at 10-0. Second half blow outs were not the problem, the problem was millions of fans were at New Years parties and couldn't watch the game. I only caught the last 2 minutes of the 'Bama game and NONE of the Clemson-Oklahoma game. They need to move the games. Football on New Years Eve is not a thing, will never be a thing and it needs to stop.

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Chiwolve

January 8th, 2016 at 6:43 PM ^

That was not the problem -- I would have watched the games if they were on a Monday night competing against basically nohting. Barring Michigan playing in the games, you will not get me watching the playoffs vs. hanging out with family/friends on NYE...and I'm pretty sure that's why they are hurting-- because I (along with most fellow blog readers) am pretty much the target demographic

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Tater

January 8th, 2016 at 7:23 PM ^

To me, the "problem" is that ESPN thought every football fan in the country would cancel New Year's Eve to watch two football games that were only truly relevant for four markets.  

For example, I was busy playing bass in a bar on Bourbon Street for NYE.  I don't think Sparty vs Bama was enough reason to cancel.  Furthermore, I don't think many people there to celebrate NYE cared about the games, even though there were a bunch of SEC and Big 12 fans in town for the Sugar Bowl the next day.   

ESPN and the NCAA sorely overestimated their own self-importance.

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MGoGrendel

January 8th, 2016 at 7:34 PM ^

It's not the match ups, it's that 36% stayed away because they had better things to do. Next year, ESPN will charge less for commercial airtime, avoid payouts, and claim #profit. Rinse and repeat 10 of the next 12 years.

Why not all 12 years? Because the Rose Bowl said "fuck you, we're not moving. You want us? It's NYD or nothing."



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Picktown GoBlue

January 9th, 2016 at 1:59 AM ^

is never on a Sunday, so you'll see next year's game is on Jan. 2 (as are the Sugar and Cotton Bowls).  This is where the NFL gets in the way, as they ought to have the two semi's and the Orange Bowl on the 1st, but I guess the NFL is all we'll get to see along with some lesser bowls.

In looking this up to confirm, stumbled over a fascinating article from a few years back about the 1962 Rose Bowl.  Since the PCC had gone down the tubes, there was no agreement in place for the Big Ten to be in the game. LSU and Alabama were potential teams, but having them play there would bring up segregation/integration issues.  They eventually ended up going to the Orange and Sugar, respectively, so Big Ten winner OSU was next.  And their faculty said no:

"These faculty members were not against the Buckeyes having an athletic program. The problem was with the fact that football, in their minds, was the tail that was wagging the dog. So their hope, in terms of denying the Rose Bowl, wasn’t just some sort of childish temper tantrum, but was an effort to try to get people’s attention -- particularly those whose only connection to the university was the football program -- to help them realize that there’s a serious business going on here."  The council voted 28-25 to decline the invitation.  They hoped their decision would "vastly improv[e] the university's reputation as an academic institution fit for service in a Cold War political economy."  It may have done that, but it also set off riots on the Columbus campus, with students threatening to march on the state capitol.  The Buckeyes would stay home for the holidays.

Minnesota got the bid, won the game, but has never made it back to the Rose Bowl.  Only by adding Rutgers and Maryland can there be any other Big Ten teams who have not been there since that date.

I always remember some cool Orange Bowl halftimes as it was the night game.  But never saw this one - Magic!!

Ah, tradition!

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UMxWolverines

January 8th, 2016 at 5:26 PM ^

This is stupid. As much as I want Michigan to play in the playoff next year having them on New Years Eve is the dumbest thing possible. You could probably have them on Christmas and have better ratings. 

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Dustinlo

January 8th, 2016 at 5:32 PM ^

The 4:30pm EST game on NYE was two kinds of dumb. So early that the half of the workforce who was working that day weren't even off of work yet and one NYE when many are out traveling. As said above, I didn't mind the 7:30 game because it was something to watch, but I would've hated it if it was Michigan.

I'm also a cord cutter and don't miss ESPN at all unless UM is on. In that case I can just stream it through my tv on ESPN Watch with my parents' cable provider log-in info. They can't part with the local news:)

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teldar

January 8th, 2016 at 8:13 PM ^

You kind of miss the point.you're not actually cutting the cord. You're just stealing it. Not that I have a problem with it, but you're still tied to the network which is the best example of the problem with cable/satellite.

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ppToilet

January 8th, 2016 at 5:33 PM ^

Then they'll have to make it a tradition on whatever day they choose. Blowouts don't engender high ratings. If it's going to be on NYE, people will have to get used to it and plan their schedules around it.

Honestly, I like it better than Jan 2nd, 3rd or later as theoretically the kids have to go to school.

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drzoidburg

January 10th, 2016 at 12:19 AM ^

hell no, at best they will get some to DVR the games dec 31. No one is planning anything around NYE, except for those who never go out anyway. These supposedly non-profit schools need to stop bowing down to the NFL and instead make the NFL switch their schedule around

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Drbogue

January 8th, 2016 at 5:36 PM ^

I don't understand why a CFP game on New Years Eve is such a big deal. The first game started at 4 and the second game at 8. Hell, at least you've got something to watch when your wife drags you to the party where all the other husbands have nothing to talk about.



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