TV Ratings for Semi's down 36%

Submitted by MGoSoftball on

So its halftime and it was discussed at the NYE party I was at.  Why did the NCAA have the Semi's on NYE?  Will the ratings drop because everyone will be busy at parties?

My answer was that I thought they would drop a little (~10%) from last year due to NYE.

Well here is the answer: http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/eye-on-college-football/25434171/college-football-playoff-semifinal-ratings-drop-36-on-new-years-eve

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ribs1

January 1st, 2016 at 3:19 PM ^

This entire system sucks and ratings will continue to go down.

The 4 team playoff sucks and the only solution is to expand to a full 16 team playoff, or go back to the traditional bowl system.

I vote the old system.  I am sure the Rose Bowl will have great ratings today even though it features the 3rd best big ten team.

These semifinal games are incredibly anticlimactic.  I watched only because I love footbal and had nothing better to do.  I really don't want to watch Michigan State play Alabama at an indoor stadium in Dallas.  (at least they could have played the game at the real Cotton Bowl)  I certainly wouldn't want to travel there.  I can watch indoor football in Detroit.

Even more anticlimactic is having to wait another 2 weeks for the championship game.  By then I am focused on 

1.  Pro football

2.  Hockey

3.  College Hockey

4.  Getting ready for spring baseball

5.  Wait is there another college football game between 2 teams I dont care about?

Traditional Bowl matchups were a lot of fun.  This is not.

 

 

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wolverine1987

January 1st, 2016 at 5:02 PM ^

that semifinal playoff games, with the winner advancing to a championship game (exactly like every other sport) are "anti-climatic?" How is that exactly? Do you say the same for the NBA/NHL semis too? Yet you want to expand the field to 16 teams, which renders the regular season much less important, and still you would have the anti-climatic semifinals. Hmm. 

Outside of this portion of your argument which IMHO is nonsense, I agree that in many ways the traditional bowl matchups were more fun, and that is because some of them are now devalued due to the playoff structure. Witness ESPN striving mightily to convince us that today's Rose Bowl has not lost one bit if it's previous importance. Well, it has, even though it's still a great setting and good game.

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wolverine1987

January 1st, 2016 at 5:02 PM ^

that semifinal playoff games, with the winner advancing to a championship game (exactly like every other sport) are "anti-climatic?" How is that exactly? Do you say the same for the NBA/NHL semis too? Yet you want to expand the field to 16 teams, which renders the regular season much less important, and still you would have the anti-climatic semifinals. Hmm. 

Outside of this portion of your argument which IMHO is nonsense, I agree that in many ways the traditional bowl matchups were more fun, and that is because some of them are now devalued due to the playoff structure. Witness ESPN striving mightily to convince us that today's Rose Bowl has not lost one bit if it's previous importance. Well, it has, even though it's still a great setting and good game.

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ribs1

January 1st, 2016 at 5:43 PM ^

I am not exactly sure what makes them anticlimactic to me compared to NHL and NBA but heres some ideas

1.  Playoff games start 3-4 weeks after regular season.  This is why I think 16 teams would be better.  

2.  Championship game is another 2 weeks later

3.  Games played in warm climates but indoors (this is the one that I dislike the most)  

Currently we are in this hybrid system where we still have bowls that are becoming more and more meaningless.  Lets either get rid of them and move to a 16 team playoff, go back to the old way, or go to a true plus 1.  

I don't want anyone to get off my lawn.  I don't think the old way is the only way.  I just think what we have now sucks.

 

 

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1201 S. Main St.

January 1st, 2016 at 7:13 PM ^

I don't mind the process.  It is far an away better than the old BCS system.  As far as ratings, I have no idea why they didn't put the two games on Janurary 2nd....a Saturday, with no competition for ratings.  Putting these games on New Years Eve is just a bad idea.  If it falls on a week day, people have work and they'll always be fighting for ratings with New Years Eve broadcasts.  I don't see too many reasons why they can't play these two games on the first Friday or Saturday of January.  

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DairyQueen

January 1st, 2016 at 10:41 PM ^

I see what you're arguing for.

But also let's remember the historical calculus that has led up to the reason why the college post-season looks like it currently does.

It's the very definition of retro-fitting.

There's a lot of great tradition in college football (a reason that so many people love it), in fact the demographics of college football viewers are so skewed and nuanced, that a third to two-thirds of CFB fans don't even attend/follow any other athletics. EVER.

That's a different type of market.

Thus, welding on a pro-style post-season, might not be the "best" solution at this point in time.

Of course, over time, demographics change, so it may evolve into a mirror of pro-sports.

But for now, it doesn't make any sense, and still may not in the future.

But we are in between a bit of a rock and a hard place.

Also remember, there's a lot more equal distrubution of sales and ad revenue when you keep the myriad of bowls going, it's less winner-take-all (on and off the field), and I for one love to see the loyal fans from the non-Michigan-level programs.

It's like a music festival. Freaks, Food, and Surprises.

Sports for all. (edit: I just realized I'm still a bit in the holiday spirit/tipsy, forgive me of my tree-huggy/hippy ways, I'll sober up and see my credit card statement soon, I promise)

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Brodie

January 1st, 2016 at 3:48 PM ^

You can't... ESPN is never going to allow these games to conflict with each other and the Rose Bowl is never going to move off of NYD unless it's forced to. At best you could have one playoff game at 1 and one at night with the Rose in between, but then you're losing ratings on that 1 pm game. 

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ESNY

January 1st, 2016 at 4:20 PM ^

I thought ESPN refused to move them to Jan 2nd because they are trying to force the country to buy into Dec 31st being "the day for college football". It would've made perfect sense this year with no NFL games but they are too deep in the New Year's Eve idea they wouldn't consider it



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sas5128

January 1st, 2016 at 3:14 PM ^

A genuine question but could some (I stress "some") of this be due to that NYE has parties? instead of 10 people watching at individual homes, 10 people are watching the same TV. I'm not even remotely familiar with how ratings work but does that have any impact?

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HELLE

January 1st, 2016 at 4:49 PM ^

True... I had six people over to watch the games. Personally, I loved having the games on New Year's Eve. I really don't know what people do on New Year's Eve for fun. I'm 36 and married. I've always just gone to house parties. Football games on tv seem like a no brainier to me.



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bronxblue

January 1st, 2016 at 3:18 PM ^

Clemson - OU was kind of boring after The Tigers figured out what to do, and everyone sorta figured Alabama would destroy MSU.  The first quarter was at least competitive, but I tuned out after MSU failed to score at halftime.

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GoBlueBill

January 1st, 2016 at 3:19 PM ^

There was alot going into the schedule. With 50 gazillion Bowl games.

The Bowl games that got a championship game and those that didnt .  They couldnt go up against the NFL on Sunday . Im sure there is alot of rules on what Bowl games had to be scheduled alone( meaning no other bowl game could be played at the same time).

I doubt they wanted to play the games on NYE . But that was better than scheduling them after all the other Bowl games . If they had played them on this upcoming Monday. The ratings would be better. But there are alot of people who wouldnt be able to attend those games due to having to be back to work.  So attendance would have suffered .

Also im sure the student athletes were factored in . Play the games during their holiday break. As opposed to having them travel a few extra days and miss some classes .

These are just my guesses as to why it was scheduled this way .

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lilpenny1316

January 1st, 2016 at 3:20 PM ^

They used the games to promote the NYE program on ABC.  You usually don't try to lead viewers away from your program, especially when it's completely different.  They might not come back.

 

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UMxWolverines

January 1st, 2016 at 3:23 PM ^

1. Stupid to have them on the night of the 31st 2. Lots of people watching on one tv at parties probably matters a little 3. Something something MSU isn't well known something something disrespekt

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Harlick

January 1st, 2016 at 3:26 PM ^

It was a terrible idea to have the games on yesterday. People are still working or preparing for parties, it's not a good day for football.

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evenyoubrutus

January 1st, 2016 at 3:36 PM ^

The dumb thing is, because of how the holiday falls this year, it would have been perfect to play these games on Saturday January 2nd. Not sure why they thought NYE would be the best option.

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Honey Badger

January 1st, 2016 at 3:39 PM ^

Nobody wanted to have the games on New Year's Eve.  The Rose Bowl had a contract to play in the afternoon of New Year's Day and refused to budge.  Hence, the games were forced to the evening.  ESPN did not want this.

The ratings have everything to do with the games being New Year's Eve and nothing to do with the teams.  

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mbrummer

January 1st, 2016 at 3:39 PM ^

ESPN won their bid.  They have to pay them their money.  Bowl games have no worries that ratings were down.

Read Wetzel's piece.

Even when ESPN balks, someone else will pay them. (Fox)Remember these are non-profits, who less money means one less golf trip

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