Big 12 television ratings go counter to network beliefs
By JEFFREY FLANAGAN
Before Missouri and West Virginia each crashed last weekend, there were whispers that network execs were worried that a Missouri-West Virginia title game might be a ratings disaster. That thinking is based on the assumption that without a major market involved, national television ratings generally sink.
But the last two weekends of Big 12 football proved that thinking to be erroneous. The Missouri-Kansas game on ABC almost two weeks ago drew a 6.57 rating nationally.
The Big 12 title game between Missouri and Oklahoma last Saturday topped that at 6.64. Those are big numbers for college football.
“I think it shows you that hard-core football fans know what quality football is,” said Tim Allen, associate commissioner of the Big 12. “They don’t base their viewing just on regions. They base it on the quality of football. “And fortunately, the Big 12 has provided quality football. The ratings prove that.”
How do the Big 12 numbers compare with other big games this year? Ohio State-Michigan, one of college football’s classic rivalries, drew a 5.0 nationally.
The LSU-Florida game, at the time a very significant matchup, only drew a 3.1 rating. And the early-season matchup of USC and Nebraska, extremely hyped at the time, drew just a 2.5 rating. The SEC title game between LSU and Tennessee did well, drawing a 5.9, but didn’t match the Big 12. “The best thing about the ratings is it confirms the brand of football we play is entertaining,” Allen said, “and, of course, it exposes our product all around the country. That is great for our image and for recruiting.”
M Club wrote:don't forget that the big 10 season was over, so that game siphoned the other half of the midwest who enjoys boring football.
There's a lot of truth to this. I'm usually stuck watching some shit Big 11 game due to regional coverage. Was nice to be able to watch the XII without having to buy Gameplan for the week.
aside from michigan and perhaps the usual high profile games, i generally have little interest in watching big ten football. there's nothing like watching iowa/indiana on tv and being able to hear the cessanas flying overhead that advertise some local car dealership.
M Club wrote:aside from michigan and perhaps the usual high profile games, i generally have little interest in watching big ten football. there's nothing like watching iowa/indiana on tv and being able to hear the cessanas flying overhead that advertise some local car dealership.
Ya. I always seek out the best possible game on tv. Conference affiliation usually has nothing to do with it.
Goober McTuber wrote:Writer is obviously a Big 12 honk.
True. Flanagan writes for the KC Star and generally does a good job on his homework.
But in this case he was just reporting raw numbers, though I've often wondered how accurately those ratings systems reflect the actual number of people watching any given sporting event.
Seems to me that it's a very inexact science. For instance, each rating point is supposed to equal a certain number of households tuned to a particular show. But in the case of a sporting event such as a CFB game, there's no way to take into account people who are watching it at their fav sports bar or at a party at a friends house, which is probably a significant number of eyeballs.
Whatever, I think those numbers do squash the notion that a big game between 2 non-traditional or smaller market CFB programs won't draw the same amount of national interest.
I hate sigs. But I lost a stupid fucking bet because a KC Paul lookalike and his sorry ass team were inferior to the greatness that is the Pittsburg Steelers.
i really don't give flying fuck about the conference BS that's ride on the board now and into March after the low level bowls where Doug Flutie will claim board for the Big East after they beat up on the bowlrecords on bowls played a week before christmas.
Tim Allen is getting paid to say stuff that is crap. PR nonsense.
the OU-Mizzou butt-whipping was the only game on TV. anyone getting paid to say "hard-core football fans and quality football" out loud in any situation is a corporate wonk.
KC Scott wrote:
The Big 12 title game between Missouri and Oklahoma last Saturday topped that at 6.64. Those are big numbers for college football.
“I think it shows you that hard-core football fans know what quality football is,” said Tim Allen, associate commissioner of the Big 12. “They don’t base their viewing just on regions. They base it on the quality of football. “And fortunately, the Big 12 has provided quality football. The ratings prove that.”
Last edited by King Crimson on Sat Dec 08, 2007 10:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
""On a lonely planet spinning its way toward damnation amid the fear and despair of a broken human race, who is left to fight for all that is good and pure and gets you smashed for under a fiver? Yes, it's the surprising adventures of me, Sir Digby Chicken-Caesar!"
"
MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:The Border War featured the #2 and #4 ranked teams late in the season, which had a profound impact on the MNC race.
People will be watching in that particular situation, regardless of teams involved. I don't think that's exclusive to the Big 12.
Very true.
I was giggling like a little kid watching the 4th quarter of the West Virginia-Pitt game. Think I'd have been watching that game if it hadn't had huge implications?
Same can be said with games featuring Hawaii...you only watch because it has a national impact.
The SEC had some of the most exciting games this year...can't remember a bad game that was on CBS.
Sudden Sam wrote:I wonder what big market the TV folks connect with the LSU-Florida game? We don't have any big markets down here. Atlanta would be the only one...and there's no SEC school there. But it is our only big TV market.
Hey, the Big 12 commish is right. I wanna see good games...period. I thoroughly enjoyed every Oklahoma game I saw this year. Saw some Oregon games early on and USC. I don't usually care to watch ACC or Big Ten games, though.
OUMO wrote:On a side note the new AP poll is already out for the start of next year.
1. LSU
2. Georgia
3. Florida
4. Tennessee
5. Auburn
6. Kentucky
7. South Carolina
8. Alabama
9. Arkansas
10. Mississippi State
11. Mississippi
12. Vanderbilt
13. California
14. USC
15. Texas
16. Ohio St.
17. Oklahoma
18. Virginia Tech
19. Missouri
20. West Virgina
21. Michigan
22. Illinois
23. Texas Tech
24. Boston College
25. Notre Dame
Alabama's ranked too low.
Big markets generally dont associate themselves with college football. Large cities normally see them selves as Professional Sports Cities, LA being the exception because of USCs recent success and the fact there is no NFL franchise there. Much of ESPNs felashing of the Trojans is due to USC being one of the few good teams in a large media market
SoCalTrjn wrote:
Big markets generally dont associate themselves with college football. Large cities normally see them selves as Professional Sports Cities, LA being the exception because of USCs recent success and the fact there is no NFL franchise there. Much of ESPNs felashing of the Trojans is due to USC being one of the few good teams in a large media market
let's say i give you LA and New York. list some other "large media markets" where college football doesn't get covered.
like Chicago? no one cares about the Big 10 there, since that's the "large media market" where Big 10 grads gravitate. Atlanta, that's a pro sports city. when that 2.8 at Ole Miss doesn't get it done, being a "dancer" and the silicon in the ATL=money.
""On a lonely planet spinning its way toward damnation amid the fear and despair of a broken human race, who is left to fight for all that is good and pure and gets you smashed for under a fiver? Yes, it's the surprising adventures of me, Sir Digby Chicken-Caesar!"
"
